Deconstruction: Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~tomjerry_6855~~.jpg|link=VG Cats|frame|''[[Tom and Jerry]]: [http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id{{=}}207 The Lost Episodes]'']]

[[File:tomjerry 6855.jpg|link=VG Cats|frame|''[[Tom and Jerry]]: [http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id{{=}}207 The Lost Episodes]'']]

{{quote|"''Sometimes I think you enjoy breaking these little geniuses.''"

"''There is an art to it, and I'm very, very good at it. But enjoy? Well, maybe. When they put back the pieces afterward, and it makes them better.''"|''[[Ender's Game]]'' on [[Deconstruction]] and [[Reconstruction]].}}

"''There is an art to it, and I'm very, very good at it. But enjoy? Well, maybe. When they put back the pieces afterward, and it makes them better.''"|''[[Ender's Game]]'' on Deconstruction and [[Reconstruction]].}}

"Deconstruction" literally means "to take something apart." As one might expect, this is a very broad term, with a number of different definitions in literary criticism, theoretical physics, and even plain-old demolitions. Some of these are explained in more detail on the [[Deconstruction/Analysis|analysis tab]].

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When applied to tropes, or other aspects of fiction, deconstruction means to take apart a trope so as to better understand its meaning and relevance to us in [[Real Life]]. This often means pursuing a trope's inherent contradictions and the difference between how the trope appears in this one work and how it compares to other relevant tropes or ideas both in fiction and [[Real Life]].

The simplest and most common method of applying [[Deconstruction]] to tropes in fiction among general audiences and fan bases, and the method most relevant to All The Tropes, takes the form of questioning "''How would this trope play out with [[Real Life]] consequences applied to it?''"

The simplest and most common method of applying '''Deconstruction''' to tropes in fiction among general audiences and fan bases, and the method most relevant to All The Tropes, takes the form of questioning "''How would this trope play out with [[Real Life]] consequences applied to it?''"

This doesn't mean magic and other fantastic or futuristic elements, or any other tropes must be removed or attacked for failing to match up with their own pretensions of self-consistent reality, of course. While sometimes perceived as an aggressive attack on the meaning or enjoyableness of a work or text, deconstruction is not properly about passing judgement (and in fact, the term "deconstruction" was picked over the German term "destruktion" to suggest careful attention to the detail within a text over violently emptying the work of all meaning). It means that all existing elements of a work are played without the [[Rule of Cool]], [[Rule of Drama]], [[Rule of Funny]], and so on, to see what hidden assumptions the work uses to make its point. Sometimes you will hear this referred to as "[[Playing with a Trope|played completely straight]]", and it can be thought of as taking a work more seriously on its own terms than even the work itself does, for the purpose of laying bare hidden meanings in the text.

For example, in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', when a cleric reaches fifth level, he gains the ability to cast ''create food and water''. Normally, the impact this would have on a society (especially a [[Medieval European Fantasy|medieval or pseudo-medieval]] one) is completely ignored. A [[Deconstruction]] would explore how a society would react to that ability.

For example, in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', when a cleric reaches fifth level, he gains the ability to cast ''create food and water''. Normally, the impact this would have on a society (especially a [[Medieval European Fantasy|medieval or pseudo-medieval]] one) is completely ignored. A '''Deconstruction''' would explore how a society would react to that ability.

Note that while deconstructions ''often'' end up [[Darker and Edgier|darker, edgier,]] [[Sadness Tropes|sadder]] [[Cynicism Tropes|and more cynical]] than the normal version, with the deconstructive process often [[Played for Drama|producing catharsis]] or [[Played for Laughs|seeming satirical]] by revealing the [[Fridge Horror]] inside a given instance of Trope, '''there is no reason they have to be.''' Deconstructions can exist anywhere on the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]. Expanding on the ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' example above, a cynical deconstruction would involve the food-creating clerics either being enslaved for their powers or becoming the ruling class in a [[Dystopia]], while an idealistic deconstruction would involve the alleviation of scarcities and hardships based on class. Either one is perfectly valid.

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Also note that '''[[Darker and Edgier]], [[Rule of Drama]] and [[Cynicism Tropes]] ''do not'' turn works into Deconstructions'''. There are plenty of dark, edgy and dramatic tropes that are used without ever exploring the meaning behind them, or their realistic implications. While some of the most acclaimed works in their respective genres are deconstructions, and many deconstructions do utilize dark, cynical and dramatic tropes in the setting, [[Tropes Are Tools|it is the careful use and analysis of them that makes them acclaimed, not because they just have those tropes in them]]. See '''[[Not a Deconstruction]]'''.

