| 1 | ->''"To command nature... one must first learn to obey it.."'' |
| 2 | -->--''Film/TheNameOfTheRose'' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | So you want to use a trope. But you don't want to use it the normal way. Well, you do want it to be used the normal way, but also in a less glorious way. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | !! Understanding the Trope |
| 7 | To first learn how to deconstruct a trope, you must first learn to obey it. Tropes exist for reasons and only a fool disrespects the tropes. That being said, a wise author learns to go beyond the trope. The trope is like a compass telling you which way is north but if all you ever do is go north, (following the trope as if it were a law), you might never get where you're going. A wise person looks at the trope to get their bearing and then heads off in a new direction. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Let's use the trope of the hero since it is one of the oldest and arguably most powerful trope in existence. The antihero is a subversion of this trope but even the antihero is still a hero. Is there any story ever written that doesn't have some form of a hero? When people write stories that fly in the face of well established tropes, the stories always wind up chaotic and leave the reader confused or alienated. The only way to deconstruct a trope is to identify the essential elements of that trope and then change the non-essential elements. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | The straight trope is designed to be enjoyed, but not necessarily to be realistic. A deconstruction is not only the trope played straight; it is the trope played straighter than normal. There is no glamour behind this trope. There are no AcceptableBreaksFromReality. This trope is in play, maybe even invoked, but it's not going the way it's thought it would. The trope ought to come with a warning label. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | For example, TheHero is a trope about, well, a hero. That character who does the Heroic things, kills the dragon, defeats Emperor Evulz, saves the princess. Now, think of this trope, but deconstruct it. Make it fall apart. Would that Hero like his job? Would he be appreciated for his job? Would it affect his sanity? Yes, the good side is still there, but now there's a bad side you didn't notice before. There's a thousand things that can go wrong if you just take the time to list them. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | !! Deconstructing the Trope |
| 17 | Now if you really want this to have an effect, there are two things you need to focus on; reality, and magnitude. The deconstructed trope is a mixture of reality and a straight trope, so the amount of reality in the mix is important. That is, increasing the level of deconstruction does not increase the level of reality. There's only so bad an effect reality can have on a trope. So what if the Hero hates his job, or can't confine to the laws of Herohood? If the world starts to fall to pieces just because the Hero is unhappy, then you haven't found the realistic balance, you've gotten to the other side of the scale. The reality part of the deconstruction ought to affect mostly the Hero, and most likely the people around him. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | The magnitude part of the deconstruction can get a little unrealistic, as it partly relies on luck. A trope with a lot of magnitude is ''not'' an exaggerated trope. The magnitude part of this trope is the importance of the trope in the story. For example, how important is the Hero? We've established that the people he cares about are affected by his trope's deconstruction, but who are those people? Are they just minor characters, who may notice the deconstruction, but are barely noticed by us? Or are they part of something bigger, like an official, famous, government-supported crime stopping force? |
| 20 | |
