History PlayingWith / WickedStepmother

* '''Played For Laughs''': Alice thinks she ''has'' to be like this since [[DaydreamBeliever all the stepmothers in fiction are evil]]. However, she's too [[TheDitz dense]] and [[AffablyEvil too nice]] to actually pull it off, so Bob either pities her or ignores her.

* '''Lampshaded''': "She's my wicked stepmother. That's what describes her best."

** Bob ends up driven insane and snaps, killing Alice, his father, and all his siblings.

** Alice is careful to treat her stepchildren fairly so that she doesn't become one of these.

Back to WickedStepmother, so I can take your father aways from you, you repulsive crotchfruits from another woman!

* '''Discussed''': "And that is my stepmother." "Evil?" "But of course."
* '''Conversed''': "You notice there are never any ''good'' stepmothers in these stories?"
* '''Deconstructed''': The stepmother's continued mistreatment of Bob alienates Bob's father, who divorces her.
* '''Reconstructed''': But because he was himself abused, he marries another woman who is equally bad.

* '''Played For Drama''': Alice is an abusive monster, but no one will believe Bob when he tries to tell someone what's going on. This severely damages his ability to trust others, or to have a healthy relationship with someone, and he winds up moving out at a young age to get away from her.

Back to WickedStepmother

** Alternatively, Bob is needlessly, pointlessly cruel to Alice, who's done nothing to provoke him.

* '''Downplayed''': Alice makes rude remarks about Bob behind his back.

** Or Alice is kinder to Bob than to her own children.
** Or Alice has no children of her own, and regards Bob as her own son.

* '''Subverted''': Bob describes his stepmother as such, but he's also an UnreliableNarrator.
* '''Double Subverted''': …but on this matter, he's telling the truth.

* '''Invoked''': ???

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

* '''GenderFlipped''': Bob has an evil step''father''.

'''Basic Trope''': A character, usually female, has a stepmother who is cruel to her.

* '''Enforced''': "You can't write a fairy tale where the stepmother is kind and generous! Why would Bob ever leave home?"

* '''Straight''': Alice's new stepmother, Nastina, is mean to her and treats her like an unpaid servant.
* '''Exaggerated''': Nastina beats Alice nearly to death every morning, then makes her live in the stables and wear leftover napkins for clothing.
* '''Downplayed''': Nastina makes rude remarks about Alice behind her back.

** Her husband favors her stepdaughter blindly, and the stepmother can't take it out on him.
** Times are hard, money is short, and Nastina wants her own children to survive and prosper, which means nothing for Alice.

** Nastina is kinder to Alice than her original mother had been.
** Alternatively, Alice is needlessly, pointlessly cruel to Nastina, who's done nothing to provoke her.
** Or Nastina is kinder to Alice than to her own children.
** Or Nastina has no children of her own, and regards Alice as her own daughter.
* '''Subverted''': Alice describes her stepmother as such, but she's also an UnreliableNarrator.
* '''Double Subverted''': ....Nastina is actually much worse than described.

** Nastina does nothing more than PokeThePoodle, yet [[KnightInShiningArmor Bob]] is determined to save Alice from her when Alice neither notices or cares.
* '''Zig Zagged''': Nastina's treatment of Alice varies from reasonable to hostile.
* '''Averted''': Nastina is generally supportive of Alice.
* '''Enforced''': "You can't write a fairy tale where the stepmother is kind and generous! Why would Alice ever leave home?"
* '''Lampshaded''': "She's my stepmother. That's what describes her best."

* '''Exploited''': Alice's father wants her to leave home, so he marries a cruel woman.

** Nastina is careful to treat her stepdaughter fairly so that she doesn't become one of these.
** Alice's father makes sure to marry a woman who would care equally for all their children.
** Alice's father makes sure Nastina treats Alice fairly, and makes an arrangement that if he dies before Nastina, Alice will live with her grandparents.

* '''Deconstructed''': The stepmother's continued mistreatment of Alice alienates Alice's father, who divorces her.

* '''Subverted''': Alice describes her stepmother thus, but she's also an UnreliableNarrator.

* '''Parodied''': The stepmother is the wickedest person in the neighborhood yet literally no one notices.

* '''Parodied''': ???

*** Or Nastina ''has'' no children of her own, and regards Alice as the only daughter she has, at least for the moment.

* '''Invoked''': Alice's father wants her to leave home, so he marries a cruel woman.
* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Lampshaded''': Nastina's real name is Wilma Smithe, or W.S. for short.

* '''Defied''': Nastina is careful to treat her stepdaughter fairly so that she doesn't become one of these.

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Parodied''': Like Exaggerated, but PlayedForLaughs.
* '''Deconstructed''': The stepmother's continued mistreatment of Alice alienates Alice's father, who divorces her.
* '''Reconstructed''': But because he was himself abused, he marries another woman who is equally bad.

----

* '''Justified''': Her actions are for the ultimate good of the stepchildren.

* '''Inverted''': Nastina is kinder to Alice than her original mother had been.

** Times are hard, money is short, and Nastina wants her own children to survive and prosper, which means nothing for the stepmother.

* '''Exaggerated''': Nastina beats Alice to death every morning, then makes her live in the stables and wear leftover napkins for clothing.