My Favorite Literary Tropes
We’ve all gotten a little sick of TV writing and books that rely on tropes and sacrifice some story. But tropes have always existed and are still vital parts of good stories. So we can’t do away with them completely. In the past, I think, they have been more subtly used and less of a focus for readers. Anything, once it’s named, is easier to spot. Trope-heavy stories are easy to identify and sometimes they can really pull you out of the story. But there are still some tropes that, especially when done well, get me every time.
What is a Literary Trope?
The standard literary trope is something like fake dating or labrador MMC falls for emo FMC. These are pre-set scenarios and character types that serve as a foundation or driving force for the story. Writers use them as archetypes because they are recognizable and grounded in truth; we’ve seen them play out in real life.
But, as we’ve seen recently, writers are starting to rely too heavily on them. The whole story revolves around these stereotypical characters and storylines and it gets old after a while. As I said, though, there are still a few I absolutely love.
My Favorite Literary Tropes
These are in no particular order. I highly encourage you to look for stories where these are done well (like in the given references) because they are just so much fun to see done well.
The Devil-May-Care Man
Aloof, devil-may-care male character falls in love and makes a huge sacrifice. This is probably my most specific one, but I love it because it often proves that humans are incredibly complex and often just need a little more love in their lives. The perfect example of this trope is Sydney in A Tale of Two Cities. That man doesn’t care whether he lives or dies, and then he falls in love. Knowing they can never be together, he does a massive, heroic thing, ultimately sacrificing himself for her happiness. It’s perfect and tragic and beautiful.
Enemies to Lovers
Enemies to lovers (but done correctly). I’m not talking about the villain throwing the hero around, torturing them, and doing other horrific and unspeakable villain things just to then be forgiven because they are ✨hot✨ and ✨secretly in love✨ with the hero. No, thank you.
Instead, I’m talking about two people who have the same goal but go about it in different, completely opposing ways. Think season 2 of Bridgerton; Anthony wants to marry Edwina, Kate wants Edwina to get married (same goal). But Anthony and Kate do not agree on the method of achieving this goal, and are actively working against each other. It’s done wonderfully in that season with those characters and I will die on the hill that that was the best season by far.
PC: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Unexpected Leader
The person doesn’t want power but gets it and is weirdly perfect for it. This needs a little less explanation. I think we like this one and relate to it because we are naturally turned off by people who think they’re better than us and therefore capable of leading us. Something in us always thinks “You’re too cocky to be a good leader.” And often we’re right. So when a character is sort of bobbing and weaving around the responsibility of taking charge, we like to see them step into their abilities and crush it. Think Michael Corleone in The Godfather. He’s quiet, but that has power.
Underdog
The overlooked, underdog character wins in the end. I’m a big fan of the underdog. I watched the movie Something Borrowed with a friend and the first words out of her mouth were “You’ll love John Krasinski’s character.” And she was right. Occasionally, the underdog wins. And it’s glorious. I’m thinking here of Mary Bennet as well in The Other Bennet Sister and even something like Samwise in The Lord of the Rings. These characters are not rooted for in the beginning, but they fight hard for what they want and win in the end.
How Do I Use a Trope in My Story?
The trope is not dead. We might be shying away from overuse and authors who rely on these to even have a story idea, but we still love these enduring parts of storytelling. When choosing a trope, I suggest taking it and turning it upside down, inside out, and just taking a different view of it altogether. That way your story still rings true and familiar, but has a twist and some uniqueness that sets it apart and gives the trope new life.
Love a good trope? Let me know and share your favorites by tagging me on Instagram @austen.etc.
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