| 21 | The importance of the trope affects how powerful the deconstruction is, as the more lives at stake with this trope, the worse the outcome should the trope fall apart, but it can also affect how powerful the force ''towards'' the deconstruction is. If the Hero's job is super important, then it's so much more important that he does it right, and enjoys it, and is appreciated it. If he's not, it's a hell of a lot easier for him to start hating it. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Also a really important part of deconstructing a trope is avoiding FridgeLogic, as noted in several {{Mons}} deconstructions, if your world has lots of powerful easy-to-control creatures, it would be really weird for the goverment to ignore all the lethal potential of said creatures. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | !! [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible Ways to Deconstruct a Trope]] |
| 26 | |
| 27 | There are many ways to deconstruct a single trope. For example, in a CosmicHorrorStory you could say that the {{Eldritch Abomination}}'s life is sad and depressing, or you could say that humanity could simply ignore the existence of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, or you could say that humanity feared {{Eldritch Abomination}}s so much that they commited mass suicide. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Going with TheHero example above, you could say that the hero actually does enjoy his lifestyle, but he's so efficient that all his TrueCompanions feel worthless as heroes. |
| 30 | !!!Examples: |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 33 | [[folder:#-D]] |
| 34 | * {{PlayingWith/Nineties Anti Hero}} |
| 35 | * {{PlayingWith/Absurdly Sharp Blade}} |
| 36 | * {{PlayingWith/Accidental Hero}} |
| 37 | * {{PlayingWith/The Ace}} |
| 38 | * {{PlayingWith/Achievements In Ignorance}} |
| 39 | * {{PlayingWith/Acrofatic}} |
| 40 | * {{PlayingWith/Action Girl}} |
| 41 | * {{PlayingWith/A Cup Angst}} |
| 42 | * {{PlayingWith/Adam Smith Hates Your Guts}} |
| 43 | * {{PlayingWith/Aerith And Bob}} |
| 44 | * {{PlayingWith/Affably Evil}} |
| 45 | * {{PlayingWith/A God Am I}} |
| 46 | * {{PlayingWith/Allergic To Evil}} |
| 47 | * {{PlayingWith/All Loving Hero}} |
| 48 | * {{PlayingWith/All Of The Other Reindeer}} |
| 49 | * {{PlayingWith/All Your Powers Combined}} |
| 50 | * {{PlayingWith/Almighty Janitor}} |
| 51 | * {{PlayingWith/Alpha Bitch}} |
| 52 | * {{PlayingWith/Always Chaotic Evil}} |
| 53 | * {{PlayingWith/Always Lawful Good}} |
| 54 | * {{PlayingWith/Amazon Chaser}} |
| 55 | * {{PlayingWith/Ambition Is Evil}} |
| 56 | * {{PlayingWith/Amusing Injuries}} |
| 57 | * {{PlayingWith/And I Must Scream}} |
| 58 | * {{PlayingWith/And Then What}} |
| 59 | * {{PlayingWith/Anti Hero}} |
| 60 | * {{PlayingWith/Anti Villain}} |
| 61 | * {{PlayingWith/Apocalypse Maiden}} |
| 62 | * {{PlayingWith/Arbitrary Headcount Limit}} |
| 63 | * {{PlayingWith/Armies Are Evil}} |
| 64 | * {{PlayingWith/Asshole Victim}} |
| 65 | * {{PlayingWith/Assimilation Plot}} |
| 66 | * {{PlayingWith/Asskicking Leads To Leadership}} |
| 67 | * {{PlayingWith/The Atoner}} |
| 68 | * {{PlayingWith/Avenging The Villain}} |
| 69 | * {{PlayingWith/Awesome McCool Name}} |
| 70 | * {{PlayingWith/Backup Twin}} |
| 71 | * {{PlayingWith/Badass Adorable}} |
| 72 | * {{PlayingWith/Bad Boss}} |
| 73 | * {{PlayingWith/Bad Guys Do The Dirty Work}} |
| 74 | * {{PlayingWith/The Bad Guy Wins}} |
| 75 | * {{PlayingWith/Bad Powers Good People}} |
| 76 | * {{PlayingWith/Battle Couple}} |
| 77 | * {{PlayingWith/Bears Are Bad News}} |
| 78 | * {{PlayingWith/Beautiful All Along}} |
| 79 | * {{PlayingWith/Belligerent Sexual Tension}} |
| 80 | * {{PlayingWith/Beneath The Mask}} |
| 81 | * {{PlayingWith/Beware The Nice Ones}} |
| 82 | * {{PlayingWith/BFS}} |
| 83 | * {{PlayingWith/Big Good}} |
| 84 | * {{PlayingWith/The Big Guy}} |
| 85 | * {{PlayingWith/Black And White Morality}} |
| 86 | * {{PlayingWith/Blood Knight}} |
