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* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: The guards and other staff members of the Institute make quite a few slip-ups that Luke happily exploits for planning his escape. Among other things, they don't maintain the security camera's near the kids' rooms and playground, and while the camera's on the lower levels of front half are maintained, it's obvious hardly anyone ever monitors them (luke visits these floors a few times unsupervised, and nobody stops him). Luke finds a misplaced elevator card that allows him to use the elevator for every floor in Front Half except the lowest 2. And they don't monitor Luke's laptop enough to notice he has found a way to go around their blocks to visit forbidden websites. Justified by that the prisoners in the institute are kids who, any TP or TK powers aside, are still very much children and thus not expected to come up with complex escape plans. Luke however is a ChildProdigy.
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* HeroicBSOD: Luke undergoes one after finding out his parents were murdered. He remains in a daze for several weeks, not making many attempts to further his escape plans.
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* OnePersonOnePower: The gifted children are either TP or TK, but never both. Dr. Hendricks is convinced that he can wake up latent TP powers in a TK, and tries this with Luke, but it fails and he is told afterwards to quit these experiments since it has failed to yield results, and cost The Institute several children before they could go to back half.
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* OnePersonOnePower: The As a rule, the gifted children are either TP or TK, but never both. Dr. Hendricks is convinced that he can wake up latent TP powers in a TK, and tries this with Luke, but it seemingly fails and he is told afterwards to quit these experiments since it has failed to yield results, and cost The Institute several children before they could go to back half.half. [[spoiler: Averted when it's revealed that the experiment actually worked on Luke, and he's now a TP as well as a TK]]
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* UselessSecurityCamera: Luke notices that the security camera's in front half (especially in the rarely used west wing) are so dirty they can, at best, only provide a blurry image, and none of the staff feels the need to clean them.
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* DrivenToMadness: Its heavily implied that Dr. George Hallas's work in Back Half is what turned him into a total lunatic.
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* DrivenToMadness: Its heavily implied and later outright stated that Dr. George Hallas's Everett Hallas and Dr. Joanne James's work in Back Half is what turned him into a total lunatic.has driven them insane.
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* CanonWelding: Orphan Annie mentions [[Literature/SalemsLot the mysterious disappearance of the population of the town Jerusalem’s Lot]] [[EntertaininglyWrong and blames it on the government.]]
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* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Maureen]] hangs herself so that the Institute can’t torture Luke’s location out of her.
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* DrivenToMadness: Its heavily implied that Dr. George Hallas's work in Back Half is what turned him into a total lunatic.
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* HeelFaceTurn: Maureen.
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* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Maureen, though she was dying of cancer anyway.]]
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TK's" by the institute, and are further divided into those that can use their powers on purpose (TK-positive) and those that can only use it involuntarily.
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TK's" by the institute, and are further divided into those that can use their powers on purpose (TK-positive) and those that can only use it involuntarily.involuntarily (pinks).
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* OnePersonOnePower: The gifted children are either TP or TK, but never both. Dr. Hendricks is convinced that he can wake up latent TP powers in a TK, and tries this with Luke, but it fails and he is told afterwards to quit these experiments since it has failed to yield results, and cost The Institute several children before they could go to back half.
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* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Gerda and Greta are identical in every way.
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* ShoutOut: Gerda and Greta remind Luke of the twins in [[Film/TheShining some old horror movie]].
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* HumanResources: [[spoiler: For decades the Institute's goal is to use a small group of precogs to forsee individuals who will help cause events of global devastation,(though their accuracy is later pointed out to be debatable), then kidnapping and experimenting on children to boost and pool their TK and TP abilities, allowing the disposing of said individuals. Ultimately, this all results in the children's mental faculties deteriorating, until they are empty husks with severe dementia or Alzheimer's disease, who get sent to the nightmarish "Gorky Park" until their health ultimately fades. The bodies then get sent to the crematorium, and so more children are needed...]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes. Annie does suggest killing him, but Luke notes that he's just a pointman for others, so it wouldn't accomplish much.]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes. Annie does suggest killing him, but Luke notes that he's ultimately just a pointman for others, other Institute higher-ups, so it wouldn't accomplish much.a great deal.]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes. Annie does suggest killing him, but Luke notes that he is just a point man for others so it wouldn't accomplish much.]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes. Annie does suggest killing him, but Luke notes that he is he's just a point man pointman for others others, so it wouldn't accomplish much.]]
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* LackOfEmpathy: Most of the Institute staff are fairly desensitized to the horrors that they inflict on the children, with some occasional combination of outright sociopathy and/or [[IDidWhatIHadToDo genuine belief that they are saving the world]]. Mrs Sigsby [[spoiler: particularly calls Luke and the other kids during the recapture mission nothing but property, which makes it immensely satisfying when she starts panicking when returning as she knows that Stackhouse views her as ultimately expendable.]]
