Subtext



Subtext (sometimes called undertone) is content of a work which is not announced explicitly by the characters (or author) but is implicit or becomes something understood by the observer of the work as the production unfolds. It literally means "under the text", just as if it were ideas buried under the text or dialogue of a work.

Subtext is content not included in the spoken dialogue or written word. A character's motivation may be revenge, anger, competitiveness, pride, or lust, but they're not always going to come right out and say it. Much of what the characters truly think is left implicit for the audience to understand. Creators often make use of metaphor, innuendo, and motifs to convey subtext.

Subtext is also a frequently used method of subtly inserting social or political commentary into fiction, often as a way to Get Crap Past the Radar. Sometimes these are Parental Bonus subtexts, meant to be picked up by a crowd that will understand them.

Use of subtext is generally considered to be good writing, and is a major part of Show, Don't Tell. Mind Screw works rely on subtext to convey a lot of their meaning, as it allows complexity to be layered on a work.

Subtropes of Subtext include Reality Subtext, Incest Subtext, Homoerotic Subtext and probably many other tropes. Innuendo is a form of subtext that is lampshaded In-Universe.

Subtext is present in literally every work of fiction and every human interaction. Only rarely does anyone explain the entire reasons behind their actions—and even if they do a lot of social context will still be implied.

Only lampshaded, In-Universe, or superlative examples are listed below. I think you know why.

Anime and Manga

 * Discussed in Yuri on Ice where the main character Yuri and Yurio from Russia receive coaching lessons from Victor. He designs routines for them, arrangements of the same melody. To push them out of their comfort zone, he assigns "Agape" to Yurio and "Eros" to Yuri. Yuri spends a few days struggling with what his eros is because he's in denial about his feelings for Victor, thinking of the folktale of a womanizer in town chasing after a paramour who does not wish to be caught. He feels stupid for blurting out that he feels passionate about pork cutlet bowls during a practice, and even Jerkass Yurio gives him a pitying look. Yuri finally nails the routine when he goes to his ballet teacher Minako for help, and decides to play the routine from the perspective of the elusive woman being chased.

Comic Books

 * N.D. Stevenson admitted in his memoir The Fire Never Goes Out that Nimona represented his gender dysphoria and struggles with sexuality, being raised as an evangelical Christian. Indeed, at the time Nimona bore the same haircut that N.D. sported through college.
 * In the Legend of Korra comics, it's mentioned that the Fire Nation used to be more tolerant towards LGBTQ relationships, with Avatar Kyoshi having relationships with both men and women through her long life. After Sozin started his campaign, he banned these relationships to go with the mandated dragon extinction, Air Nomad genocide, and colonial traumas that the Fire Nation inflicted on the world. In case you needed more reasons to hate the guy, as Korra does when she finds out about this. Korra's parents warn her that they are fine with her dating.

Film

 * Here's a lampshaded example from Woody Allen's Annie Hall. The subtext was actually displayed on-screen with subtitles, making the awkward subtext of a typical Meet Cute part of the text.
 * HER: Hi!
 * HIM: Hello!
 * HER: Nice view.
 * HIM: (Taking a furtive step toward her) Just look at the clouds over there.
 * HER: I'm Leslie ...
 * HIM: Neat dress.
 * HIM: (Taking a furtive step toward her) Just look at the clouds over there.
 * HER: I'm Leslie ...
 * HIM: Neat dress.
 * HIM: Neat dress.
 * HIM: Neat dress.

Literature

 * In Ernest Hemingway's six-word short story, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn", the entirety of the action takes place in the subtext.
 * Part of the reason why Lolita is contentious is because of this; while on the surface it's a story about an accused murderer trying to write his memoirs before he dies in prison, it's actually about a predator destroying a little girl's life. Humbert von Humbert is charming in prose who claims that Lolita ruined his life with her seductions, but you can read between the lines and see that no, actually his twelve-year old stepdaughter Dolores was not okay with the sole authority figure and parent depriving her of the stability she used to have when her mother Charlotte was alive and raping her on a regular basis. Heck, her Affectionate Nickname is Dolly, which is more than appropriate for a little girl, and it's Humbert that changes the nickname to Lolita. She demands to call her mother after their first sexual encounter, and is horrified to find out that Charlotte died shortly before Humbert picked her up from summer camp. In her book Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi notes that at the camp in question, Humbert notices either a still-living butterfly or moth pinned to the wall in the office, struggling to stay alive; it represents what Dolores will become while under her stepfather's thumb. Even as an adult, to emphasize how creepy his actions were, she refers to him as "Dad," not "Humbert".

Live-Action TV

 * Xena: Warrior Princess was famous for having a Lesbian Subtext involving romantic attraction between Xena, the protagonist, and Gabrielle, the sidekick. But that's why not why this is listed here.  In Xena fandom circles, the word "subtext" was so strongly associated that it is used to refer to only that particular pairing.
 * In Fresh off the Boat, it's parodied. Jessica and her sister Connie are passive-aggressive towards each other, after spending a lifetime fighting for their mother's favoritism. While they may compliment each other, the subtitles translate each phrase as insults. The opposite happens when they trade insults at the end of the episode introducing this, and the subtitles reveal how much they love each other.

Web Comics

 * Schlock Mercenary has characters briefly discussing "context-vs.-subtext ambiguity".

Western Animation

 * Kim Possible implies but doesn't outright confirm that Kim and Shego flirt with each other while fighting. Shego affectionately calls her "Kimmy" and they showed sympathy towards each when both were fighting and sneezing from the common cold. The only time that Kim fought Shego to kill rather than disarm or capture was when Shego and Dr. Drakken created an android to seduce Kim and capture her in So the Drama, and Kim took it personally once Ron snapped her out of her Heroic BSOD. Heck, when a machine briefly made Shego good, she and Kim became very close after the latter took a job as a substitute teacher at Kim's school. The episode ends with Shego burning the photos the two had once restored to normal.
 * Steven Universe
 * Gems are manifestations of light that can shapeshift their forms and identify as female. While in theory they can use their identities, in actuality the Diamond Authority maintains a tight grip over the individuals so they conform to a whole. Indeed, when the Diamonds find out about
 * Fusion is shown as the concrete representation of a relationship; the Diamond Authority mandates that Gems can only fuse with like Gems as a means to fight in armies. It's shown that the strongest fusions are made of intense emotions, like love in the case of Garnet and Stevonnie, or loathing in the case of Malachite. For this reason, Garnet teaches Stevonnie a meditation when they start suffering trauma-induced hallucinations during combat training.
 * The true story of what happened with Rose Quartz.
 * In-universe, Peridot explains the subtext to Steven after he gets her hooked on Camp Pining Hearts, arguing that Percy and Pierre are the ultimate power couple even if canon doesn't confirm it. According to the flashback, she explained it for several hours. Steven fell asleep, while Garnet peeked in and gave Peridot a thumbs-up for her analysis.