| 87 | * {{PlayingWith/Book Dumb}} |
| 88 | * {{PlayingWith/Boomerang Bigot}} |
| 89 | * {{PlayingWith/Bread And Circuses}} |
| 90 | * {{PlayingWith/Break The Cutie}} |
| 91 | * {{PlayingWith/Break The Haughty}} |
| 92 | * {{PlayingWith/Breath Weapon}} |
| 93 | * {{PlayingWith/Brilliant But Lazy}} |
| 94 | * {{PlayingWith/Broken Pedestal}} |
| 95 | * {{PlayingWith/Brother Sister Incest}} |
| 96 | * {{PlayingWith/The Brute}} |
| 97 | * {{PlayingWith/Bug War}} |
| 98 | * {{PlayingWith/Bullying A Dragon}} |
| 99 | * {{PlayingWith/Bunny Ears Lawyer}} |
| 100 | * {{PlayingWith/Butt Monkey}} |
| 101 | * {{PlayingWith/Byronic Hero}} |
| 102 | * {{PlayingWith/By The Book Cop}} |
| 103 | * {{PlayingWith/The Caligula}} |
| 104 | * {{PlayingWith/Calling Your Attacks}} |
| 105 | * {{PlayingWith/The Cape}} |
| 106 | * {{PlayingWith/Card Carrying Villain}} |
| 107 | * {{PlayingWith/Chainmail Bikini}} |
| 108 | * {{PlayingWith/Char Clone}} |
| 109 | * {{PlayingWith/Cherry Tapping}} |
| 110 | * {{PlayingWith/The Chew Toy}} |
| 111 | * {{PlayingWith/The Chick}} |
| 112 | * {{PlayingWith/The Chosen One}} |
| 113 | * {{PlayingWith/Clap Your Hands If You Believe}} |
| 114 | * {{PlayingWith/Clark Kenting}} |
| 115 | * {{PlayingWith/Clothing Damage}} |
| 116 | * {{PlayingWith/Cloudcuckoolander}} |
| 117 | * {{PlayingWith/Cold Sniper}} |
| 118 | * {{PlayingWith/Combat Pragmatist}} |
| 119 | * {{PlayingWith/Combination Attack}} |
| 120 | * {{PlayingWith/Combining Mecha}} |
| 121 | * {{PlayingWith/Combo Platter Powers}} |
| 122 | * {{PlayingWith/Confusion Fu}} |
| 123 | * {{PlayingWith/Corporate Warfare}} |
| 124 | * {{PlayingWith/Cosmic Horror Story}} |
| 125 | * {{PlayingWith/Crapsack World}} |
| 126 | * {{PlayingWith/Crazy Prepared}} |
| 127 | * {{PlayingWith/Creature Hunter Organization}} |
| 128 | * {{PlayingWith/Curb Stomp Battle}} |
| 129 | * {{PlayingWith/Cute Bruiser}} |
| 130 | * {{PlayingWith/Cute Is Evil}} |
| 131 | * {{PlayingWith/Cutting The Knot}} |
| 132 | * {{PlayingWith/Dark Shepherd}} |
| 133 | * {{PlayingWith/Deadpan Snarker}} |
| 134 | * {{PlayingWith/Deal With The Devil}} |
| 135 | * {{PlayingWith/Death Is Cheap}} |
| 136 | * {{PlayingWith/Decapitated Army}} |
| 137 | * {{PlayingWith/Decoy Protagonist}} |
| 138 | * {{PlayingWith/Defeat By Modesty}} |
| 139 | * {{PlayingWith/Defeat Means Friendship}} |
| 140 | * {{PlayingWith/Destructive Saviour}} |
| 141 | * {{PlayingWith/Deus Exit Machina}} |
| 142 | * {{PlayingWith/Did We Just Have Tea With Cthulhu}} |
| 143 | * {{PlayingWith/Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu}} |
| 144 | * {{PlayingWith/Difficult But Awesome}} |
| 145 | * {{PlayingWith/Dirty Coward}} |
| 146 | * {{PlayingWith/Dishing Out Dirt}} |
| 147 | * {{PlayingWith/Disproportionate Retribution}} |
| 148 | * {{PlayingWith/The Dog Bites Back}} |
| 149 | * {{PlayingWith/The Dog Was The Mastermind}} |
| 150 | * {{PlayingWith/Doomed Hometown}} |
| 151 | * {{PlayingWith/Driven To Suicide}} |
| 152 | * {{PlayingWith/Dual Wielding}} |
| 153 | * {{PlayingWith/Dungeon Bypass}} |
| 154 | * {{PlayingWith/Dystopia}} |
| 155 | [[/folder]] |
| 156 | [[folder:E-I]] |
| 157 | * {{PlayingWith/Elite Army}} |
| 158 | * {{PlayingWith/Emotionless Girl}} |
| 159 | * {{PlayingWith/The Empire}} |
| 160 | * {{PlayingWith/Enemy To All Living Things}} |
| 161 | * {{PlayingWith/Enlightenment Superpowers}} |
| 162 | * {{PlayingWith/Equal Opportunity Evil}} |
| 163 | * {{PlayingWith/Equippable Ally}} |
| 164 | * {{PlayingWith/Even Evil Has Loved Ones}} |
| 165 | * {{PlayingWith/Even Evil Has Standards}} |
| 166 | * {{PlayingWith/Everybody Hates Hades}} |
| 167 | * {{PlayingWith/Evil Cannot Comprehend Good}} |
| 168 | * {{PlayingWith/Evil Is Sexy}} |
| 169 | * {{PlayingWith/Evil Power Vacuum}} |
| 170 | * {{PlayingWith/Evil Weapon}} |
| 171 | * {{PlayingWith/Explaining Your Power To The Enemy}} |
| 172 | * {{PlayingWith/The Extremist Was Right}} |
| 173 | * {{PlayingWith/Face Heel Turn}} |
| 174 | * {{PlayingWith/Faceless Goons}} |
