Girl next door

This is an accepted version of this page The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories.

A trope that evokes nostalgia, it is associated with small towns and more local or even rural ways of life.

[2] A common cliche is when a male protagonist is caught in a love triangle between two women, he will usually choose the "sweet, ordinary, and caring girl next door" he grew up with rather than a more well-off or beautiful woman with fewer morals.

[4][better source needed] The character Mary Ann Summers from the TV show Gilligan's Island (portrayed by Dawn Wells) had the girl next door allure, in contrast with the more glamorous character Ginger Grant (portrayed by Tina Louise).

[5] Due to the popularity of the show and the two lead female characters, the question "Ginger or Mary Ann?"