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openObvious change in text to protect reputation Literature
In the Book of Judges, it says (in the original Hebrew) that the grandson of Moses (משה) became a priest for an idol. In order to protect Moses's reputation, there is a "fix" in his name to Menashe (מנשה), but the added letter is written above the main line, making it clearly an addition.
openVillain secretly doesn't share henchmen's values Literature
A villain leads a group of Mooks or even leads a country/army. He claims to believe the same ideology his underlings do, which might be something justified (for instance, if they want revenge, he might be presenting himself as an Anti-Villain), or it might be something where they're in the wrong, like some form of Fantastic Racism.
But, in secret, the villain reveals to the hero (in a Bond Villain Stupidity monologue) that he doesn't really believe that crap, and he's only in it for the power and wealth that comes with being the leader. Meaning, he's either masquerading as an Anti-Villain, or actually a Politically Correct Villain who's taking advantage of his underlings' prejudices so he can manipulate them.
He's not a Villain with Good Publicity because he's still considered evil, just a different type of evil than he actually is.
Then, the monologue goes something like, "Of course, I'm not racist. But, by convincing those morons they're the superior race, and my enemies are a threat to their bloodlines, they'll do whatever I want..." and so on.
Of course, he's still a bad guy who's fine with letting his mooks' victims die if he can profit from them in the end, even if he doesn't personally hate the victims.
openA particular trope I'm trying to find Literature
Is there a trope where a story focuses solely on a story arc for a dozen of chapters, while other story arcs are on hold?
openromance Literature
Class difference, he is a dragon shiftier, she is a normal human form a village, they were close friends as kids but were separated, she is sunshine and he is grumpy
openCriminal escapes punishment by fleeing jurisdiction Literature
A criminal, having committed a crime, successfully escapes jurisdiction, thereby evading any official punishment. That having been said, in many cases this criminal won't be a Karma Houdini, as exile from one's own land is a negative consequence of the crime.
openTitle is relevant date Literature
The name of the book is "Day of Atonement", the standard English-language name for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kipur, which is on the 10th of the Jewish month of Tishrei. The book doesn't actually take place on Yom Kipur; however, the primary plot starts on the first day of Jewish New Year (1st of Tishrei), and the significance of upcoming Yom Kipur comes up repeatedly throughout the book.
openDo it for the family one refuses to recognize as his own Literature
Peter Decker had been sent for adoption right after birth, and grew up not knowing his biological family. When Contrived Coincidence brings him (now a cop who works in Los Angeles) and his biological mother (Happily Married with five children, all adult by this point) together, when he is visiting New York City, her grandson is kidnapped. Although he works at the far end of the US, he does decide to help, using his knowledge and experience as a police officer as well as introducing himself as such to some of the people he talks to. As of the end of the book, he still doesn't see his biological mother and her other children as his own family (he says he has "one mother", referring to the adopting mother), but he couldn't turn his back on them at time of need.
openAgainst propaganda Literature
Is there a trope where diplomatic representatives denouncing false propaganda from repressive regimes?
- In Chapter 57 of Mass Effect's fanfic story MassEffectThe Bridge Between, when representatives from Citadel Council species, Krogan and Quarian, learned that a pro-human movement made a false narrative about Shepard being a traitor, they denounced it, refusing to consider such falsehood.
openHusband threatens to take wife's child Literature
Luke had previously given his wife Linda Permission to Cheat due to both of them having fertility issues, and she successfully gave birth to a daughter. Two years later, Luke calls Linda a whore and threatens yo take the daughter away from her.
openWife has affairs with husband's permission Literature
Luke and Linda, husband and wife, go to fertility treatment, and it turns out they both have problems; they are told that outside of fertility treatments, they each have a better chance of becoming biological parents if they try it with someone else. When they can no longer afford the treatment, and the wife still insists that she needs to become a mother, they agree that she try exactly that: she has affairs with men who were clearly successful at becoming fathers, and ends up succeeding at getting pregnant.
openParents knowingly go against the son's ideology Literature
A Jew mentions that he was hidden during the Holocaust by a couple—whose son was an SS officer
openAbrupt failure Literature
The Secretary of Entertainment wants 100% of the potential audience to watch a particular show. The percentage goes up, passing 98%, and then suddenly becomes 0%.
openThis is not your life to take Literature
Instructing others to take a This Is Not My Life to Take attitude towards a specific enemy.
openPoets/poems opening chapters Literature
A novel has each chapter (several narrators, each with their own chapters) open (not in-universe e.g. by a character reading them, but just as the author's stamp) with a choice verse from a poet, and each poet matched to each narrator. For example, Edgar Allen Poe's themes of "death, loss, grief, and the macabre" are matched to a violent and unhinged character.
openChapters have characters "faux responding" to each other Literature
A novel which has different narrators for different chapters plays a kind of pseudo-Dramatic Irony. E.g. Raver Bob ends his chapter having done some MDMA and asks a rhetorical question like "How can anyone not be having the time of their lives in this amazing musical revolution?"... forgetting about Joe who's in prison and rubbishes the idea of grown adults dancing in a field like children in the very next chapter. Somehow, several chapters have Narrator B open the chapter by responding in some form (not necessarily verbally) to Narrator A, even though the events in question may not necessarily happen immediately after each other and certainly the characters are widely separated by geography. The response is unconscious, definitely not due to telepathy or anything but nevertheless immediately recognisable. An interesting narrative trick by the author.
Edited by FlashStepsopenMurdered during worship Literature
According to 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38, about Sanherib:
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword

A person would like to get his revenge on one of his parents, but the parent in question is dead. So the person murders individuals who, in his opinion, are similar to the parent.