Avoiding Take Thats and Attacking a trope

I read on posts on this forum concerning deconstruction but sometimes I read posts how "X is not a decosntruction, it just attacking". there are tropes and works that I do dislike immensely but I don't want to attack the tropes I hate out of spite (at least not out loud). I believe that might a little immature even for seasoned writers to do, I do sometimes get irritated at some works and the way they use tropes and sometimes I attack them in my mind. I feel as though that I should at least be more mature about what analyzing. How do I deal this? And how can I avoiding going to that level?

Don't treat the trope like a bad thing, just play it in a way that shows its faults.

I'll just give you a personal example.

I'm currently working with Honor Before Reason in one of my stories. One of the major protagonists is a soldier who has this mindset. His archnemesis is a Combat Pragmatist who has the absolutely opposite approach. Personally, I'm all burnt out on Honor Before Reason from anime (it's played annoyingly frquently in that medium) and I'm eager to deconstruct it.

However, to do that, I have my honor-bound character completely accept that his attitude is suicide during a war. He doesn't even believe he could logically win on this sort of mindset. However, his feelings on the matter is that if the war is lost because he never compromised his code, then so be it: he has no interest in living in a world where personal integrity is a disposable commodity.

edited 1st Dec '10 2:06:47 PM by KingZeal

Or alternatively take a trope apart and have it presented in a thoroughly examined way as in a "This is why this happens" or "This is what would happen" or "This is what is really needed for this to happen" manner.

Variation can occur on any of the three themes for your use either to present its flaws, show it can be done a different way, or attempt to permanently discredit the trope from fiction (rarely works).

A trope is a trope because it reflects human nature on some level and from some perspective. Inevitably you will disagree with someone's perspective (which gives rise to other tropes). It may help to think about why you dislike a particular trope, about the traits in human nature that it represents, about the people you know who exemplify those traits. For instance, I dislike obnoxious, pushy people, so I dislike character tropes that draw on obnoxious and pushy stereotypes.

@OP: As has been stated already, tropes are storytelling devices that use unconscious human nature to work. A "Deconstruction", IMO, is a storyteller making the trope itself (and its underpinnings) a focus of the work. Instead of using it, the story examines it and asks questions of it, prompting those who experience the story to do the same.

And perhaps, if the creator is lucky, ask questions of themselves and their beliefs as well.

So, adopt a morally neutral stance on whatever trope it is you're planning on hashing out and you should be fine.

Also; the line between deconstruction, subversion and a blatant Take That is pretty subjective.

One of the differences I've seen between deconstruction and attacks is that with an attack, the attitude is generally "This trope sucks and everything about it sucks! SEE, SEE!" There's a sort of smugness - an I'm right and they were wrong attitude, and it refuses to allow the Trope any good aspects.

A more rational deconstruction will acknowledge both the good and the bad, even if the overall conclusion is that the trope is fatally flawed. To use the Honor Before Reason example above: The character in question might ultimately be fighting a futile battle that he will lose. But he is knows this, and is still willing to fight on for his honour, integrity and morals. An attack on that attitude would be just making him out as an idiot fighting pointlessly.

Also, try to avoid falling into writing a deconstruction where you criticise one trope, but set up another "competing" trope as "the right way". Then it looks like you are just attacking other writers to make yourself look good. (And it opens you up for people to do the exact same thing back to you).

@Drak: Good points. There is no one, true way, and those who try and claim such usually open themselves to all sorts of mockery (I see what you did there, Stephanie Meyer...)