| 175 | * {{PlayingWith/Failure Hero}} |
| 176 | * {{PlayingWith/Fake Ultimate Hero}} |
| 177 | * {{PlayingWith/Falling Into The Cockpit}} |
| 178 | * {{PlayingWith/Female Misogynist}} |
| 179 | * {{PlayingWith/The Fettered}} |
| 180 | * {{PlayingWith/Five Man Band}} |
| 181 | * {{PlayingWith/Flaming Sword}} |
| 182 | * {{PlayingWith/For Great Justice}} |
| 183 | * {{PlayingWith/For The Evulz}} |
| 184 | * {{PlayingWith/Friendly Sniper}} |
| 185 | * {{PlayingWith/Friend To All Living Things}} |
| 186 | * {{PlayingWith/Freudian Excuse}} |
| 187 | * {{PlayingWith/Full Frontal Assault}} |
| 188 | * {{PlayingWith/Gaias Lament}} |
| 189 | * {{PlayingWith/Gaslighting}} |
| 190 | * {{PlayingWith/Generic Doomsday Villain}} |
| 191 | * {{PlayingWith/Genki Girl}} |
| 192 | * {{PlayingWith/Genocide Backfire}} |
| 193 | * {{PlayingWith/Genre Savvy}} |
| 194 | * {{PlayingWith/Ghostapo}} |
| 195 | * {{PlayingWith/God Is Evil}} |
| 196 | * {{PlayingWith/God Save Us From The Queen}} |
| 197 | * {{PlayingWith/Gods Need Prayer Badly}} |
| 198 | * {{PlayingWith/Good Cannot Comprehend Evil}} |
| 199 | * {{PlayingWith/Good Is Not Nice}} |
| 200 | * {{PlayingWith/Go Out With A Smile}} |
| 201 | * {{PlayingWith/Granola Girl}} |
| 202 | * {{PlayingWith/Green Aesop}} |
| 203 | * {{PlayingWith/Grey And Gray Morality}} |
| 204 | * {{PlayingWith/Guilt Free Extermination War}} |
| 205 | * {{PlayingWith/Handicapped Badass}} |
| 206 | * {{PlayingWith/Hard Work Hardly Works}} |
| 207 | * {{PlayingWith/The Hero}} |
| 208 | * {{PlayingWith/Heroic Mime}} |
| 209 | * {{PlayingWith/Heroic RROD}} |
| 210 | * {{PlayingWith/Heroic Sacrifice}} |
| 211 | * {{PlayingWith/Hero With Bad Publicity}} |
| 212 | * {{PlayingWith/He Who Fights Monsters}} |
| 213 | * {{PlayingWith/Honor Related Abuse}} |
| 214 | * {{PlayingWith/Humans Are The Real Monsters}} |
| 215 | * {{PlayingWith/Hunter Of His Own Kind}} |
| 216 | * {{PlayingWith/Idiot Hero}} |
| 217 | * {{PlayingWith/I Just Want To Be Normal}} |
| 218 | * {{PlayingWith/I Just Want To Be Special}} |
| 219 | * {{PlayingWith/Imaginary Friend}} |
| 220 | * {{PlayingWith/Immune To Bullets}} |
| 221 | * {{PlayingWith/Improbable Infant Survival}} |
| 222 | * {{PlayingWith/In A Single Bound}} |
| 223 | * {{PlayingWith/Instant Win Condition}} |
| 224 | * {{PlayingWith/Insufferable Genius}} |
| 225 | * {{PlayingWith/In The End You Are On Your Own}} |
| 226 | * {{PlayingWith/Its All About Me}} |
| 227 | * {{PlayingWith/Its All Upstairs From Here}} |
| 228 | * {{PlayingWith/I Want My Beloved To Be Happy}} |
| 229 | [[/folder]] |
| 230 | [[folder:J-N]] |
| 231 | * {{PlayingWith/Jerkass}} |
| 232 | * {{PlayingWith/Jerk Jock}} |
| 233 | * {{PlayingWith/Jerk With A Heart Of Gold}} |
| 234 | * {{PlayingWith/Karma Houdini}} |
| 235 | * {{PlayingWith/Kick The Dog}} |
| 236 | * {{PlayingWith/Kick The Son Of A Bitch}} |
| 237 | * {{PlayingWith/Killer Game Master}} |
| 238 | * {{PlayingWith/Klingon Promotion}} |
| 239 | * {{PlayingWith/Knight Templar}} |
| 240 | * {{PlayingWith/Lady Of War}} |
| 241 | * {{PlayingWith/The Lancer}} |
| 242 | * {{PlayingWith/La Resistance}} |
| 243 | * {{PlayingWith/Living Forever Is Awesome}} |
| 244 | * {{PlayingWith/Lovable Alpha Bitch}} |
| 245 | * {{PlayingWith/Lovecraft Lite}} |
| 246 | * {{PlayingWith/Macross Missile Massacre}} |
| 247 | * {{PlayingWith/Made Of Iron}} |
| 248 | * {{PlayingWith/Mad Scientist}} |
| 249 | * {{PlayingWith/Magic A is Magic A}} |
| 250 | * {{PlayingWith/Magical Girl Warrior}} |
| 251 | * {{PlayingWith/The Magic Comes Back}} |
| 252 | * {{PlayingWith/Magic Feather}} |
| 253 | * {{PlayingWith/Magnetic Hero}} |
| 254 | * {{PlayingWith/Make Me Wanna Shout}} |
| 255 | * {{PlayingWith/Making A Splash}} |
| 256 | * {{PlayingWith/Manic Pixie Dream Girl}} |
| 257 | * {{PlayingWith/Mass Super Empowering Event}} |
| 258 | * {{PlayingWith/Mega Corp}} |
| 259 | * {{PlayingWith/Mighty Glacier}} |
| 260 | * {{PlayingWith/Mind Rape}} |
| 261 | * {{PlayingWith/Misery Builds Character}} |
