New Child Left Behind: Difference between revisions

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The protagonist has shore leave or something just before shipping out to the war zone, or maybe the war came unexpectedly and he got drafted without warning. He leaves to go off to war leaving behind a pregnant [[Love Interest]]. Can be combined with [[Altar the Speed]].

Occasionally even the mother [[Surprise Pregnancy|didn't know she was pregnant]] until after the male leaves, but often the lover left behind will not tell the father because she "didn't want to distract him" or "worry him" -- though it's just as common for the father to receive a letter announcing the birth. Usually this letter arrives when the father is in either a prison camp, or in a muddy foxhole while under fire. Something to [[Birth Death Juxtaposition|juxtapose the brutally and ugliness of war with the joy and innocence of a new baby]]. Expect the father to become stunned and speechless for several minutes, and for his [[True Companions|comrades]] -- even the cynical [[Deadpan Snarker]] or [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] of the group -- to become respectful and moved by the news. A joyful makeshift party might follow. If in a prison camp this has a strong possibility of a [[Pet the Dog]] moment for the prison guards.

Occasionally even the mother [[Surprise Pregnancy|didn't know she was pregnant]] until after the male leaves, but often the lover left behind will not tell the father because she "didn't want to distract him" or "worry him" -- though it's just as common for the father to receive a letter announcing the birth. Usually this letter arrives when the father is in either a prison camp, or in a muddy foxhole while under fire. Something to [[Birth-Death Juxtaposition|juxtapose the brutally and ugliness of war with the joy and innocence of a new baby]]. Expect the father to become stunned and speechless for several minutes, and for his [[True Companions|comrades]] -- even the cynical [[Deadpan Snarker]] or [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] of the group -- to become respectful and moved by the news. A joyful makeshift party might follow. If in a prison camp this has a strong possibility of a [[Pet the Dog]] moment for the prison guards.

Sometimes the [[Love Interest]] deliberately wanted to get pregnant (this is [[Lampshaded]], and then averted, in ''[[Since You Went Away (Film)|Since You Went Away]]''). This was a [[Truth in Television]], and in many places still is. It represents the desire of a woman to have [[Someone to Remember Him By|something of her lover to keep]] in case the [[Anyone Can Die|worst]] happens to him. Of course, there is also some [[Wish Fulfillment]] for the man as well, since he gets to leave a mark on the world though he's going off into danger. A child means that part of him will live on if he dies.

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* [[Species]] is about a hot blonde human-looking alien looking trolling L.A. for a human mate to impregnate her. Several unsuitable candidates who never get to close the deal get killed along the way. Eventually she gets spermed by the science geek. She ''feels'' the conception taking place while still straddling the guy, and then [[Death By Sex|kills the babydaddy]], too. Minutes later, she gives birth in a sewer.

** ''Species II'' plays this theme in the exact opposite way. A male alien goes around planting his seed in every woman that takes his fancy. They all die moments after being impregnated, by the alien baby that litterally explodes out of their belly, leaving creepy Daddy to take care of them in his creepy barn.

*** The end of ''Species II/''start of ''Species III'' re-reverses the concept yet again, where the main character knocks up the sexy female alien, before dying in the climactic fight. [[Birth Death Juxtaposition|Though is seems like he kills her after doing her, the final shot of the movie shows her belly expanding to pregnancy-size.]] This is resolved in the sequel when the mother comes back to life and gives birth to a pure-breed alien baby, before being killed herself.

*** The end of ''Species II/''start of ''Species III'' re-reverses the concept yet again, where the main character knocks up the sexy female alien, before dying in the climactic fight. [[Birth-Death Juxtaposition|Though is seems like he kills her after doing her, the final shot of the movie shows her belly expanding to pregnancy-size.]] This is resolved in the sequel when the mother comes back to life and gives birth to a pure-breed alien baby, before being killed herself.

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[[Category:Parental Issues]]

[[Category:New Child Left Behind]]

[[Category:Trope]]