Basic Trope: A character obeys an authority figure without question.
- Straight: Karen always does what her father, Jim, tells her to, even if it sorely inconveniences her.
- Exaggerated: Karen is an artificial construct created solely to serve her "father's" needs.
- Downplayed: Karen usually obeys her father, but not always.
- Justified: Karen loves Jim, trusts his judgment, and wants to do everything she can to make him happy.
- Inverted: Karen disobeys her father almost on principle.
- Subverted: Karen obeys Jim ... when he's around. When he isn't, she's as free-spirited as they come.
- Double Subverted: Karen acts in ways that defy Jim's desires for a while, but then it occurs to her that the short- or long-term consequences will be worse for her, so she reverts to following his demands while apologizing profusely to all and sundry, whether they're present, affected, or not.
- Parodied: Karen goes as a doormat for Halloween.
- Zig-Zagged: Karen starts out doing her father's bidding with a childlike faith in him, only to get herself hurt doing it. While forgiving, she realizes he isn't as infallible as she thought, and resolves to use her own judgment more in the future.
- Averted: Karen frequently questions her father's commands, albeit always in a respectful manner.
- Enforced: Karen was raised strictly and agrees with the notion of honoring one's parents wholeheartedly as a sign of gratitude.
- Lampshaded:
- Invoked:
- Exploited: Karen's father frequently uses Karen's obedience to get what he wants from her without having to return the favor.
- Defied: Karen listens to herself and only herself.
- Discussed: Jim proudly talks about his daughter Karen's obedient nature to his friends, who hate him for it.
- Conversed: Alice and Bob wonder how Karen even manages to live a life following this trope to a T without even having a single thought of resentment towards Jim.
- Implied: Karen doesn't have much of a social life, because she expects to be on call for her father during her free time.
- Deconstructed:
- Jim takes advantage of Karen's malleability in the worst way possible.
- Jim treats Karen well, but her ingrained attitude extends to people outside the family, who have no qualms about using her to get what they want.
- Karen's childish passivity and eagerness to please others make her unprepared for life on her own. When her father suddenly dies, she finds herself alone in a world where no one cares for her.
- Reconstructed: Karen knows her submissiveness will be a problem when she becomes an adult. She has a serious talk with her father about her inability to put herself first, which father agrees with, giving her permission to think for herself and do what she wants within reason. It takes some getting used to, but eventually she blossoms into a more rounded person while maintaining a positive relationship with her father.
- Played for Laughs: Karen is so submissive her father uses her as a footstool.
- Played for Drama: Karen is obedient, not stupid. She knows her father is petty, immature and prone to anger, and putting up with his idiosyncratic and contradictory whims becomes more difficult as she matures. Eventually, she begins to resent him.
- Played for Horror: Karen, who had been killing the party off one by one, was actually just following the orders of her father.
"Sorry, I need to go back to Blind Obedience now."
