1 | '''Basic Trope''': A traumatic event that makes a character more cynical than before. |
2 | * '''Straight''': Bob became a cynic after his sister Alice was killed in a car accident. |
3 | * '''Exaggerated''': |
4 | ** Bob tripped and scraped his knee, and he is barely the same person he was before. |
5 | ** DespairEventHorizon |
6 | * '''Downplayed''': Bob became somewhat less trusting after his entire family was brutally murdered on his birthday. |
7 | * '''Justified''': |
8 | ** The event with his sister left Bob traumatized; his new personality is a coping mechanism. |
9 | ** Bob developed PTSD or other emotional problems due to the terrible experience. |
10 | ** Bob believes that the accident was [[GuiltComplex his fault]], regardless of whether it really was. |
11 | * '''Inverted''': Alice's fate makes Bob realize how precious life is. He becomes much more optimistic as a result. |
12 | * '''Subverted''': Alice is killed and Bob looks like he's about to have a FreakOut...but this turns out to be his EstablishingCharacterMoment as ThePollyanna. |
13 | * '''Double Subverted''': Bob ends up being blamed for everything by his parents and this turns out to be his actual CynicismCatalyst. |
14 | * '''Parodied''': Alice suffers some minor nuisance (like a graze). Bob is still traumatized. |
15 | * '''Zig Zagged''': How much Alice's fate affected Bob varies DependingOnTheWriter. |
16 | * '''Averted''': No one's personality changes as a result of physical or emotional trauma. |
17 | * '''Enforced''': Can be CreatorBreakdown. |
18 | * '''Lampshaded''': "Bob's been pretty harsh, I wonder what made him that way..." "Probably [[TheLostLenore a dead loved one]]; AbusiveParents; [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking stolen lunch money]]; [[DoomedHometown a lost home]]; or something like that." |
19 | * '''Invoked''': Bob's EvilMentor Claire arranges for Alice to have a tragic accident to toughen Bob up. |
20 | * '''Exploited''': Claire guesses that Bob's cynicism is down to some tragic event, looks into his past and finds out about Alice. She uses this knowledge to manipulate him. |
21 | * '''Defied''': Bob vows not to let Alice's accident get to him. |
22 | * '''Discussed''': "How's Bob doing?" "I'm worried about how this might change him..." |
23 | * '''Conversed''': "Oh look, a cynical brooding character. I bet he'll have an episode devoted to whatever upset him so much". |
24 | * '''Implied''': Bob is seen brooding over...something. How much it has to do with his attitude isn't explored. |
25 | * '''Deconstructed''': |
26 | ** Bob's cynical personality is the result of him selfishly pushing other people away to avoid being hurt in the same way again. |
27 | ** Bob's cynical personality only shows that he is not strong-willed enough to deal with the problems of the world. |
28 | * '''Reconstructed''': Bob has made (or makes) peace with his past, but the event still marks the point where his younger, more naive, self "grew up". |
29 | * '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Bob is given a tragic backstory to avoid letting his cynical behavior make him less sympathetic. |
30 | * '''Played For Laughs''': Bob's guilt over the incident is shown as disproportionate and it being brought up brings up many NotSoStoic moments. |
31 | * '''Played For Drama''': Bob is a tortured, sad, pathetic soul who hides behind bitterness. Said bitterness makes people who're unaware of his backstory distrust him and leads to many tragic misunderstandings. |
32 | ---- |
33 | Back to CynicismCatalyst...and let's hope you recover from reading this page. |
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