The intent or meaning is about the what the trope serves in the narrative. One of the first film tropes is the Kuleshov Effect, which is about showing two images in sequence. The first image is a person looking at something, while the second image implies that is what they are looking at. The second image can be swapped out (food, animal, love interest) and create a different idea even though the first image remains the same. Individually they don't mean much but together it forms a narrative. Tropes are about how that narrative is shaped, and seeing similar shapes is what forms a trend. A Cool Car has slightly different meanings if it is paired with a Jerk Jock vs a Salary Man, but the Cool Car is a concept that impacts how those characters are portrayed.
Tropes have their own cultural analysis, which is more meta-commentary about tropes more (or less) common in certain cultures and time periods. Values Resonance and Values Dissonance talks more about that. Stereotypically, Japanese works have a Genki Girl while French films are Deliberately Monochrome.
Edited by KJMackley on Nov 12th 2018 at 5:47:52 AM
I have a question that might belong on this thread. I noticed on the Whole-Plot Reference page there are subtropes for plots that are used fairly frequently. As has been pointed out on this thread, being a commonly used element by writers is not enough to make something a trope by itself. My question is then how are those plots tropes? The only thing I can think of is that referencing another work's plot is an intentional choice, which is a requirement for something to be a trope.
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Think (and read) how Homage is a trope. Then you can apply it to WPR and its subtropes.
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The story element is the trope; the fact that it was borrowed is trivia. A trope is always an intentional choice, even if the creator(s) don't realize that they are employing that trope specifically. For example, Soft Glass requires that a character be written to smash through a window, that they make or procure the stunt glass, and so on. This is true even if the writers aren't intentionally invoking the cliche.
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