Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A New John Trope

I had a just put the finishing touches on a short story when it hit me what I had done.  Yes; I had the point-of-view character be a little girl, but I had also included her grandmother.  Previously written grandmothers from other stories raised their memetic hands and I realized I had another John Trope:  The Princess v. Her Grandmother.

The Princess is everything a little girl should be: smart, clever, pretty, and just a little manipulative.  Her Grandmother is all those things, too, but with extra added treachery experience.

I suspect that when this trope pops up I'm exploring the theme, "I'm doing what's best / This is for your own good."  When I have a little more time, I'll take another look what this trope is trying to tell me in terms of moral compasses and world maps. 

Looks like I need to add another square to the "John Is Writing" Game.

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