| 262 | * {{PlayingWith/Morality Pet}} |
| 263 | * {{PlayingWith/Morally Ambiguous Doctorate}} |
| 264 | * {{PlayingWith/Most Common Super Power}} |
| 265 | * {{PlayingWith/Necessarily Evil}} |
| 266 | * {{PlayingWith/Never My Fault}} |
| 267 | * {{PlayingWith/Nice Guy}} |
| 268 | * {{PlayingWith/Noble Demon}} |
| 269 | * {{PlayingWith/Not Quite Dead}} |
| 270 | * {{PlayingWith/Not The Intended Use}} |
| 271 | * {{PlayingWith/The Nudifier}} |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | [[folder:O-S]] |
| 274 | * {{PlayingWith/Obstructive Bureaucrat}} |
| 275 | * {{PlayingWith/Old Master}} |
| 276 | * {{PlayingWith/Only A Flesh Wound}} |
| 277 | * {{PlayingWith/Only Sane Man}} |
| 278 | * {{PlayingWith/Orcus On His Throne}} |
| 279 | * {{PlayingWith/Paper Thin Disguise}} |
| 280 | * {{PlayingWith/Pay Evil Unto Evil}} |
| 281 | * {{PlayingWith/Pet The Dog}} |
| 282 | * {{PlayingWith/Pint Sized Powerhouse}} |
| 283 | * {{PlayingWith/Playing With Fire}} |
| 284 | * {{PlayingWith/Political Correctness Gone Mad}} |
| 285 | * {{PlayingWith/The Power Of Friendship}} |
| 286 | * {{PlayingWith/The Power Of Hate}} |
| 287 | * {{PlayingWith/The Power Of Love}} |
| 288 | * {{PlayingWith/Power Of Trust}} |
| 289 | * {{PlayingWith/Power Perversion Potential}} |
| 290 | * {{PlayingWith/Pragmatic Villainy}} |
| 291 | * {{PlayingWith/Purely Aesthetic Glasses}} |
| 292 | * {{PlayingWith/Pyro Maniac}} |
| 293 | * {{PlayingWith/The Reason You Suck Speech}} |
| 294 | * {{PlayingWith/Redemption Equals Death}} |
| 295 | * {{PlayingWith/Reformed But Rejected}} |
| 296 | * {{PlayingWith/Resignations Not Accepted}} |
| 297 | * {{PlayingWith/The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified}} |
| 298 | * {{PlayingWith/Rewarding Vandalism}} |
| 299 | * {{PlayingWith/Ridiculously Human Robots}} |
| 300 | * {{PlayingWith/The Rival}} |
| 301 | * {{PlayingWith/Robot Girl}} |
| 302 | * {{PlayingWith/Rousseau Was Right}} |
| 303 | * {{PlayingWith/Royals Who Actually Do Something}} |
| 304 | * {{PlayingWith/Rude Hero Nice Sidekick}} |
| 305 | * {{PlayingWith/Screw Destiny}} |
| 306 | * {{PlayingWith/Secret Test Of Character}} |
| 307 | * {{PlayingWith/Self Made Orphan}} |
| 308 | * {{PlayingWith/Shoot The Dog}} |
| 309 | * {{PlayingWith/Silly Rabbit Cynicism Is For Losers}} |
| 310 | * {{PlayingWith/Silly Rabbit Idealism Is For Kids}} |
| 311 | * {{PlayingWith/Single Woman Seeks Good Man}} |
| 312 | * {{PlayingWith/Small Name Big Ego}} |
| 313 | * {{PlayingWith/The Smart Guy}} |
| 314 | * {{PlayingWith/Smug Super}} |
| 315 | * {{PlayingWith/Spanner In The Works}} |
| 316 | * {{PlayingWith/Spikes Of Doom}} |
| 317 | * {{PlayingWith/Spoiled Brat}} |
| 318 | * {{PlayingWith/Stalker With A Crush}} |
| 319 | * {{PlayingWith/Stalking Is Love}} |
| 320 | * {{PlayingWith/Starter Equipment}} |
| 321 | * {{PlayingWith/Statuesque Stunner}} |
| 322 | * {{PlayingWith/Stepford Smiler}} |
| 323 | * {{PlayingWith/The Stoic}} |
| 324 | * {{PlayingWith/Stupid Evil}} |
| 325 | * {{PlayingWith/Stupid Good}} |
| 326 | * {{PlayingWith/Sufficiently Analyzed Magic}} |
| 327 | * {{PlayingWith/Sugar Bowl}} |
| 328 | * {{PlayingWith/Super Powered Robot Meter Maids}} |
| 329 | * {{PlayingWith/Super Prototype}} |
| 330 | * {{PlayingWith/Super Robot Genre}} |
| 331 | * {{PlayingWith/Super Strength}} |
| 332 | * {{PlayingWith/Super Toughness}} |
| 333 | * {{PlayingWith/Surprisingly Realistic Outcome}} |
| 334 | * {{PlayingWith/Suspiciously Similar Substitute}} |
| 335 | [[/folder]] |
| 336 | [[folder:T-Z]] |
| 337 | * {{PlayingWith/Take Over The World}} |
| 338 | * {{PlayingWith/Then Let Me Be Evil}} |
| 339 | * {{PlayingWith/Teeth Clenched Teamwork}} |
| 340 | * {{PlayingWith/There Is No Kill Like Overkill}} |
| 341 | * {{PlayingWith/There Was A Door}} |
| 342 | * {{PlayingWith/They Called Me Mad}} |
| 343 | * {{PlayingWith/Thou Shalt Not Kill}} |
| 344 | * {{PlayingWith/Tin Man}} |
| 345 | * {{PlayingWith/Token Evil Teammate}} |
| 346 | * {{PlayingWith/Token Good Teammate}} |
