If you’ve read enough fiction then you might see some patterns in the writing or story telling in books. You’ll see situations, motifs, and character personalities that can appear over and over again in a specific genre that you’ll come to recognize as tropes. While I think tropes are great and can bring a sense of familiarity to books for the readers, sometimes they can become overused. When this happens, the trope can be annoying to see in literature. I believe in the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, likes and dislikes, but I want to cover some of the tropes that I despise, or at least find a little annoying.
Love Triangles:
First off, Love Triangles. It’s when the main character is caught between two love interests. This trope is a popular plot device that has been used in literature and films over and over again. One love interest is normally portrayed as the “safe” choice or the character that would make the most sense for the main character to end up with, while the other is the “exciting” or unpredictable option. Ms. Goodwin says that, “It’s very hit or miss. When it’s done right it’s good but otherwise it’s just bad.” For me, this often creates predictability and the emotional tension the trope is supposed to portray ends up force or annoyingly over complicated.
Chosen One:
The “Chosen One” trope, while popular in many genres, is overrated because of the predictability of the story. This trope revolves around a protagonist who is destined for greatness, often with special powers or abilities that set them apart from others. The narratives of these stories usually follow a predictable arc where the MC discovers their destiny, struggles with the burden of their new role, and eventually triumphs over evil with the magic of friendship. The MC in these tropes also have good morals, and they want to save the world, and they’re just the best people. When asked about her opinion on this trope, Ms. Goodwin seemed to agree with me, saying how this trope could be improved by, “[having] a lot of responsibility put onto someone who doesn’t want it.”
The “Chosen One” also overshadows other characters who may have just as much potential but lack the same destiny or magical significance. The emphasis of one character being special creates an imbalance and limits the dynamic of the story due to the need to fit into the destiny of the story.
Irresponsible Adult Figures:
In many YA books, the main characters always seem to lack in the responsible adult department. The trope of “bad parents” in YA books has become increasingly overrated, often relying on the same predictable dynamics that undermine the complexities of many family relationships. In these stories, the main characters’ parents are either negligent, incompetent, or straight up abusive. This is usually a way to explain why the main character is struggling or acting out. If done right, this trope can be effective but it’s become so overused that it starts to feel formulaic and lacks depth.
This trope doesn’t really explore the complexities of family dynamics and parent-child relationships which I feel a lot of books can benefit from. Parents in this trope are reduced to one-dimensional antagonists whose only purpose and influence in the MC’s story is to make their journey harder. The authors could add depth and complexity by having a character who has a good parent but their relationship is strained due to other circumstances.
The overuse of love triangles, the chosen ones, and irresponsible adult figures tropes lead to predictability and unoriginality which are the main reasons I have a dislike towards them. Their repetition has made them feel cliched and tired, but these are only my opinions. What do you think are some overrated tropes that you see in literature?