Understanding Tropes & Why They Are Important: The Essential Building Blocks of Storytelling
What Are Tropes?
Tropes are the fundamental building blocks of storytelling. They are recurring themes, archetypes, and narrative devices that give stories structure and direction. In essence, tropes are like well-trodden paths in literature that help guide readers and writers through the creative landscape. While some view them as clichés, their function goes far beyond being predictable patterns. When skillfully employed, tropes allow authors to deepen their narratives, challenge reader expectations, and create immersive worlds.
Why Are Tropes Important?
1. Building Blocks of Storytelling
Tropes provide a narrative scaffold on which authors can layer more complex ideas, emotions, and themes. By using recognizable tropes, writers give readers an entry point into their story, while still maintaining plenty of room for creativity and world-building.
Example from Harry Potter: Take the "hero's journey" trope, a classic structure used in many stories, including Harry Potter. The journey starts with Harry’s call to adventure when he receives his letter to attend Hogwarts, his refusal of the call as he doubts his magical identity, and his eventual acceptance when he steps into the wizarding world. While this plot device is familiar from mythic tales like The Odyssey and Star Wars, Rowling adds unique elements like the setting of a magical boarding school and the interpersonal dynamics between Harry and other characters, allowing this trope to feel fresh and exciting.
Example from Stephen King: Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series heavily relies on the "quest" trope. Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, embarks on an epic quest to find the Dark Tower, which is said to be the center of all realities. This quest trope is enriched with elements of science fiction, Westerns, and horror, creating a hybrid genre that transforms the familiar journey into something entirely new. The trope provides a grounding force that allows King to explore deep existential questions about life, death, fate, and reality.
2. Creating Expectations
Tropes set expectations for readers, providing a framework through which they anticipate certain outcomes. However, great stories often lie in how these expectations are fulfilled or defied. By leveraging tropes, authors can create suspense, surprise, and emotional depth.
Example from Harry Potter: In the Harry Potter series, one of the most subverted tropes is "the mentor." Albus Dumbledore fits this role throughout much of the series, guiding Harry and imparting wisdom. However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we discover that Dumbledore’s past is much darker and more morally ambiguous than expected. This subversion adds emotional complexity to the narrative and deepens the reader’s understanding of Dumbledore as a flawed character, showing that even mentors are not infallible.
Example from Stephen King: In The Shining, King uses the "haunted house" trope to establish expectations of ghostly apparitions and supernatural threats. However, what makes the Overlook Hotel truly terrifying isn’t just its physical manifestations but the psychological unraveling of Jack Torrance. King turns the trope inward, exploring themes of addiction, domestic abuse, and the fragility of the human mind. Readers expect external horror but are instead confronted with Jack’s descent into madness, which is far more terrifying because it feels real.
3. Connecting with Readers
Tropes resonate with readers because they reflect universal experiences and emotions. They evoke shared cultural understandings and patterns, allowing readers to relate to stories on a deeper level.
Example from Harry Potter: The "found family" trope resonates strongly throughout Harry Potter. Readers connect with Harry’s sense of isolation and his journey to find belonging at Hogwarts, forming a family with Ron, Hermione, and other characters. This trope taps into the universal desire for connection and support, especially for readers who may have felt like outsiders themselves. The emotional impact of this trope reaches its zenith when Harry chooses to prioritize his relationships over power or fame, further reinforcing the importance of love and friendship in the narrative.
Example from Stephen King: King’s use of the "coming-of-age" trope in It resonates with readers on multiple levels. The Losers' Club, a group of children banding together to face an unspeakable evil, reflects the struggles many face during adolescence—fear, isolation, bullying, and the dawning realization of the world's dangers. King doesn’t just tell a story of a supernatural threat but also a poignant and deeply personal tale of growing up and facing inner demons. The horror is amplified because it’s intertwined with the universal experience of losing childhood innocence.
4. Cultural and Literary Context
Tropes often reflect the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which they appear. Authors use them to critique or reinforce societal values, offering a window into broader conversations around morality, identity, and power.
Example from Harry Potter: The series often plays with the "chosen one" trope, but it adds layers of social commentary about privilege, prejudice, and societal structures. The Wizarding World is rife with classism, racism (between purebloods and Muggle-borns), and oppressive power dynamics. Harry’s status as the "chosen one" is not just a magical destiny but a burden he bears in navigating a deeply flawed world. Rowling uses this trope to comment on how even heroes must fight against systemic injustice.
