History CaptainObvious / Literature

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]]. [[spoiler: Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that Daenerys has a claim to the throne in her own right, has three dragons, has a blooded, conquering army and, therefore, doesn't especially need him, doesn't know about him and is unlikely to be willing to step aside for him when she does find out that he 1) exists and is 2) backed by Team Blackfyre.]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case and that they'd have to do something ''a little'' more proactive than wait for [[spoiler: their possibly-Targaryen lad to marry her and claim the throne.]]

** Tyrion Lannister gets a memorable moment of this when he meets (and plays cyvasse with) a very suspiciously [[PrettyBoy pretty lad]] with [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair Tyroshi-blue hair]]. [[spoiler: Aegon Targaryen needed it spelling out that Daenerys has a claim to the throne in her own right, has three dragons, has an army and doesn't especially need him, doesn't know about him and is unlikely to be willing to step aside for him when she does find out that he exists... and is backed by Team Blackfyre.]] It had apparently escaped the entire Golden Company that all this was the case.

** Sandor Clegane occasionally strays into this territory while delivering very cynical BrutalHonesty. Mainly because the people he's being honest at rather need the caps lock, bold, italic and underline to get it through to them that the world doesn't work along fluffy-wuffy, feel-good story tropes.

* In the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series, demons have lived in a different dimension from ours for thousands of years, only learning of human customs and culture through one trashy romance novel, which they take as a sort of Bible. Nº1, a young demon/warlock we first meet in ''The Last Colony'', was particularly interested in the human world, so when he finally gets transported there, he takes great pleasure in pointing out the meaning of human expressions, despite the fact that every other character around him (and the readers) know very well what they mean.
** This is somewhat justified at one point as it's pointed out that Nº1 does this as a way of coping with stress.
** Subverted in book six: "I think we all know what [[PardonMyKlingon D'Arvit]] means."
** Artemis also has his moments: "My butler could kill you a hundred ways without the use of his weapons. Although I'm sure one would be quite sufficient."

* Partially subverted in ''Literature/TheButterflyKid'', where Chester points to Creator/MichaelKurland as an example of Whitehead's statement that "It requires an unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious." So he keeps pointing to the obvious everyone has overlooked.

'''Jeeves:''' A water-spaniel of a variety bred in Ireland, sir.\\

* ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' : Richard Mayhew. "Oh, you're awake", he tells Door who is awake.

*** Though not as obvious as it should be, because the illustration shows Lex stealing pies, not cakes....

* In ''The {{ComicStrip/Dilbert}} Principle'', ScottAdams lists Master of the Obvious as one of the roles to take in a meeting. The Master of the Obvious gets lines such as "You need customers in order to have revenue!" and "We want a win-win solution."

** Ron: "Hermione, Neville's right...you ''are'' a girl..." She lets him live.

'''Zaphod:''' Parking cars, what else? Dumdum...

* The ''{{Redwall}}'' installment ''Salamandastron'' features a scene with ThePigpen begging not to be given a bath; "That stuff's water - it's all wet!"

''Teri Trapper:''' Then she must be your mother's sister, or your father's sister, or your uncle's wife.

** As Hawkgirl flies over a mountain range, she realises that mountains and fields are, in fact, not the same thing. (Though in fairness, the mountain were apparently not marked on her map.)

* Colette disses Ethan for being this trope in ''[[HumanxCommonwealth Icerigger]]'', for such brilliant demonstrations as remarking "Stuck" after trying and failing to open a jammed door.

* ''Literature/AlexisCarew'': "You're a girl." Said to Alexis no less than four times by surprised ratings and midshipmen she's introduced to on HMS ''Merlin'' ([[JustifiedTrope there aren't any other women in the Fringe Fleet]]). Then turned on its head when she tries to head it off with Dudgeon, the ship's "carpenter" (essentially chief of maintenance and damage control), by introducing herself with, "I'm a girl."

* John Feinstein's book, ''A Good Walk Spoiled'', about the PGA Tour. Scene: Davis Love III, in a tense match late in the Ryder Cup, is approached by his captain Tom Watson:
-->"We really need this match," [Watson] said ... Love didn't answer right away because the first thought that came into his head wouldn't have sounded very good: "No shit, Tom."

* Some of Count Olaf's comments in ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''. One example in ''The Penultimate Peril'' is when Klaus mentions the 'unfathomable question' in ''Literature/NativeSon'', Page 581, and Count Olaf points out that that is the five-hundred and eighty-first page.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** Hallis Mollen is {{flanderiz|ation}}ed into this. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Catelyn's narrative, after a description of a large crowd gathered in revelry and ritualised combat: ''"A tourney", said Hal, unnecessarily.''
** This exchange from ''Literature/AStormOfSwords'', names removed to avoid spoilers.
--->''(after getting shot by a crossbow bolt)'' You shot me.\\
You were always quick to grasp a situation, my lord, that must be why you're [[spoiler:Hand of the King]].

* In ''[[Literature/{{Duumvirate}} Billy & Howard]]'', the twins have vastly different ideas of what is and isn't obvious, occasionally leading to this trope being named.

* In ''{{Discworld}}'', the heads of the FeudingFamilies Selachii and Venturi have to be this whenever they speak to each other due to an edict that they speak only on subjects they couldn't possibly disagree on. Leading to their conversations including phrases like "I see we are standing up."

-->''(after getting shot by a crossbow bolt)'' "You shot me."
-->"You were always quick to grasp a situation, my lord, that must be why you're [[spoiler:Hand of the King]]."

