It's been my opinion for a while that the "meaning" in a work of art or in the sentences we use to communicate is found where it differs from the established pattern. For example, this very sentence follows the same general outline of thousands of other sentences. The actual meaning is found where it breaks with the pattern.
Another simple example would be image macros. They often follow a very strict pattern; the new information the user wishes to convey is where the pattern is broken.
In the same way, stories often follow a number of tropes. These tropes help to establish some basic information about the story, but what really makes it interesting is when the story breaks from the pattern and does something new.
Another simple example would be image macros. They often follow a very strict pattern; the new information the user wishes to convey is where the pattern is broken.
In the same way, stories often follow a number of tropes. These tropes help to establish some basic information about the story, but what really makes it interesting is when the story breaks from the pattern and does something new.