[[Reconstruction]] is when the trope is then put back together, usually in a way that strengthens the trope. Think of it as Deconstruction taking apart your broken car engine, and Reconstruction puts it back together so it runs again. Deconstruction and reconstruction can become [[Cyclic Trope~~|Cyclic Tropes~~]]. A set of conventions is established (the initial "construction" of the genre or ideas that are used in the story), this set of conventions is played straight until some author gets bored or frustrated with the implications the fantasy brings and decides to show us the unworkability of these conventions via a deconstruction of them. Atop the ruins, a more realistic narrative (i.e. one that accepts the criticisms of the earlier deconstruction) is then built via reconstruction, and in the future, this narrative gets deconstructed, etc. Cycles of deconstruction and reconstruction are basically how a genre or a trope evolves.

[[Reconstruction]] is when the trope is then put back together, usually in a way that strengthens the trope. Think of it as Deconstruction taking apart your broken car engine, and Reconstruction puts it back together so it runs again. Deconstruction and reconstruction can become [[Cyclic Trope]]s. A set of conventions is established (the initial "construction" of the genre or ideas that are used in the story), this set of conventions is played straight until some author gets bored or frustrated with the implications the fantasy brings and decides to show us the unworkability of these conventions via a deconstruction of them. Atop the ruins, a more realistic narrative (i.e. one that accepts the criticisms of the earlier deconstruction) is then built via reconstruction, and in the future, this narrative gets deconstructed, etc. Cycles of deconstruction and reconstruction are basically how a genre or a trope evolves.

We have many subtropes; most examples of [[Deconstruction]] will fit in one of those.

We have many subtropes; most examples of '''Deconstruction''' will fit in one of those.

See also [[Reality Ensues]] for when this happens temporarily, usually for humor rather then deconstruction, and [[Fridge Horror]], which is what people often think of deconstruction: revealing how really terrifying and dark something is by thoroughly thinking about it.

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* [[Deconstructed Trope]]

* [[Deconstructor Fleet]]

* [[Deconstruction Fic]] (When a [[Deconstruction]] takes place in a [[Fanfic]])

* [[Deconstruction Fic]] (When a Deconstruction takes place in a [[Fanfic]])

* [[Deconstructive Parody]]

* [[Deconstruction Crossover]]

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* [[Indecisive Deconstruction]]

* [[Not a Deconstruction]]

* [[Reconstruction]] (the inverse of [[Deconstruction]])

* [[Reconstruction]] (the inverse of Deconstruction)

* [[Unbuilt Trope]] (for when the Trope was [[Deconstructed]] [[Trope Maker|at the time it was made]])

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'''Please note: This page has been edited for clarity's sake. Please do not add any more examples. Add them to [[Genre Deconstruction]] or [[Deconstructed Trope]] or the appropriate subtrope. Where possible please move examples to these subtrope pages. This page is about [[Deconstruction]] as a ''method'', and thus should be stripped down to meta-examples.'''

'''Please note: This page has been edited for clarity's sake. Please do not add any more examples. Add them to [[Genre Deconstruction]] or [[Deconstructed Trope]] or the appropriate subtrope. Where possible please move examples to these subtrope pages. This page is about Deconstruction as a ''method'', and thus should be stripped down to meta-examples.'''

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{{quote|''' {{spoiler|Archer}}:''' There is nothing at the end of saving people.}}

** [[Fate/Zero]] is an [[It Got Worse|EVEN WORSE]] deconstruction of "hero" tropes.

* ''[[Halo Legends]]'' is a deconstruction of the whole ''[[Halo]]'' series. In ''The Babysitter'', it's showed that not all UNSC personnel are fond of the ~~Spartans -- some~~ are actually jealous of them for their awesomeness, and they use it as an excuse to treat the Spartans as freaks, which has a bad effect on their cooperation. In the end, even a [[Super Soldier]] is a human being who can die just like that. ''The Duel'' reveals that not all the Covenant believe in the "Great Journey"; some are to afraid to admit to it, some rebel against it and others just use the religion as a means for their own selfish needs. ''Origins'' is a story about the Forerunners and their war against Flood. The Message: no matter how powerful your empire is, it will sooner or later fall, especially if you fight against an enemy you don't have a single clue about. [[The Stoic]] character is deconstructed in ''Prototype''. In this episode, the other marines believes that the main character's stoic personality is evidence that he's emotionless and that he doesn't give a damn about his fellow men, but contrary to their belief, he has as many emotions as they have, the stoicism just a facade to hide the pain that came from seeing his entire company being wiped out and having his last recruit bleed to death in his arms.