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* LackOfEmpathy: Most of the Institute staff are fairly desensitized to the horrors that they inflict on the children, with some occasional combination of outright sociopathy and/or [[IDidWhatIHadToDo genuine belief that they are saving the world]]. Mrs Sigsby [[spoiler: particularly calls Luke and the other kids during the recapture mission nothing but property, which makes it immensely satisfying when she starts panicking when returning taken by Tim on the return trip, as she knows that Stackhouse views her as ultimately expendable.]]
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* LackOfEmpathy: Most of the Institute staff are fairly desensitized to the horrors that they inflict on the children, with some occasional combination of outright sociopathy and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo genuine belief that they are saving the world]]. Mrs Sigsby [[spoiler: particularly calls Luke and the other kids during the recapture mission nothing but property, which makes it immensely satisfying when she starts panicking when returning as she knows that Stackhouse views her as ultimately expendable.]]
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* LackOfEmpathy: Most of the Institute staff are fairly desensitized to the horrors that they inflict on the children, with some occasional combination of outright sociopathy and and/or [[IDidWhatIHadToDo genuine belief that they are saving the world]]. Mrs Sigsby [[spoiler: particularly calls Luke and the other kids during the recapture mission nothing but property, which makes it immensely satisfying when she starts panicking when returning as she knows that Stackhouse views her as ultimately expendable.]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes.]]
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** "Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes. Annie does suggest killing him, but Luke notes that he is just a point man for others so it wouldn't accomplish much.]]
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* LackOfEmpathy: Most of the Institute staff are fairly desensitized to the horrors that they inflict on the children, with some occasional combination of outright sociopathy and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo genuine belief that they are saving the world]]. Mrs Sigsby [[spoiler: particularly calls Luke and the other kids during the recapture mission nothing but property, which makes it immensely satisfying when she starts panicking when returning as she knows that Stackhouse views her as ultimately expendable.]]
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* KiddieKid: Avery Dixon. He's ten, but he both [[OlderThanTheyLook looks]] and acts at least several years below that age (in his first scene he throws a tantrum like a toddler, his room has posters of [[WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}} Tommy Pickles]] and [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Zuko]], and he wears a Franchise/StarWars pyjama. Lampshaded by the other kids, with Kalisha theorizing that it's because Avery is a very powerful telepath, meaning he could live a pretty sheltered life and never had to learn social skills needed to pick up cues (like judging what people say by their expression and tone of voice).
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* PinchMe: When Luke first wakes up in the institute and realizes he is not in his room, he comes close to pinching himself to make sure he's not dreaming, but concludes that would be a cliché. He pops his fingers against his cheeks instead.
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* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: All girls in the institute at the time Luke arrives there have eyes for Nick Wilholm, by far the most rebelious kid at the institute (described as a latter-day James Dean). In particular Kalisha.
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* SmartPeoplePlayChess: On his first day in the institue, Luke is challenged to a chess game by Nick Wilholm, who claims none of the other kids were able to give him a challenge. Luke beats him with a scholar's mate (4 moves).
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* SmartPeoplePlayChess: On his first day in the institue, Luke is challenged to a chess game by Nick Wilholm, who claims none of the other kids were able to give him a challenge. Luke beats him with a scholar's mate (4 moves).moves), even though he isn't fully focussed on the game.
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* SmartPeoplePlayChess: On his first day in the institue, Luke is challenged to a chess game by Nick Wilholm, who claims none of the other kids were able to give him a challenge. Luke beats him with a scholar's mate (4 moves).
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Tim Jamieson leaves Florida and travels to the fictional small town of [=DuPray=], South Carolina. A decorated former cop, Jamieson takes a job working for the local Sheriff.
In suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder twelve-year-old Luke Ellis's parents and kidnap him. He wakes up in a room identical to his own at The Institute, a facility located deep in the woods of Maine.
At The Institute are other kidnapped kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who live in rooms of their own. Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon are all in Front Half while others graduated to Back Half. Mrs. Sigsby, the institute's director, and her staff are dedicated to extracting the special talents from the children. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TK's" by the institute.
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TK's" by the institute.institute, and are further divided into those that can use their powers on purpose (TK-positive) and those that can only use it involuntarily.
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TK's" by the institute.
* PillowSilencer: Played with; the agents send to kidnap Luke and kill his parents already have guns with silencers, but Robin, the agent who kills Luke's dad Herb, still covers his head with a pillow first. Not as an extra precaution, but so she doesn't have to see the end result.
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* {{Telepathy}}: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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* {{Telepathy}}: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute. They are called "TP's" by the institute.
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* BystanderSyndrome: Sheriff John has little sympathy for the bystander that got injured due to Tim's warning shot (see StrayShotsStrikeNothing below), since he correctly deduces the guy was staying around to film the altercation instead of doing the sensible thing and run.
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** Ms. Kellerman, the librarian whom Tim hitches a ride with.
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** Ms. Kellerman, the librarian whom Tim hitches a ride with. Acutally lampshaded by Tim himself when she offers him some cash.
