What is a Trope?
A common or overused storytelling device or convention.
Tropes: Tales as Old as Time
As a creative writer, it's important to be aware of tropes, which are commonly used literary devices or storytelling conventions that you can find across literature. Whether it's the hero's journey, the villain's backstory, or the love triangle, tropes can help add layers to a story and give readers a sense of familiarity with the genre they're reading.
However, overusing certain tropes can lead to predictability and detract from originality. It's important to recognize the difference between a trope that adds to the story and one that takes away from it.
By understanding the history and evolution of literary tropes, writers can use them in innovative ways to create fresh and exciting stories that build upon the readers' expectations rather than relying on them.
Here are two examples of how literary tropes have been used creatively within literature:
One of the most famous examples of a trope in literature is the love triangle between Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Wickham in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
This trope adds depth to the story as it adds tension and conflict to the romantic storyline, but also emphasizes Elizabeth's character development and her decision-making throughout the novel.
Another example of the creative use of literary tropes is the unreliable narrator in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
This trope, often used in modernist literature, allows Fitzgerald to manipulate what information the reader receives and how they perceive the events of the novel. It also questions the authenticity of the narrator's story and adds a layer of complexity to the overall narrative.