* ''[[Halo Legends]]'' is a deconstruction of the whole ''[[Halo]]'' series. In ''The Babysitter'', it's showed that not all UNSC personnel are fond of the Spartans—some are actually jealous of them for their awesomeness, and they use it as an excuse to treat the Spartans as freaks, which has a bad effect on their cooperation. In the end, even a [[Super Soldier]] is a human being who can die just like that. ''The Duel'' reveals that not all the Covenant believe in the "Great Journey"; some are to afraid to admit to it, some rebel against it and others just use the religion as a means for their own selfish needs. ''Origins'' is a story about the Forerunners and their war against Flood. The Message: no matter how powerful your empire is, it will sooner or later fall, especially if you fight against an enemy you don't have a single clue about. [[The Stoic]] character is deconstructed in ''Prototype''. In this episode, the other marines believes that the main character's stoic personality is evidence that he's emotionless and that he doesn't give a damn about his fellow men, but contrary to their belief, he has as many emotions as they have, the stoicism just a facade to hide the pain that came from seeing his entire company being wiped out and having his last recruit bleed to death in his arms.

** Is it really a Deconstruction if the other EU brings this up all the time? (and in some cases, like the Forerunners in-game).

* ''[[Toradora!]]'' deconstructs many of the character archetypes seen in typical [[Harem Anime]]. Taiga answers the question of what kind of experiences could give a person a childish tsundere personality in real life.

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* ''[[A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]'' was a particularly brutal deconstruction of the [[King Arthur]] mythos, which a lot of Brits took offense to. (It was compared, at one point, to defecating on a national treasure.)

* ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'' by F. Scott Fitzgerald could be the earliest deconstruction of the American dream lifestyle. It shows the rich and happy as people who are [[Stepford Smiler|empty on the inside]] and the fight between new rich and old rich lifestyles, particularly with the titular character Jay Gatsby.

* The ''[[Second Apocalypse]]'' series by R. Scott Bakker was an attempted deconstruction of what Bakker considers the crux of ~~fantasy -- a~~ ''meaningful'' universe with metaphysical purpose. One of the premises of the series is "What if you had a fantasy world where Old Testament-style morality, with all of its arbitrary taboos and cruelties (like damnation), was as true in the same way that gravity is 9.8 meters per second squared?". Whether he successfully accomplishes this is [[Love It or Hate It|heavily debated]].

* The ''[[Second Apocalypse]]'' series by R. Scott Bakker was an attempted deconstruction of what Bakker considers the crux of fantasy—a ''meaningful'' universe with metaphysical purpose. One of the premises of the series is "What if you had a fantasy world where Old Testament-style morality, with all of its arbitrary taboos and cruelties (like damnation), was as true in the same way that gravity is 9.8 meters per second squared?". Whether he successfully accomplishes this is [[Love It or Hate It|heavily debated]].

* ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]''. To many, the famous opening line ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...") seems [[Seinfeld Is Unfunny|cliche]], but one needs to look at it in the context of the [[French Revolution]]. In the years following it, revisionists on both sides relied heavily on propaganda, romanticizing their own side as undeniably good, and demonizing the other side as undeniably bad. ''A Tale of Two Cities'' makes the assumption that each side was absolutely right and runs with it, and so both the aristocrats and the revolutionaries have, among their ranks, noble, honorable people fighting for what they believe is right, and sadists who just want some bloodshed.

* Agnes Nutter from ''[[Good Omens]]'' is a deconstruction of the Seer. On the one hand, we see that she is always right, but sometimes her predictions are oddly specific (don't buye Betamacks), too ahead of their time (jogging helps people to live longer), centered on her relatives in the future (she predicted for 11/22/1963 that a house in a small English city would break down, but doesn't mention the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]] on the same day - one of her relatives might be in this city at that day, but apparently, none of them wanted to go to Dallas), and she didn't bother to order her predictions or explain them in detail. On the other hand, she uses her power to successfully [[Write Back to the Future]] (and also to avoid people responsible for delivering said message to snoop), and since she can predict EVERYTHING, this includes knowing when Anathema will read a specific prophecy - so it always fits.

* ''[[Count and Countess]]'' is perhaps a deconstruction of the vampire romance ~~genre--specifically~~, why it would [[Incredibly Lame Pun|just plain suck]] to fall in love with someone predisposed to bloodlust.

* ''[[Count and Countess]]'' is perhaps a deconstruction of the vampire romance genre—specifically, why it would [[Incredibly Lame Pun|just plain suck]] to fall in love with someone predisposed to bloodlust.

