Bearer of Bad News: Difference between revisions

Someone doesn't know that bad news. And you have to tell them.

 

 

When dealing with heroes, there is merely the horrible pain that you know you will inflict. In comic stories, it is often merely your imagination. In dramatic works, it is usually as bad, or worse, than you expect; the '''Bearer of Bad News''' often finds himself feeling that it was [[Dirty Business]]. Euphemisms don't cut it, and only prolong your agony. On the other hand, being clear up front may lead to recriminations: [[Bad News in a Good Way|why didn't you break it to him ''gently''?]] You may have to cope with [[Manly Tears]]. Worse, you may find the character [[Unable to Cry|tearless]] and not know how to cope. (And all this, perhaps, after you have ''labored'' to [[Bring News Back]].)

* There's also a true Bearer of Bad News in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': Frodo himself. The Ring itself is a harbinger of the upcoming war, but even if Frodo succeeds, many of the people he meets will be killed or dispossessed by the consequences.

{{quote|'''Galadriel:''' "Thy coming to us is as the footstep of doom." }}

* In [[The Bible]], David gets word from his military that his rebellious son is dead, and goes into a [[Heroic Blue Screen of Death]]. The messengers repeatedly try to avoid the issue, afraid they'll be killed, but David just goes into mourning.

* In [[Sandy Mitchell]]'s [[Ciaphas Cain]] novel ''Death or Glory'', Kolfax comes to tell Cain that {{spoiler|the first possible waterhole has no water}} in person; Cain explicitly observes that he does not want to be the bearer of bad news over the vox.

* In ''[[X Wing Series|Wraith Squadron]]'', Wedge Antilles has to compose and send a letter to Admiral Ackbar explaining that {{spoiler|his niece Jesmin Ackbar}} died in combat. He's shown agonizing over the phrasing of the opening line; among other things he rejects "I'm afraid this letter comes as the bearer of bad news". In the end Wedge spends the entire night on the letter, thinking with a faint pride that at least [[It Never Gets Any Easier]], because he [[The Chains of Commanding|never gets deadened to or glib about the deaths of his people]].

{{quote|'''[[Deadpan Snarker|General Melvar]]:''' Will you be wanting your office restored, or do you wish to redecorate?}}

* In [[Wen Spencer]]'s ''Endless Blue'', Mikhail recognizes the bearers of bad news by their expressions. {{spoiler|They confirm that Turk was murdered, rather than dying in an accident.}}

** Later, Stele brings Arkio news of why the power plant failed and warns him that it was hard. Arkio is angry that he tries to shelter him—and then still more angry as Stele tells him that it was an attempt to kill them all by having the plant blow up. Arkio guesses the saboteur was a Word Bearer or other renegade, and Stele tells him it was not only a Blood Angel but his own brother.

* In the [[Discworld]] book ''[[Discworld/Night Watch|Night Watch]]'', Nobby Nobbs is ''never'' allowed to be this, due to what is [[Noodle Incident|only referred to]] as "the "bet you a dollar you're the widow Jackson" nonsense".

== [[Web Comic]] ==

* Taylor, aka Labor Day, is this when he has tell the protagonist of [[Holiday Wars]] that the [[Easter Bunny]] is out to get her.

* In ''[[Impure Blood]]'', [http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue05PAGES/ib109.html Jaem has to tell his mother and sister] that he's the [[Sole Survivor]].

 

[[Category:Dialogue]]

[[Category:Sadness Tropes]]