| 347 | * {{PlayingWith/Too Awesome To Use}} |
| 348 | * {{PlayingWith/Took A Level In Badass}} |
| 349 | * {{PlayingWith/Took A Level In Jerkass}} |
| 350 | * {{PlayingWith/Training From Hell}} |
| 351 | * {{PlayingWith/Turn The Other Cheek}} |
| 352 | * {{PlayingWith/Twenty Bear Asses}} |
| 353 | * {{PlayingWith/Ultimate Lifeform}} |
| 354 | * {{PlayingWith/The Unfettered}} |
| 355 | * {{PlayingWith/Unresolved Sexual Tension}} |
| 356 | * {{PlayingWith/Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist}} |
| 357 | * {{PlayingWith/Vetinari Job Security}} |
| 358 | * {{PlayingWith/Villains Out Shopping}} |
| 359 | * {{PlayingWith/Virgin Power}} |
| 360 | * {{PlayingWith/Vitriolic Best Buds}} |
| 361 | * {{PlayingWith/Warts And All}} |
| 362 | * {{PlayingWith/Wax On Wax Off}} |
| 363 | * {{PlayingWith/Weaksauce Weakness}} |
| 364 | * {{PlayingWith/Well Done Dad Guy}} |
| 365 | * {{PlayingWith/Well Done Son Guy}} |
| 366 | * {{PlayingWith/Well Intentioned Extremist}} |
| 367 | * {{PlayingWith/When She Smiles}} |
| 368 | * {{PlayingWith/Who Wants To Live Forever}} |
| 369 | * {{PlayingWith/Why Did You Make Me Hit You}} |
| 370 | * {{PlayingWith/Wide Eyed Idealist}} |
| 371 | * {{PlayingWith/A Winner Is You}} |
| 372 | * {{PlayingWith/With Friends Like These}} |
| 373 | * {{PlayingWith/The Worf Effect}} |
| 374 | * {{PlayingWith/World Of Action Girls}} |
| 375 | * {{PlayingWith/You Cant Fight Fate}} |
| 376 | * {{PlayingWith/You Have Failed Me}} |
| 377 | * {{PlayingWith/You Have Outlived Your Usefulness}} |
| 378 | * {{PlayingWith/You Kill It You Bought It}} |
| 379 | * {{PlayingWith/Yo Yo Plot Point}} |
| 380 | [[/folder]] |
| 381 | |
| 382 | |
| 383 | !! 22 Basic Guidelines |
| 384 | |
| 385 | 22 basic ( [[{{Main/Reconstruction}} and purpously flexible]] ) questions [[ParodiesForDummies to help you deconstruct tropes quickly.]] |
| 386 | #How can I twist it with logic? |
| 387 | #Unexpected yet logical (horrible, ironic or funny) origins and/or consequences? |
| 388 | #How efficient/inefficient is this? |
| 389 | #How can I purposefully misinterpret it? |
| 390 | #How Hard/Easy is this? |
| 391 | #How can I twist its morality with logic? |
| 392 | #To what horrible things I can expose it? |
| 393 | #How can I twist it with details? |
| 394 | #How can I twist it with physics? |
| 395 | #How can I twist it with biology? |
| 396 | #How horrible/possible it really is? |
| 397 | #What would happen if people believed it's happening but it isn't? |
| 398 | #How can I twist it with psychology? |
| 399 | #How can I twist it with economy? |
| 400 | #How can I twist it with the law system? |
| 401 | #How can I twist it with time? |
| 402 | #How can I twist it with senses? |
| 403 | #How can I twist it with intelligence/stupidness? |
| 404 | #How can I twist it with people/loneliness? |
| 405 | #How boring/exciting it really is? |
| 406 | #How does it interact/compare with other things? |
| 407 | #How it can be self-destructive? |
| 408 | |
| 409 | Before saying you deconstructed a trope confirm it answers this: |
| 410 | [[Videogame/PlanescapeTorment What can change the nature of the trope?]] |
| 411 | |
| 412 | !![[AvertedTrope Tropes to Avert]] |
| 413 | * RuleOfIndex -- having logical inconsistencies in your work, even to the benefit of the story, misses the point of deconstruction. |
| 414 | * FridgeLogic -- if when you think about it the whole idea falls apart, even if it's DarkerAndEdgier, [[Administrivia/NotADeconstruction that isn't a deconstruction]]. |
| 415 | * ArtisticLicense -- the less a deconstruction stays true to RealLife facts, the less effective it is as a deconstruction. |
| 416 | * StatusQuoIsGod -- deconstructions need [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore permanence]] in order to take hold. |
| 417 | * ThePowerOfIndex -- abstract values don't hold up to concrete facts in a deconstruction. |
| 418 | * NoEndorHolocaust -- if a trope could cause a lot of death in RealLife, portraying it otherwise in fiction isn't deconstructive. |
