Definition

Recurring themes, plot devices, character archetypes, or narrative conventions that appear repeatedly across stories and genres. Tropes are the building blocks of storytelling, ranging from heroes' journeys to love triangles.

Example Usage

That movie relies too heavily on tired tropes like the chosen one and the love triangle.

Origin

From Greek 'tropos' meaning 'turn' or 'way'; used in rhetoric and literature criticism for centuries, popularized in fan communities.

Fun Fact

Websites like TV Tropes catalog thousands of tropes, creating a shared vocabulary for discussing stories and their patterns.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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Intermediate

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