Trope (literature)

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Main articles: meme, theme (literature), and motif (literature)

In literature, a topos is a familiar and repeated symbol, meme, theme, motif, style, character or thing that permeates a particular type of literature. They are usually tied heavily to genre. For example, topoi in horror literature and film include the mad scientist or a dark and stormy night. Topoi can also be plots or events, such as the science fiction topoi of an alien invasion that is deterred at the last minute.

A "topos" is not to be confused with a "trope," which is a common mistake.^{[citation needed]} A "trope" (Greek "twisting," referring to irregularity of use) denotes any kind of figurative language (e.g., metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, irony) that deviates from the commonplace. A "topos" (Gk. "place") refers to a commonplace or a convention within a given genre of literature. Thus, the mad scientist would a be a topos--or better, a stock character--of horror films.

Many authors have twisted (or troped) topoi into new forms to great success. Stephen King has been noteworthy for taking older horror tropes and reworking them into the modern world to great effect. Tropes may also serve as guides for writers trying to strengthen the overall effectiveness of their work (i.e., asking such questions as: what trope am I working with in this poem/story?).