Token Character - Tokenism in Fiction

Tokenism in Fiction

A token character is a character in a work of fiction who only exists to achieve the minimum compliance with assumed normality for the environment described in the story.

A token character can also be used by writers to pay lip service to rules or standards, when they otherwise have no intention of doing so, such as by obeying anti-racism policies by including a token ethnic minority character who—despite being present often—has no function in the overall plot, does little or nothing, and is often a stereotyped character.

In fiction, token characters may represent various groups, which vary from the norm (usually white/heterosexual/physically attractive, frequently male), and are otherwise excluded from the story. They can be based on ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, Asian...), religion (Jewish, Muslim...), or be overweight or otherwise conventionally unattractive, non-heterosexual or a female character in a male-dominated cast. Token characters will usually be relegated to the background. Such a character may also be disposed of relatively early in the story in order to enhance the drama while "conserving" the normal characters.

In many modern films and television shows, the inclusion of token characters is frequently and implausibly seen in various historical settings where a person's race or ethnicity would usually be immediately noticed. Typically other characters tend to treat the token characters as though they were not concerned with their race or ethnicity. Notable exceptions to this practice include stories based in history and stories that address racism. The South Park character Token Black is a reference to this.