Line in the Sand: Difference between revisions

|'''Jane Bowers''' [[Covered Up|(and many others)]], ''Remember the Alamo''}}

 

 

Alternatively, if the mission is to [[Last Stand|stay put and defend a hopeless position]], he will offer an escape route. Generally, no one will move.

A common subversion is to have most of the men step ''backward'', except one, who is considered to have [[Got Volunteered|volunteered]] for the mission.

 

 

Sometimes the volunteering is gradual, with characters being shamed into it by seeing the others volunteer. In which case, [[Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids|the least experienced character]] [[Least Is First|leads off]], and [[Jade-Colored Glasses|the most]] [[Sour Supporter|is usually the last]].

* In ''[[Cars]]'', Sheriff asks for volunteers to be McQueen's legal representative. All back away except for Mater, who then cheerfully agrees.

* Played straight in ''[[Hook]]'', with a literal line in the dirt between the supporters of Rufio and the supporters of Peter.

* Accompanied by quite possibly the darkest version of this type of speech in ''[[Serenity]]''. Then by a very nice one a bit later on.

* ''[[Iron Jawed Angels]]'': Knowing anyone who joins the picket line in front of the White House after war has been declared will be imprisoned, Alice asks for volunteers and stresses that this s a choice.

{{quote|'''Arrowroot''': "Peoples of the West! The battle before the Black Gate of Sorhed will be one of few against many; but the few are of pure heart and the many are of the filthy. Nevertheless, those of you who wish to cringe and run from the fight may do so to quicken our pace. Those who still ride with the King of Twodor will live forever in song and legend! The rest may go."

It is said that the dust cloud did not settle for many days after. }}

** Furthermore, he notes that many of those who did cross the line only did so as the peer pressure began to outweigh their fear.

* In ''[[Star Wars Expanded Universe|Shatterpoint]]'', General Windu asks one of his higher-ranking clone troopers for the best pilots under his command, then changes his order and asks for volunteers, since it's one of those situations where hardly anyone's getting out alive. The trooper tells him that they'll all volunteer. It's [[Cloning Blues|what they're bred for.]]

* Subverted in ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' where some officers are asked to volunteer for a dangerous mission, and if they opt out "nothing more will be said". They volunteer of course, because they know something ''would'' be said [[Dirty Coward|if they failed to do so]].

 

* Subverted in ''[[Band of Brothers]]'', where Lt. Welsh asks for volunteers to take a look at a suspicious looking house; although Blithe raises his hand, Welsh also says "You three have just volunteered too", thus ordering them to take a look instead of asking them if they want to.

* In ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' General Hammond asks for volunteers to rescue SG-1, who have been captured by Hathor. Everyone steps forward before he's even finished the sentence.

* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: Appears in the [[The Bible|biblical]] Book of Judges, 7:3. God commands Gideon to issue two tests in order to thin out the ranks of the Israelite army so that it would be apparent that the victory was won by God's power, not simply superior military might. In addition to permitting those who were afraid to participate in the upcoming battle to leave, Gideon also observed how the soldiers drank from a river; those who knelt down to drink were sent home.<ref>Some scholars believe that this test was meant to single out those who were most alert and battle-ready; the soldiers who knelt would have been at a greater disadvantage should they have been ambushed at that point.</ref> These two tests thinned the Israelite army down from 32,000 to a mere 300. Oh yeah, [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|and they won too]].

 

* Of course, in ''[[Les Misérables (theatre)|Les Misérables]]''. Enjolras does not wish to waste lives, and ''orders'' those men who have wives and children, or who have women dependent on them (mothers, sisters) to depart before the grand finale where {{spoiler|everyone dies}}. Exact lyric: ''Let us not waste lives, let all women and fathers of children go from here''

 

* ''[[Looking for Group]]'' parodies this, [http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/238 in its usual fashion].

* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in [https://web.archive.org/web/20080612132005/http://thosedestined.pensandtales.com/?date=20080403 this] ''[[Those Destined]]'' strip.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

** In the 1990s movie, the trope is also subverted in that Santa Ana sends a message to those settlers in the Alamo that whoever leaves will be pardoned, and reminds them that Mexico knows no racial segregation. Many of the militia accept the offer and leave with their families.

*** Pity it wasn't true. There were reasons Tejanos sided with the American settlers. However to give credit where it's due the women and children were spared.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Adventure Tropes]]