Basic Trope: A character accidentally steals something.
- Straight: Bob leaves a store without realizing he forgot to pay for the pack of gum he picked up.
- Exaggerated: All theft is accidental, even forgetting to return a pen one uses while filling out a form, and everyone who does so views it as a serious crime.
- Downplayed: Bob accidentally steals one item in the process of intentionally stealing others.
- Justified:
- Bob has the item smuggled into his backpack by someone who is attempting to steal, making him indirectly responsible.
- Bob accidentally takes someone else’s item because it looks exactly like his.
- Inverted: Bob accidentally returns an item he stole.
- Subverted:
- Bob is later revealed to have intentionally stolen the item.
- The accidentally stolen item is then revealed to have been free all along, so it wasn’t technically theft in the first place.
- Bob, being a very honest man, goes back to the cashier.
- Double Subverted:
- But then it turns out that he’d accidentally stolen the wrong thing.
- Bob still feels guilty about having "stolen" the item.
- He forgets another item and ends up "stealing" that.
- Parodied: Bob rents a game from Blockbuster and forgets to return it.
- Zig-Zagged: Some of what Bob steals is intentional, some of it not.
- Averted:
- Bob does not steal anything, or if he does, he does it with intent.
- Bob does not go shopping in person during the work.
- Enforced: To show that Bob is clumsy and forgetful, or is a Butt-Monkey who constantly gets into situations that are Not What It Looks Like.
- Lampshaded: “C’mon, you don’t think I stole that on purpose, do you?”
- "Oh no, not again! I seem to have a talent for unintentional shoplifting."
- Invoked: Alice sneaks another item into Bob's cart after he pays for his items.
- Exploited: ...To get him arrested for theft.
- Defied: Bob makes absolutely sure that he has paid for everything to avoid "stealing" something.
- Discussed: Characters discuss the implications of accidental theft and the moral responsibility of the person who unknowingly takes something without paying for it.
- Conversed: Characters talk about accidental theft in a conversation unrelated to the current situation, sharing anecdotes or opinions about the topic.
- Deconstructed: Bob is arrested for theft, and is unable to convince the police that he did it by accident, because "stealing something by accident" sounds extremely stupid.
- Reconstructed: The consequences of Bob's accidental theft are explored and ultimately lead to personal growth or positive outcomes, showing that mistakes can be rectified and lessons can be learned.
- Logical Extreme: Accidental theft becomes a common occurrence in the world, leading to a society that has complex systems in place to address these accidental thefts, such as specialized accidental theft recovery teams.
- Played for Laughs: Bob's accidental thefts consistently result in humorous situations and comedic misunderstandings.
- Played for Drama: Bob's accidental theft has serious consequences, leading to misunderstandings, conflicts, or legal troubles that add tension and drama to the story.
- Played for Horror: The accidental theft takes on a darker tone, with eerie or sinister implications, evoking fear or discomfort in the audience.
- Implied: The audience sees Bob leaving a store with an item, and later it is subtly implied that he accidentally stole it.
- Unparodied: The accidental theft is treated seriously, without any comedic or mocking elements present.
- Untwisted: It is initially hinted that Bob accidentally stole something, but it is later revealed that he did so intentionally, surprising the audience.
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