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* StrayShotsStrikeNothing: Averted; Tim was forced to resign from his previous police job when, during a confrontation with an armed and intoxinated teen, he fired a warning shot, but the bullet ended up knocking down a lamp from the ceiling, which then fell on top of a bystander, seriously injuring the guy.
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* BlatantLies: The children are told that their stay will only last a few weeks and that they will be eventually returned to the parents with their minds wiped. [[spoiler:In truth, their parents are dead and they are never getting out.]]
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* WouldHarmAChild: Many members of the Institute have no problem slapping, zapping or otherwise hurting children who act out of line.
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* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Occurs when [[spoiler:Luke calls out Mr. Smith on the reliability of the precog's predictions and whether or not the Institute is actually saving the world in using up the lives of thousands of children. Mr. Smith leaves flustered and unsure of himself.]]
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* Seers: According to "Mr. Smith", [[spoiler: there is a group of six precognitive people in a different kind of institute somewhere in the world, who can see into the future to determine which people to eliminate to keep the world from nuclear destruction. Though, their effectiveness is called into question by Luke.]]
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* Seers: {{Seers}}: According to "Mr. Smith", [[spoiler: there is a group of six precognitive people in a different kind of institute somewhere in the world, who can see into the future to determine which people to eliminate to keep the world from nuclear destruction. Though, their effectiveness is called into question by Luke.]]
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* Telepathy: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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* Telepathy: {{Telepathy}}: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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* AliensInCardiff: As par for the course for King, the institute is located in a more remote part of Maine. Justified, as the institute wants to avoid attracting attention from the outside.
* AssShove: One of the "treatments" at the institute is a mandatory rectal thermometer exam, used to humiliate the children and show them how powerless they are.
* AssShove: One of the "treatments" at the institute is a mandatory rectal thermometer exam, used to humiliate the children and show them how powerless they are.
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* CovertGroupWithMundaneFront: To the general public, the insitute covers as a company called "Maine Paper Industries".
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* KickTheDog: Almost the entire staff of the institute get moments of this with the children, with Maureen being the notable exception.
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* MindOverMatter: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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* Seers: According to "Mr. Smith", [[spoiler: there is a group of six precognitive people in a different kind of institute somewhere in the world, who can see into the future to determine which people to eliminate to keep the world from nuclear destruction. Though, their effectiveness is called into question by Luke.]]
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* Telepathy: One of the two possible powers of the children in the institute.
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** Stackhouse, possibly.
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** Stackhouse, possibly. The closest is that his job at the institute was his life and now they're both gone.
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Adding some new tropes.
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[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
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*FirstNameBasis: In conversation, Mrs. Sigsby and Stackhouse call each other "Julia" and "Trevor" respectively. Mrs. Sigsby notes that Stackhouse is the only one in the institute who is allowed to use her first name.
* KarmaHoudini:
**"Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes.]]
**Stackhouse, possibly.
*TheKindnessOfStrangers:
**Ms. Kellerman, the librarian whom Tim hitches a ride with.
**Mattie, the train worker who doesn't rat out Luke and provides him with some much needed food and water.
*MockSurpriseReaction: Basically Tim's reaction when "Mr. Smith" tells him [[spoiler: that the first institute was in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany.]]
*MrSmith: The man with the lisp introduces himself to Tim as "William Smith".
*SchoolForScheming: The titular institute.
*SpeechImpediment: The person Mrs. Sigsby reports to has a lisp.
* KarmaHoudini:
**"Mr. Smith". [[spoiler:Sure, his organization's operation of the institutes is destroyed and he gets told off by Luke and the others during their meeting at the end of the novel. But he still walks away from it unscathed (except for his pride, probably), threatens the children to keep their silence and openly proclaims his intention to rebuild the institutes.]]
**Stackhouse, possibly.
*TheKindnessOfStrangers:
**Ms. Kellerman, the librarian whom Tim hitches a ride with.
**Mattie, the train worker who doesn't rat out Luke and provides him with some much needed food and water.
*MockSurpriseReaction: Basically Tim's reaction when "Mr. Smith" tells him [[spoiler: that the first institute was in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany.]]
*MrSmith: The man with the lisp introduces himself to Tim as "William Smith".
*SchoolForScheming: The titular institute.
*SpeechImpediment: The person Mrs. Sigsby reports to has a lisp.
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* ContinuityNod: The sixth and seventh installments of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' has a subplot about rescuing psychic kids from a building.
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* ContinuityNod: The sixth and seventh installments of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' has a subplot about rescuing a group of kidnapped psychic kids from a building.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1568345313734.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
''The Institute'' is a 2019 novel written by Creator/StephenKing.
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!! Tropes appeared in this book:
* ContinuityNod: The sixth and seventh installments of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' has a subplot about rescuing psychic kids from a building.
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[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
''The Institute'' is a 2019 novel written by Creator/StephenKing.
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!! Tropes appeared in this book:
* ContinuityNod: The sixth and seventh installments of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' has a subplot about rescuing psychic kids from a building.
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