| 419 | * WarIsGlorious -- it isn't. |
| 420 | * FreeRangeChildren -- the [[RealLife real world]] is much too dangerous for children to be wandering around without an adult to protect them. |
| 421 | * {{The Law of Conservation of Detail}} -- RealLife doesn't have this AcceptableBreakFromReality. |
| 422 | * DeusExMachina -- the characters and setting shouldn't be spared from the consequences of the deconstruction. |
| 423 | * DeusExitMachina |
| 424 | * ConvenientlyEmptyBuilding -- falls under the same pitfalls as NoEndorHolocaust. |
| 425 | * AdultsAreUseless -- they aren't normally, [[TruthInTelevision but there are moments...]] |
| 426 | * ReedRichardsIsUseless -- life-changing technology ''will'' impact society to some degree. |
| 427 | * TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin -- even in the most idealistic deconstructions, perfection is unreasonable and unrealistic. |
| 428 | * KarmaHoudini -- even if the villains avoid retribution from the heroes, they won't fully escape the ramifications of their actions in a deconstruction (trauma, having to live in hiding for the rest of their lives; etc.). |
| 429 | * SlidingScaleOfVillainEffectiveness |
| 430 | * SortingAlgorithmOfEvil |
| 431 | * AngstWhatAngst -- human psychology can't just block out trauma. |
| 432 | * TheMainCharactersDoEverything -- if they did, they would be {{Ineffectual Loner}}s (in role) and [[MasterOfNone Masters Of None]] (in skill). |
| 433 | * PlotArmor -- reality doesn't care how important someone may be [[InvokedTrope (although their supporters might)]]. |
| 434 | * AcceptableBreaksFromReality -- Look at whichever ones typically come packaged with a particular trope, and speculate on what would happen if things were handled the realistic way instead. |
| 435 | * InvincibleHero -- Even more so if all his fights follow the same formula of the hero receiving a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown until he's finally able to use his signature technique, which he will always use in the same way with little or no variation. |
| 436 | * InvincibleVillain -- Even more so if said villain has been unbeatable for so long that they don't even acknowledge the possibility of failure until it is far past too late for them. |
| 437 | * PlotHole |
| 438 | * NegativeContinuity |
| 439 | * HappilyEverAfter -- Eliminating all external threats alone won't remove personal trauma and strife, and in a deconstruction, characters will have to pick up the pieces of everything they had to deal with. Exhibit A: ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture''. |
| 440 | * EasilyConqueredWorld -- Such a world won't last long in a deconstruction. |
| 441 | * DarkerAndEdgier -- Many deconstructions actually are Darker and Edgier by nature, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that a deconstruction necessarily ''has'' to be Darker and Edgier ([[DeconstructiveParody it doesn't]]), or that making something Darker and Edgier automatically qualifies as a deconstruction ([[Administrivia/NotADeconstruction it doesn't]]). |
| 442 | |
| 443 | !!Suggested Tropes |
| 444 | * AndThenWhat |
| 445 | * AnyoneCanDie |
| 446 | * ArmorPiercingQuestion |
| 447 | * ArmorPiercingResponse |
| 448 | * AscendedFridgeHorror |
| 449 | * AwesomeButImpractical -- the best a trope should hope for when it would otherwise be justified by the RuleOfIndex. |
| 450 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor |
| 451 | * BeingEvilSucks |
| 452 | * BeingGoodSucks |
| 453 | * BlackAndWhiteInsanity |
| 454 | * BoringButPractical |
| 455 | * BrutalHonesty -- {{Deconstructed Trope}}s [[DidntSeeThatComing must be really honest]]. |
| 456 | * ChronicHeroSyndrome |
| 457 | * ContemplateOurNavels -- lots of deconstructions end up being very existentialist [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome and logical]], [[DidntSeeThatComing normally in unexpected ways]]. |
| 458 | * CripplingOverspecialization |
