History Main / BewilderingPunishment

* In ''AChristmasStory'', after Ralphie's [[SoapPunishment punishment]] for swearing, he must tell his mother where he heard the word. Not wanting to tell the truth that it was his dad, he blames his friend. Ralphie's mom informs the friend's mother and we hear that friend being smacked and asking "What did I do?" coming from the other end of the phone.
* In ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'', Han and Chewbacca are being tortured by Vader (Han by electricity and Chewie by sound), and think it's [[ForTheEvulz just petty revenge]] since they weren't asked any questions. Vader was counting on Luke psychically sensing their torture and coming to rescue them.

* In the second ''{{Terminator}}'' movie, the heroes track down the guy who'll invent the chip which leads to the RobotWar in the future and Sarah immediatly tries to kill him in front of his family even though he hasn't finished his research (much less known what would come of it). He calls her out on this after the situation's explained, but agrees to help destroy his work.

[[caption-width-right:183:Enlightenment didn't tell them that.]]

* In the first ''HarryPotter'' book, the Dursleys punish Harry for causing magical things to happen. Since they never told him he was a wizard, Harry just thinks that weird things inexplicably happen around him and doesn't understand why they're considered his fault.

* In ''Film/OldBoy'' the protagonist is kidnapped and held in a private prison. When released he spends the rest of the movie trying to track done who did this to him and for what reason.

* In ''OldBoy'' the protagonist is kidnapped and held in a private prison. When released he spends the rest of the movie trying to track done who did this to him and for what reason.

* The ''SouthPark'' episode "Proper Condom Use" has some of this, wherein Cartman shows the other boys how to "milk a dog". Stan shows this off to his parents in front of company without knowing what he's doing, which results in this.

* ''OnceUponATime'': Due to IdentityAmnesia preventing her from knowing that she's really Snow White, Mary Margaret has no idea why Regina is out to destroy her

* In ''Literature/KingRat'', the main character denies the king his throne back, for reason that any human would agree with but a rat could likely never understand.

Alice is about to be punished -- anything from being dumped by her LoveInterest to a FateWorseThanDeath. She'd really like to know one thing: What did she ''do''?

* One of the most important points of FranzKafka's ''Literature/TheTrial'' is that the reader is never let in on the charge against the protagonist.

Zulieka is about to be punished -- anything from being dumped by her LoveInterest to a FateWorseThanDeath. She'd really like to know one thing: What did she ''do''?

* Franziska von Karma of ''AceAttorney'' fame likes to whip people for reasons which may or may not be valid. At least once, she whipped Phoenix instead of the actual target.

* In the second ''{{Terminator}}'' movie, the heroes track down the guy who'll invent the chip which leads to the RobotWar in the future and Sarah immediatly tries to kill him in front of his family even though he hasn't even begun his research (much less known what would come of it). He calls her out on this after the situation's explained, but agrees to help destroy his work.

* Pretty much any incarnation of ''TheCountOfMonteCristo'' features this. Edmond has no idea why he's imprisoned, until many years have passed in Chateau D'if.

* In ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'', Han and Chewbacca are being tortured by Vader (Han by electricity and Chewie by sound), and neither has any idea why. Vader was counting on Luke psychically sensing their torture and coming to rescue them.

Zulieka is about to be punished -- anything from being dumped by her LoveInterest to a FateWorseThanDeath. She'd really like to know one thing: what did she ''do''?

This almost always occurs when a character tries to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong by killing someone before they commit their crimes (particularly in regards to HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct).

* Casshern of ''CasshernSins'' has no idea why he's woken up in a world that despises him, full of half-crazed robots who believe they'll be saved from destruction if they [[ImAHumanitarian eat his flesh]] [[ImmortalityImmorality and become immortal.]] Of course, it's no secret that this is ultimately because he ''made'' the world that way, but he has no memory of his actions, [[YouKnowWhatYouDid and there are precious few willing to elaborate on what exactly Casshern did and why]] before trying to kill him. Making things worse is the fact that [[SuperpoweredEvilSide he goes into a mindless berserk rage]] if his life is in genuine danger, exacerbating his reputation as a harbinger of death and destruction.

