Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Tuesday Tropes: You Can See Me?



Some things are not always as they seem. The same could be said about people or other things that breath, or things that are no longer alive. While it may be a surprise when someone discovers the truth, it's just as shocking to those that no one else is able to see.

You Can See Me? - A basic reaction by a character who is invisible or caught in some kind of magical disguise when another character is able to perceive them.

This trope is a staple among ghost stories, altered sometimes by the ghosts knowing that certain people can see them, making them ghost magnets. Ghost Town (above) and The Sixth Sense are prime examples.

"Yeah. Dead people. You heard me!"

If a character doesn't know they're a ghost, that makes things awkward for tenants who rent their apartment.

"I like your hair ..."       "I like your ectoplasm ..."

In the novel (and film) The Last Unicorn, after the creature transformers into a woman, the twisted King Haggard is able to discern what she really is.

(Someone make a live-action film, please?)

How about the spooky ringwraiths? They see invisible Frodo. Frodo, in turn, sees them as something else!

"Take the ring first, then stab him!"

It's pretty much inevitable for a character to say this when their identity is compromised. Though you have to admit, the question is a little silly. If someone asked you that, you'd more likely say, "I think you should see a psychiatrist." This makes the trope more or less a comical rather than a dramatic element in a scene.

And yes - I admit to having used this one.

Ever used this trope before? What examples did I miss? Ever see something that no one else could?

I'm David, and there's a SPIDER on your SHOULDER!

36 comments:

  1. Normally I'd frown on a live action THE LAST UNICORN. But for that scene...okay.

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    1. I understand. Then again, if done right, I wouldn't mind.

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  2. Oh my gosh, when me and my sister were little kids we used to argue about who'd 'be' the girl in the Last Unicorn! I totally forgot about that movie... brings up good memories :)

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  3. Haven't ventured into fantasy or horror writing, which is where I imagine this fits best.

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  4. I love this post, David. Especially since I am writing a Trilogy (MG) about ghosts.

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  5. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around exactly what a trope is/does... *sigh* Is a trope good thing?

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    1. Tropes are good, and good for storymakers to know about. It's a storytelling element that is widely recognized but not overly used to the point of exhaustion (cliché).

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  6. Aw, David - now I'm going to be freaking out about a spider on me all day long! *shiver* I like this Trope. I especially like the movie, Just Like Heaven, (or whatever its called.) Yeah - no sleep last night. Gotta love the Sixth Sense & Lord of the Rings too.

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  7. Great examples! I haven't seen many things that other people haven't, but I do believe "they" are out there, which is probably why I hear things all the time. Does that count?

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  8. Movies and books don't surprise me very often. I'm the annoying one whispering what I think the ending is during a movie (and I'm usually right lol) Anyway, the Sixth Sense smashed me over the head with their ending and I LOVED it. The other way you have it can be funny. I haven't used this myself though.

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  9. I love Ghost Town, funny movie! There actually is a You can see me moment in my novel. Looks like I need to make it more unique and interesting now that I know so many exist.

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  10. I remember The Last Unicorn! I may have to watch it again. All I remember is a bird eating an old lady and the Red Bull. And yes, I used a trope in my last book. "You can see me?" :)

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  11. I screamed the same thing at those wraiths. I'm like, dude! You were inches away from it. Just tear off his finger! Gollum has no problem doing that. :)

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  12. Ha! Your last picture made me laugh. :) I haven't used this one, but if used right, I think it can work. I think the examples you used are good ones-- I've read some bad ones, though.

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  13. Lol, that LOTR pic made me chuckle:) You make a great point about how to use devices like this in literature. It reminds me of Banquo's ghost in Macbeth, very cool:)

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  14. Spinning this on it's head, I think that you can really have some fun with the person who sees the ghost/disguised/cloaked entity. Especially if it's an unexpected person. Last night on Syfy's 'Being Human' they had the ghost character run into a nurse who could see her. Total surprise, but it introduced an interesting side-character. It's always fun (for the reader/audience) when an unexpected person can see the hidden character.

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  15. Your captions are hilarious! Yes, this trope gets a little annoying but if well done it can be so chilling!

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  16. I'd vague memories of The Last Unicorn until I tracked it down, odd how the skeleton that wanted a drink stuck in my 4 year-old mind, yet the red bull didn't.

    Love the different uses of this trope, but I haven't used it.

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  17. Not used this as I don't write the sort of stories where characters would be in doubt about their visibility. Or rather, I've not yet written anything like that.

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  18. I have a dead character in one of my manuscripts who no one sees, but he sees another dead character who no one sees. Confused? Does that count?

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  19. Oh yeah, I'm using it right now! It's hard to get away from if you're writing someone who fears they're crazy. They're constantly trying to figure out if what they're seeing is real.

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  20. You just had to mention spiders didn't you? Our Australian summers here up north bring out Huntsman spiders...they are HUGE and HAIRY! Ewwww Thanks David :-)

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  21. Spiders? Where? I hate spiders crawling through our van when we're driving down a rock with rock walls on both sides and the spider wants to sit on the gear knob. Yes, after that I have developed a terrible fear of spiders.

    On to the trope. To tell the truth, I haven't used this one. I didn't even know it was a trope. it does seem a bit funny though doesn't it, I mean one guy's talking to the invisible guy, and all the invisible dude can say is 'You can see me?' Well duh! Huge comedy moment.

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  22. Another awesome trope example! I also like the flip side of it, where apprentice magicians are trying to scry the bad guy or something, and the villain *gasp* realizes they're watching him. Classic. ;)

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  23. We have a ghost baby at our house. I can't see him, but I hear him crying all the time. Actually, I think it might be birds nesting in a tree outside but it sounds EXACTLY like a baby crying and it's kinda cool to say we have a ghost baby.

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  24. Invisibility is the cheapest of the special effects. Hollywood is embracing this full force by cutting budgets in "The Darkest Hour" and "Chronicle" to increase profits. They do the whole "found footage" filmography to make it more "authentic". It's really just being a cheapass.

    But I hear what you're saying. Invisibility is kinda cool. I for one use invisible demons in one of my stories. It eliminates the need to describe them.

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  25. "I like your hair ..."
    "I like your ectoplasm ..."

    Classic! :)

    I love THE SIXTH SENSE. Recently re-watched it. :)

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  26. I've never used this that I can think of...hmmm...

    I love the movies you pulled examples from--and I want a live action The Last Unicorn, too!

    Maybe Harry Potter under the invisibility cloak, when he realized Mad-Eye Moody could see through it?

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  27. I've never, I don't think. Well, maybe some weird lights in the sky at night, but I'm sure they were just planes. Anyway, now I want to see the Last Unicorn! Was that from the 80's

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  28. The book I'm querying right now is about a girl who's in love with a voice in her head... I'm way into this type of thing. Verrrrry fun post ;) And ditto to the spider on the shoulder thing! (I've enjoyed all these comments) ;)

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  29. I won't lie, the Sixth Sense freaked me out. You have great examples. I've never used any of these before. I may have to. ;)

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  30. I know you used this one ;) But a very good troupe nonetheless!

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  31. I haven't used this one--yet. But I do have an idea that won't leave me alone. They never understand about waiting for their turn. :)

    The Last Unicorn is one of my favorites!

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  32. I haven't tried this one. It's true that it can be comical, but it's always interesting when questions are raised about the character who does see whatever it is that's invisible to others--is s/he observing something real or is s/he just hallucinating?

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