Example from Stephen King: In Carrie, King takes the "outcast" trope and uses it to comment on the cruelty of high school hierarchies, religious extremism, and the psychological consequences of abuse. Carrie White, a bullied teenage girl with psychic powers, becomes a symbol of repressed rage and alienation. King elevates a common trope to explore the darker sides of human nature and societal cruelty, forcing readers to confront the consequences of marginalization and unchecked violence.
5. Versatility and Adaptability
Tropes can be adapted to fit into virtually any genre or narrative. Writers can mix and match, twist, or deconstruct them to create new and exciting stories. It’s not the tropes themselves that define originality but how authors use them.
Example from Harry Potter: The "rags to riches" trope plays a subtle role in Harry’s story. He starts off as an abused, neglected boy living under the stairs, only to discover he is a famous wizard with access to wealth and power. But Rowling flips this trope on its head by showing that Harry’s "riches" are not what define him; instead, it’s his humility and desire for love, friendship, and justice that make him a hero. This subversion prevents the trope from being a simple fairy tale and adds emotional nuance to Harry’s journey.
Example from Stephen King: In The Stand, King blends the "apocalyptic battle" trope with deep character studies, religious symbolism, and explorations of good and evil. While the story follows a traditional conflict between the forces of good (led by Mother Abagail) and evil (led by Randall Flagg), King delves into the moral ambiguity of human nature. Characters are forced to make impossible choices, blurring the lines between hero and villain. By pushing the trope to its limits, King creates a multifaceted narrative that transcends the basic "good vs. evil" storyline.
The Main Tropes in Books and Why They Matter
Tropes are the thematic devices that help shape the foundation of a story. They offer familiarity, allowing authors to guide readers into specific narrative expectations while also offering opportunities for creativity and depth. Some tropes are found across a wide variety of genres, while others are more specific to certain types of stories. Whether readers love or hate them, tropes play a crucial role in literature. Here’s a look at some of the most common tropes found in books, their importance, and examples from Harry Potter and Stephen King's works.
1. The Hero's Journey
The Hero’s Journey is one of the oldest and most well-known tropes, following a protagonist as they embark on an adventure, face trials, and ultimately return transformed. This trope is found in mythological texts and is widely used in modern storytelling.
Example from Harry Potter: Harry Potter’s journey is a textbook example of this trope. From his humble beginnings as an orphan living under the stairs, he is called to the magical world, faces numerous challenges (Voldemort being the central one), and evolves into the hero who ultimately triumphs, returning to a state of peace. His journey embodies classic stages of the hero’s journey, like mentorship, loss, and self-realization.
Example from Stephen King: In The Dark Tower series, Roland Deschain embodies the hero's journey in a more morally ambiguous light. His quest to reach the Dark Tower leads him through trials that not only test his physical strength but also his morality, humanity, and sanity.
2. The Chosen One
The Chosen One trope centers around a character who is predestined to save the world or fulfill an important prophecy. This trope is often tied to the idea of destiny, making the protagonist both unique and burdened with responsibility.
Example from Harry Potter: Harry is the ultimate chosen one, marked by a prophecy that foretells he is the only one who can defeat Lord Voldemort. His "chosen one" status creates internal and external conflicts throughout the series as he grapples with the weight of this responsibility.
Example from Stephen King: In The Stand, Mother Abagail and Randall Flagg are representations of good and evil, each "choosing" key characters to fulfill their destiny in the final apocalyptic showdown between these forces. The survivors who align with Mother Abagail carry the weight of being chosen to fight for humanity’s future, a burden they must accept.
3. The Mentor
The Mentor is a guiding figure who helps the protagonist navigate their journey, often providing wisdom, tools, or critical knowledge that helps the hero succeed.
Example from Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore is Harry’s primary mentor. He provides both emotional and practical guidance as Harry navigates the dangers of the wizarding world. However, Dumbledore's complex past and eventual death turn this trope on its head, showing the flaws and fallibility of mentors.
