Once upon a time, a damsel sat hopeless in her tower. Suddenly, the door to her prison burst open, and a prince appeared. Before asking if she was fine or mentally stable after years of isolation, he ...

Audiences have seen a surge in powerful female protagonists. These characters have been a major benefit to the world, showing moviegoers everywhere that women are just as capable of being strong, ...

From Rapunzel trapped up in her tower to legions of scream queens hitting high decibels, the damsel in distress trope is long rooted in sweet, helpless characters incapable of staying out of trouble.

Layann Basileh is an Arab-American writer based in Southern California, currently nursing an iced coffee addiction. The 'damsel in distress' trope is a common female character archetype, in which a ...