== Live Action TV ==

* ''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'' ended up deconstructing [[Sailor Moon|its own source material]] in increasingly surprising ways as it diverged from the original story, until, by the end, {{spoiler|Sailor Moon herself has become the [[Omnicidal Maniac]] villain; the senshi's power source, the Silver Crystal, turns out to have really been an [[Artifact of Doom]]; and erstwhile villain Queen Beryl is revealed to have actually been trying to save the world (albeit only so she could rule it).}} The deconstruction arises here as a result of the audience's own [[Magical Girl|genre expectations]] about the senshi's [[Power of Friendship]] and the motivation of the [[Card-Carrying Villain|Card Carrying Villains]], and how naive and dangerous it'd actually be for the heroines to make such assumptions.

* ''[[Star Trek]]'' experienced a successful [[Deconstruction]] with ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'', a mildly successful [[Reconstruction]] with ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'', a failed Deconstruction with ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'', and a very successful [[Reconstruction]] with the 2009 film.

* ''[[Star Trek]]'' experienced a successful Deconstruction with ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'', a mildly successful [[Reconstruction]] with ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'', a failed Deconstruction with ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'', and a very successful [[Reconstruction]] with the 2009 film.

* ''The Ten Commandments'' miniseries shows the many hard choices that Moses had to make in following God: abandoning his family, alienating his adoptive mother, causing his blood brother to do a [[Face Heel Turn]], killing his most loyal comrade to enforce God's authority.

* In a very unique example, as the vast majority of deconstructions are very cynical in nature, ''[[The West Wing]]'' (a highly idealistic show) could be seen as a deconstruction of the popular conventions of what constitutes political immorality: the Press Secretary spins information not to cover up the government's guilt, but to protect the jobs of heads of state and militaries from the influence of political whims; politicians make unsavory deals with amoral lobbyists and scheming congressmen not for personal gain, but to rescue legislation that would help out thousands of people; the President's speeches and public appearances are carefully scripted not to make him look good, but to prevent confusion and possible panic from people who don't have Masters' in public policy; etc, etc.

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* ''[[VG Cats]]'' deconstructs the cartoon violence of ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' in [http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=207 this strip].

* ''Misfile'' deconstructs every [[Gender Bender]] trope.

* ''[[Goblins]]: Life Through Their Eyes'' takes a good hard look at the [[Unfortunate Implications]] of labeling whole races [[Exclusively Evil]]. It portrays the titular goblins not as ''monsters'' but as ''people'' who live and love. It shows us that what [[Player Character~~|Player Characters~~]] see as just an XP haul isn't so fun when ''you're'' the one they're killing to level up.

* ''[[Goblins]]: Life Through Their Eyes'' takes a good hard look at the [[Unfortunate Implications]] of labeling whole races [[Exclusively Evil]]. It portrays the titular goblins not as ''monsters'' but as ''people'' who live and love. It shows us that what [[Player Character]]s see as just an XP haul isn't so fun when ''you're'' the one they're killing to level up.

* ''[[Tales of the Questor|Quentin Quinn Space Ranger]]'', an offshoot of ''[[Tales of the Questor]]'', is Deconstructing ''[[Star Trek]]'' right now. So far the design of the starship Enterprise, the habit of using force field airlocks without wearing space suits and the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] have already been hit. Hard. Up next is engineering.

* The entire premise behind ''[[Darths and Droids]]'' is that the ''[[Star Wars]]'' universe is the result of a group of [[Tabletop Games|Tabletop Gamers]] (including a 7 year old girl) making it up as they go along. It lends a whole new perspective to the storyline of the prequel trilogy. The entire mess on Naboo was the result of the Player Characters epically ruining a delicate, carefully constructed plan by going [[Off the Rails]], and engaging in all the sins of [[The Real Man]], [[The Munchkin]], and [[The Loonie]]. Palpatine is actually a good guy overthrowing a corrupt regime, and trying to bring a semblance of stability to the republic. Darth Maul was just a [[Chaotic Neutral]] [[Hired Guns|Hired Gun]] who was only trying to work ''with'' the player characters, before they attacked him. To top it all off, some of the most bizarre and unrealistic plot points, such as Naboo being governed by a ''14 year old Queen'', exist because [[Rescued From the Scrappy Heap|Jar Jar Binks]] is being played by a little girl.