--> '''Cedric''': ''The cup is a portkey.''

-->''One of the things that Ford Prefect had always found hardest to understand about human beings was their habit of continually stating and restating the very, very obvious. As in: "It's a nice day," or "You're very tall," or "[[PrepareToDie So this is it. We're going to die.]]"''

-->'''Zaphod:''' (''speaking into a phone'') Will you please tell us where you are?\\

'''Zaphod:''' Okay, hang in there, we'll be right down. (''puts down the phone and turns to everyone else'') Come on, guys. Marvin's in the car park. Let's get on down.\\

--> '''Bertie:''' I will read it to you. Handed in at Upper Bleaching. Message runs as follows: 'When you come tomorrow, bring my football boots. Also, if humanly possible, Irish water-spaniel. Urgent. Regards. Tuppy.' What do you make of that, Jeeves?
--> '''Jeeves:''' [[ServileSnarker As I interpret the document, sir, Mr. Glossop wishes you, when you come tomorrow, to bring his football boots. Also, if humanly possible, an Irish water-spaniel. He hints that the matter is urgent, and sends his regards.]]
--> '''Bertie:''' Yes, that's how I read it, too. But why football boots?
--> '''Jeeves:''' Perhaps Mr. Glossop wishes to play football, sir.
--> '''Bertie:''' Yes. That may be the solution.

---> '''Bertie:''' What ''is'' an Irish water-spaniel?
---> '''Jeeves:''' A water-spaniel of a variety bred in Ireland, sir.
---> '''Bertie:''' You think so?
---> '''Jeeves:''' Yes, sir.
---> '''Bertie:''' Well, perhaps you're right.

-->'''Dess:''' You're a mindcaster.
-->'''Madeleine:''' And you have a fine grasp of the obvious.
-->''and''
-->'''Dess:''' You've been mindcasting this to me while I was asleep.
-->'''Madeleine:''' I expect that you must earn top marks at school, young lady. There are always rewards for those who state the obvious frequently and with conviction.

--> '''Enemy Commander''': "There seems to be a slight problem, my prince."
--> '''[[BigBad Prince Xizor]]''': "So I noticed. Why are your ships blowing up, Commander?"

--> '''Ted Trapper:''' ''"This is a picture of my aunt."''
--> '''Teri Trapper:''' ''"Then she must be your mother's sister, or your father's sister, or your uncle's wife."''

--> Aro started to laugh. "Ha, ha, ha," he chuckled.

-->'''The Chief:''' "That's a spear, that is."
-->'''The Others:''' "That it is, Chief, that it is. You couldn't have put it better."

-->'''The Chief:''' "Visible we are. And what I say is, when chaps are visible, why, they can see one another."
-->'''The Others:''' "Ah, there it is, Chief. There's the point. No one's go a clearer head than you. You couldn't have made it plainer."

* ''ShadowsOfTheEmpire''; during a BigDamnHeroes moment.

* THE Detective, ''SherlockHolmes'', would consider himself an example of this trope (no shit, indeed), while being the ultimate literary inversion in character and method. In the books he constantly make incredibly obvious observations, admitting that they were "elementary" and "simplicity itself", though of course they were only obvious to Holmes due to his broadness and depth of study - it was still necessary to explain it all to his allies.

* Some of Count Olaf's comments in ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''. One notable example in ''The Penultimate Peril'' is when Klaus mentions the 'unfathomable question' in Page 581, and Count Olaf points out that that is the five-hundred and eighty-first page.

* Some of Count Olaf's comments in ''ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''. One notable example in ''The Penultimate Peril'' is when Klaus mentions the 'unfathomable question' in Page 581, and Count Olaf points out that that is the five-hundred and eighty-first page.

** "Hermione, Neville's right...you ''are'' a girl..."

* Car magazine ''[=AutoWeek=]'' frequently features quotes stating the painfully obvious accompanied by a picture of a CaptainAmerica lookalike in their "But Wait, There's More..." section.

* In ''Literature/IfItHadHappenedOtherwise'', J.C. Squires, "If It Had Been Discovered
in 1930 That Bacon Really Did Write Shakespeare": Mr. Creator/GKChesterton... as usual, seeing the obvious long before anyone else..."

* In ''{{Discworld}}, the heads of the FeudingFamilies Selachii and Venturi have to be this whenever they speak to each other due to an edict that they speak only on subjects they couldn't possibly disagree on. Leading to their conversations including phrases like "I see we are standing up."

* In ''Literature/IfItHadHappenedOtherwise'', J.C. Squires, "If It Had Been Discovered in 1930 That Bacon Really Did Write Shakespeare": Mr. Creator/GKChesterton... as usual, seeing the obvious long before anyone else..."

* In Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', the entire race of Dufflepuds are prone to this, with such astute observations as water is powerfully wet.

* In ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', they visit the Dufflepuds, who speak this way constantly. Things like, "Getting dark now; always does at night." Especially the Chief. And all the others encourage him constantly. Please note that there is no sarcasm going on here.
-->'''The Chief:''' "That's a spear, that is."
-->'''The Others:''' "That it is, Chief, that it is. You couldn't have put it better."

-->'''The Chief:''' "Visible we are. And what I say is, when chaps are visible, why, they can see one another."
-->'''The Others:''' "Ah, there it is, Chief. There's the point. No one's go a clearer head than you. You couldn't have made it plainer."

* In ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'' trilogy, Grim is TheQuietOne and a TerseTalker. Dogman notes that When Grim ''does'' make an observation, it's usually something that didn't need saying.