| 459 | * DestructiveSaviour -- just because a "hero" may have good intentions, doesn't mean they'll achieve them through virtuous means. |
| 460 | * DystopiaIsHard |
| 461 | * FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse |
| 462 | * FridgeBrilliance |
| 463 | * HeroicBSOD |
| 464 | * ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne -- inherently a deconstruction to TheChosenOne. |
| 465 | * {{Justified Trope}}s |
| 466 | * KarmaHoudiniWarranty |
| 467 | * KnightInSourArmor |
| 468 | * LogicalWeakness -- when applied to tropes. |
| 469 | * NoNonsenseNemesis |
| 470 | * NotSoDifferentRemark |
| 471 | * NotSoHarmlessVillain |
| 472 | * NotSoInvincibleAfterAll |
| 473 | * NotTheIntendedUse -- Deconstruction is essentially doing this with tropes, after all most tropes fall apart when you start to [[TakeThat criticize]] them or apply [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome logic]] to them. |
| 474 | * PyrrhicVictory |
| 475 | * SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining |
| 476 | * SecretlySelfish |
| 477 | * SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome |
| 478 | * TakeThat -- most deconstructions try their hardest to logically tear apart a trope, even ones like PlayingWith/BecomingTheMask and PlayingWith/EnemyWithin. |
| 479 | * TragicVillain |
| 480 | * Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad -- for LighterAndSofter deconstructions. |
| 481 | * Administrivia/TropesAreNotGood -- an important theme in most deconstructions. |
| 482 | * TruthInTelevision -- playing out tropes as they actually would in RealLife is an easy way to deconstruct them. |
| 483 | * VengeanceFeelsEmpty |
| 484 | * TheVillainWins |
| 485 | * VillainousBreakdown |
| 486 | * WarIsHell |
| 487 | * WhamEpisode |
| 488 | * WeAREStrugglingTogether |
| 489 | * WellIntentionedExtremist -- "villains" in real life don't typically regard themselves as such. |
| 490 | * WhosLaughingNow |
| 491 | |
| 492 | !!Do not Deconstruct for Its Own Sake |
| 493 | |
| 494 | Tropes exist for a reason. In order to deconstruct a trope, you must show how the trope would work in reality... but entertainment is the ultimate goal. If you deconstruct the trope, but have not actually said anything insightful or entertaining, you have mostly wasted your and everyone else's time. |
| 495 | |
| 496 | Also, many people think that deconstruction is just the act of pointing out how various fictional characters and tropes are actually dark and raunchy, for the sake of exaggeration or destruction of innocence and idealism. While deconstruction sometimes looks like that on the surface, the point is that it injects REALITY into the equation, not implications or dark turns. |
| 497 | |
| 498 | For example, a story where Willy Wonka is revealed to be a serial killer who kills little kids and turns their corpses into Oompa-Loompas is not deconstruction. It does not tell us anything that would better explain the story and their motivations, and it would not tell us anything about real-life implications. A deconstruction would be more along the lines of Willy Wonka continually having maintenance issues due to his unique factory he keeps completely closed off to people, and he has to figure out how to get it working again. |
| 499 | |
| 500 | !!Extra credit |
| 501 | |
| 502 | !!!The greats |
| 503 | * ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' and ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' both have [[DeconstructedTrope/ASongOfIceAndFire their]] [[DeconstructedTrope/BojackHorseman own]] subpages for DeconstructedTrope, which explains a lot. For bonus points, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' also has one for [[DeconstructedCharacterArchetype/ASongOfIceAndFire character deconstructions]]. |
| 504 | |
| 505 | !!!The epic fails |
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FollowingContext SoYouWantTo / DeconstructATrope
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