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== Web Original ==

* [http://www.digital-brilliance.com/necron/necron.htm This website] deconstructs the [[Cthulhu Mythos]], specifically the Necronomicon. In essence it asks "what if it was a real book?" and builds from there, by looking for parallels between Judeo-Christian tradition and the [[Cthuhlu Mythos]] (The Old Ones = The Giants from Genesis), it creates the content of the book, it then asks "what kind of person would write about such things in 730 AD?" Thus Abdul Alhazred is what the Koran calls a "Sabian" and what Western biblical scholars call a "Gnostic" ~~-- a~~ person with religious views related to, but radically different from, mainstream Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It then builds a comprehensive history of how it got from the Middle East and into the hands of Western Occultists, and finally makes the assumption that while yes, Lovecraft wrote about it, he got only the name and the the author correct, having never read the book itself.

* [http://www.digital-brilliance.com/necron/necron.htm This website] deconstructs the [[Cthulhu Mythos]], specifically the Necronomicon. In essence it asks "what if it was a real book?" and builds from there, by looking for parallels between Judeo-Christian tradition and the [[Cthuhlu Mythos]] (The Old Ones = The Giants from Genesis), it creates the content of the book, it then asks "what kind of person would write about such things in 730 AD?" Thus Abdul Alhazred is what the Koran calls a "Sabian" and what Western biblical scholars call a "Gnostic"—a person with religious views related to, but radically different from, mainstream Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It then builds a comprehensive history of how it got from the Middle East and into the hands of Western Occultists, and finally makes the assumption that while yes, Lovecraft wrote about it, he got only the name and the the author correct, having never read the book itself.

* Stardestroyer.net, as mentioned above in [[Fanfic]], deconstructs the seemingly Utopian ''[[Star Trek]]'' universe, pointing out holes.

* ''[[Sailor Nothing]]'' loves showing just how jarringly, horrifically, nightmarishly different the characters' lives are from [[Magical Girl]] anime. Several of them even watch an exaggerated, stereotypical version of such shows; the main character actually watches it to escape her life.

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* ''[[Family Guy]]'' does a [[Crosses the Line Twice|particularly nasty]] deconstruction of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' and its [[Amusing Injuries]], wherein Elmer Fudd is out "hunting wabbits", shoots Bugs Bunny four times in the stomach, snaps his neck amidst cries of pain, and then drags him off leaving behind a trail of blood. In another episode where Peter and friends became [[The A-Team]], the show's "amusing injuries" are discussed as actually life-threatening.

** The second [[Christmas Episode]] deconstructs [[Santa Claus]] in a similarly horrific fashion.

* The famous ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|Simpsons]]'' episode "Homer's Enemy" is a deconstruction of the general weirdness and insanity of its setting, based around the premise of ''What if a real-life, normal person had to enter Homer's universe and deal with him?'' Frank Grimes, a relatively humorless but hard-working man who is still forced to live cheaply despite working almost his entire life, encounters Homer on the job at the nuclear power plant. You can imagine what happens ~~next -- the~~ result is funny, but also disturbing and very dark upon further reflection (one of the darkest ''Simpsons'' episodes ever made).

* The famous ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|Simpsons]]'' episode "Homer's Enemy" is a deconstruction of the general weirdness and insanity of its setting, based around the premise of ''What if a real-life, normal person had to enter Homer's universe and deal with him?'' Frank Grimes, a relatively humorless but hard-working man who is still forced to live cheaply despite working almost his entire life, encounters Homer on the job at the nuclear power plant. You can imagine what happens next—the result is funny, but also disturbing and very dark upon further reflection (one of the darkest ''Simpsons'' episodes ever made).

** At one point, Homer is about to drink a beaker of sulfuric acid when Grimes stops him. Grimes reacts ''exactly'' as we would expect a normal person to ~~react -- he~~'s visibly freaked out, and when Homer blows off the danger with laughter, he shouts, " ''Stop laughing, ''you imbecile! Do you realize how close you just came to killing yourself?!" A series of such incidents ultimately drives Frank Grimes into insanity {{spoiler|and death}}.

** At one point, Homer is about to drink a beaker of sulfuric acid when Grimes stops him. Grimes reacts ''exactly'' as we would expect a normal person to react—he's visibly freaked out, and when Homer blows off the danger with laughter, he shouts, " ''Stop laughing, ''you imbecile! Do you realize how close you just came to killing yourself?!" A series of such incidents ultimately drives Frank Grimes into insanity {{spoiler|and death}}.

* The ''[[Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy]]'' episode "1+ 1=Ed" is a deconstruction of how cartoons work, similar to [[Duck Amuck]].

** The climax of [[The Movie]] gives us a pretty disturbing deconstruction of [[Amusing Injuries]].

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[[Category:Lit Class Tropes]]

[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]

[[Category:~~index~~]]

[[Category:Index]]

[[Category:Deconstruction]]

[[Category:Depressing Tropes]]