* In the second ''{{Terminator}}'' movie, the heroes track down the guy who'll invent the chip which leads to the RobotWar in the future and Sarah immediatly tries to kill him in front of his family even though he hasn't even began his research (much less known what would come of it). He calls her out on this after the situation's explained, but agrees to help destroy his work.
* In AChristmasStory, After Ralphie's [[SoapPunishment punishment]] for swearing, he must tell his mother where he heard the word. Not wanting to tell the truth that it was his dad, he blames his friend. Ralphie's mom informs the friend's mother and we hear that friend being smacked and asking "what did I do?" coming from the other end of the phone.
* In ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'', Han and Chewbacca are being tortured by Vader (Han by electricity and Chewie by sound), and neither have any idea why. Vader was counting on Luke psychically sensing their torture and coming to rescue them.

* In JohnCWright's ''Literature/TheGoldenOecumene'', Ungannis tries to invoke this trope by splitting herself into many personalities, some of whom would try erasing memories of her crimes, and still be executed for them. This is not greeted with horror by the Transcedence mass mind -- legally, you can not evade punishment unless you rework your personality into a new person, and none of the split personalities had tried to redact the beliefs that had lead her to commit the crime.
* One of the most important points of FranzKafka's ''Literature/TheTrial'' is that the audience is never let in on what the protagonist is accused of.
* In JaneAusten's ''Literature/LoveAndFreindship'', the MoralMyopia Laura is outraged at accusations of theft -- which she and Sophia have commited, and Sophia was caught in the act of.
-->''At this period of their Quarrel I entered the Library and was, as you may imagine, equally offended as Sophia at the ill-grounded Accusations of the malevolent and contemptible Macdonald''

* In Literature/KingRat the main character denies the king his throne back, for reason that any human would agree with but a rat could likely never understand.
* Pretty much any incarnation of TheCountOfMonteCristo features this. Edmond has no idea why he's imprisoned, until many years have passed in Chateau D'if.

* Poor [[spoiler: Gale]] has no idea what hit him in the ''BreakingBad'' 3rd season finale.

[[AC:Visual Novels]]
* Franziska von Karma of AceAttorney fame likes to whip people for reasons which may or may not be valid. At least once, she whipped Phoenix instead of the actual target.

[[AC:WebComics]]

** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4301 the enlightened Illuminati drones have no idea why Satan decides to get rid of them.]]
** A MirrorMonster [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4314 ensures Slick gets snubbed for no reason visible to him.]]

* The ''SouthPark'' episode "Proper Condom Use" has some of this, wherein Cartman shows the other boys how to "milk a dog." Stan shows this off to his parents in front of company without knowing what he's doing, which results in this.
--> '''Sharon Marsh''': Stanley, do you know why you're being grounded for ten months!?
--> '''Stan Marsh''': No!
----

* Casshern of ''CasshernSins'' has no idea why he's woken up in a world that despises him, full of half-crazed robots who believe they'll be saved from destruction if they [[ImAHumanitarian eat his flesh]] [[ImmortalityImmorality and become immortal.]] Of course, it's no secret that this is ultimately because he ''made'' the world that way, but he has no memory of his actions, [[YouKnowWhatYouDid and there are precious few willing to elaborate on what exactly Casshern did and why]] before trying to kill him. Making things worse is the fact that [[SuperpoweredEvilSide he goes into a mindless berserk rage]] if his life is in genuine danger, meaning he's practically ''guaranteed'' to leave corpses (or wreckage) wherever he goes.

* In the second ''{{Terminator}}'' movie, they track down the guy who'll invent the chip which leads to the RobotWar in the future and Sarah immediatly tries to kill him in front of his family even though he hasn't even began his research (much less known what would come of it). He calls her out on this after the situation's explained, but agrees to help destroy his work.