Example from Stephen King: In The Gunslinger, Roland's own mentor, Cort, trains him in the ways of the gunslinger. However, Cort is a harsh figure, showing a more brutal side to the mentor trope. King also plays with the mentor trope in The Shining, where Dick Hallorann acts as a guide to young Danny, teaching him about the "shining" ability.
4. The Found Family
The Found Family trope refers to characters who form strong, family-like bonds, often in contrast to their biological family. It emphasizes the importance of friendship, loyalty, and love.
Example from Harry Potter: Harry’s found family is made up of Ron, Hermione, and the wider Hogwarts community, including Hagrid and the Weasleys. Though his blood relatives—the Dursleys—treat him with cruelty, Harry finds a true family in those he chooses to surround himself with.
Example from Stephen King: In It, the Losers' Club embodies the found family trope. These outcast kids form a deep bond as they battle both the supernatural entity of Pennywise and their individual struggles. Their friendship and loyalty to one another are central to their survival, making the emotional connections just as important as the horror elements.
5. The Love Triangle
The Love Triangle is a trope where a character must choose between two romantic interests. This often creates tension, internal conflict, and drama.
Example from Harry Potter: The series lightly touches on this trope with the relationships between Ron, Hermione, and Lavender Brown in The Half-Blood Prince, where Ron finds himself in the middle of a romantic entanglement. However, it’s Hermione’s feelings for Ron that drive much of the emotional conflict.
Example from Stephen King: In Carrie, though not a traditional love triangle, there are elements of romantic competition and unrequited feelings. Carrie’s exclusion from the romantic and social dynamics at her school, particularly around the prom, sets the stage for the story’s climactic event, which revolves around her isolation and desire for acceptance.
6. The Anti-Hero
The Anti-Hero trope features a protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities like morality, bravery, or honor. They are flawed, morally ambiguous, and often more relatable because of their imperfections.
Example from Harry Potter: Severus Snape is a complex anti-hero. For much of the series, he appears to be one of the villains, but by the end, it is revealed that his actions, however flawed, were driven by love and a desire to protect Harry.
Example from Stephen King: Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series is a classic anti-hero. He is cold, calculating, and will do anything to achieve his goals—even if it means sacrificing others. King often explores characters with complex moral compasses, challenging readers to empathize with them despite their flaws.
7. The Final Girl
In horror, the Final Girl is the last woman standing, often the one to confront the killer or evil force. She embodies resilience, intelligence, and determination.
Example from Stephen King: Though not a traditional "slasher" story, Carrie subverts this trope. Instead of being the final girl who survives, Carrie herself becomes the harbinger of destruction. However, in Doctor Sleep (a sequel to The Shining), Abra Stone fits this trope. She survives the brutal attacks of the True Knot, using her wits and powers to defeat the supernatural villains.
8. The Redemption Arc
A Redemption Arc involves a character who starts as a villain or morally flawed individual and transforms into someone good, often through self-sacrifice or growth.
Example from Harry Potter: Snape’s redemption arc is central to the series. Despite his antagonistic actions throughout the books, his love for Lily Potter and his secret mission to protect Harry reveal his true nature as a tragic hero. This arc gives depth to his character and complicates readers' perceptions of good and evil.
Example from Stephen King: In The Green Mile, John Coffey’s story is an unconventional redemption arc. Though he is wrongly convicted of a crime, his supernatural abilities and acts of kindness ultimately save others, offering him a kind of spiritual redemption even in the face of injustice.
9. The Power of Friendship
This trope focuses on the strength of bonds between friends, often framing friendship as a powerful force capable of overcoming great obstacles.
Example from Harry Potter: The power of friendship is the bedrock of the series. Harry’s success is largely due to his friendship with Ron and Hermione, and it’s through their support that he is able to face and defeat Voldemort.
Example from Stephen King: In It, friendship is literally a life-saving force. The bond between the members of the Losers' Club gives them the strength to face Pennywise not once but twice, highlighting how their shared history and loyalty transcend the horrors they encounter.
Conclusion
Tropes aren’t just narrative shortcuts or clichés—they are essential tools that help authors structure their stories, develop characters, and connect with readers. Whether it's the "hero's journey" that takes readers on an epic adventure or the "anti-hero" that challenges traditional ideas of morality, tropes give readers familiar signposts while allowing room for innovation and creativity.
