When a character does something evil, cruel or very mean for no apparent gain, because the author wants to demonstrate that they are not a nice person and shift audience sympathy away from them.
Why this trope works could be expressed in the words of William Cowper: “I would not enter on my list of friends (though graced with polished manners and fine sense, yet wanting sensibility) the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” In other words, a cruel act, no matter how trivial, establishes someone as a cruel person. Conversely, the creator may show a character being kind for no apparent gain, to demonstrate that the character is a nice person and someone the audience is meant to cheer for. Both devices are used to help the audience become emotionally invested in the story.
What separates this trope from a character's other evil or cruel acts is that this bit of evil is gratuitous. It doesn't get the character anything or even advance the plot. The sole reason for this story beat existing is to place one or more characters squarely on the wrong side of the Rule of Empathy.
She gets hit in the ribs by something that weighs tice wht she does and gets tossed twice as far as the kitten. I figure her foot is about twice as heavy as the kitten
Back in sunner 2001, I worked a short contract in northern Connecticut at the B/E Aerospace plant, and stayed in a run down motel operated by a former co-campaigner for Senator Jim Buckley. I had a black drug dealer and his ladies on my left, and 20+ illegals on my right.
Another tenant abandoned a small kitten, and having a big "SUCKER" tattoo on my forehead that only cats can see, I took in the little guy. I had no problems with the drug dealer, whose ladies took Skunky to a few parties where he overate and spent the next day sleeping it off.
The illegals didn't like Skunky, and my buddy, deep in the alcoholism that killed him soon after 9/11, wouldn't do anything about their throwing rocks at him and dumping trash on my entryway. I borrowed a handgun from my father, and went over there one day and told the wetbacks that hurting Skunky would lead to their demise. They laughed, telling me that I only had 6 shots. I asked "Who wants to be first?" I rarely get angry, but...
Skunky came home with me at the end of the contract. I still miss him and all the others. Animal abuse bothers me more than child abuse, at least these days.
not everyone is a cat person, i get it...but that little stunt by that fat cunt would have ended badly on my property
ReplyDelete"Kick the Dog" trope -
ReplyDeleteWhen a character does something evil, cruel or very mean for no apparent gain, because the author wants to demonstrate that they are not a nice person and shift audience sympathy away from them.
Why this trope works could be expressed in the words of William Cowper: “I would not enter on my list of friends (though graced with polished manners and fine sense, yet wanting sensibility) the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.” In other words, a cruel act, no matter how trivial, establishes someone as a cruel person. Conversely, the creator may show a character being kind for no apparent gain, to demonstrate that the character is a nice person and someone the audience is meant to cheer for. Both devices are used to help the audience become emotionally invested in the story.
What separates this trope from a character's other evil or cruel acts is that this bit of evil is gratuitous. It doesn't get the character anything or even advance the plot. The sole reason for this story beat existing is to place one or more characters squarely on the wrong side of the Rule of Empathy.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KickTheDog
Let the punishment fit the crime:
ReplyDeleteShe gets hit in the ribs by something that weighs tice wht she does and gets tossed twice as far as the kitten.
I figure her foot is about twice as heavy as the kitten
Back in sunner 2001, I worked a short contract in northern Connecticut at the B/E Aerospace plant, and stayed in a run down motel operated by a former co-campaigner for Senator Jim Buckley. I had a black drug dealer and his ladies on my left, and 20+ illegals on my right.
ReplyDeleteAnother tenant abandoned a small kitten, and having a big "SUCKER" tattoo on my forehead that only cats can see, I took in the little guy. I had no problems with the drug dealer, whose ladies took Skunky to a few parties where he overate and spent the next day sleeping it off.
The illegals didn't like Skunky, and my buddy, deep in the alcoholism that killed him soon after 9/11, wouldn't do anything about their throwing rocks at him and dumping trash on my entryway. I borrowed a handgun from my father, and went over there one day and told the wetbacks that hurting Skunky would lead to their demise. They laughed, telling me that I only had 6 shots. I asked "Who wants to be first?" I rarely get angry, but...
Skunky came home with me at the end of the contract. I still miss him and all the others. Animal abuse bothers me more than child abuse, at least these days.
16 dogs...
ReplyDeleteRunning loose....
Not reason to get the cat airborne, but damn.
She wouldn't have lived long enough to be arrested
ReplyDelete