Category:Example as a Thesis

Example as a Thesis occurs when a trope is described by giving a generic example of it first (or, in some cases, is described only by giving a generic example of it).

Instead of trying to tell people what the trope is, it starts out describing a scenario, often written in the third person referring to Alice and Bob. The description takes a while to set up and execute even a few paragraphs. It concludes with a Title Drop before proceeding with a straight description. That straight description is the thesis.

In most cases, the better order of things is to tell the folks what you are going to talk about, then talk about it. Frequently—if the 'thesis' is good and does a good job describing the trope—you can just remove the example completely; after all, there's an entire list of perfectly serviceable examples right below the introduction... a good quote and image also tend to do a lot more than trying to work an example into the introduction text. Alternately, you can try moving the example to the middle of the description rather than the beginning so that readers know what they're supposed to be reading about ahead of time.

This isn't to say that the Example as a Thesis is never acceptable—it's just that 90% of the time, it's a weak way to introduce the trope. So if you're considering starting a description with an example, take a minute to think first about whether you should just cut to the chase instead.

In short, a trope needs a concise definition. A good quote and an image certainly help. Examples are strictly optional and a stylistic feature; an example shouldn't have to define the trope by itself.

If a description is written with an example as the thesis, list it here. This will help tropers who are in the mood to find and fix those tropes where Example as a Thesis is not the best format for the trope.

If you fix one, remember to pull it off the list by removing "Category:Example as a Thesis" from the page. And thanks for helping out!