Basic Trope: A Stock Phrase thrown in the face of those obstructing you in — a matter of life and death.
- Straight: The Obstructive Bureaucrat dallies over handing out the antibiotics; Jack screams this is a Matter of Life and Death.
- Exaggerated: The Obstructive Bureaucrat dallies over letting Jack into the weapon that will destroy the alien fleet before it destroys Earth; Jack screams this is a Matter of Life and Death.
- Downplayed: ???
- Justified: It really is a matter of utmost seriousness.
- Inverted: Serious Business
- Subverted: Jack throws the phrase about a game of chess.
- Double Subverted:
- But it's a chess game of cosmic significance.
- Chess with Death
- Jack needs the chess tournament's price money to pay for his sister's live saving treatment.
- Parodied: The Obstructive Bureaucrat stentoriously declares about it about anything which might conceivable at some point be a factor in a hypothetical death.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: Everyone treats the matter with proper urgency, and it doesn't get shouted.
- Enforced: "We need some drama about getting it; have someone obstruct it so Jack can shout about how it's a Matter of Life and Death."
- Lampshaded: ???
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: "..and no matter how frustrated I get, I'm not going to resort to florid expressions like 'this is a matter of life and death.'"
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Deconstructed: Jack throws it about in an effort to jump the line and get antibiotics, although everyone else in the line is also trying to get antibiotics for the dying.
- Reconstructed: But Jack's trying to get it for the technicians who could manufacture more.
The Matter of Life and Death page is technically a "Matter Of Life And Death"...but it's not an actual matter of life and death. Am I clear?
