History Main / TakeBackYourGift

->'''Brenda''': Don't you throw that ring at me. It's such a cliché, I'll barf.\\
'''Nate''' *throws it*: There. Barf.

For variants involving a person breaking off an engagement or leaving their spouse by returning a ring, see ReturningTheWeddingRing. It can potentially involve a DramaticNecklaceRemoval.

* In ''Theatre/TheMoonIsBlue'', Patty decides to give David back the six hundred dollars, an amount equivalent to fifteen weeks of her salary, he gave her, when she overhears a remark implying that she ought to have remained beholden to him for that duration.

Although it's most common to romantic relationships, it can apply to friendships, familial relationships or any kind of close relationship that has gone awry. A platonic variant may involve returning a FriendshipTrinket.

* In ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula ZERO'', Asuka throws her engagement ring at Hayato after he decides to return to racing, thereby breaking his promise to not to race again after a near-fatal crash and she runs away crying. They reconcile their relationship later.

* In Tibetan culture, returning a gift is a great insult. This is portrayed in the movie ''Film/SevenYearsInTibet'', where the main character returns a gifted jacket on purpose, because he wanted to make clear they ''really'' weren't friends anymore.

* In a flashback in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers'', Elrond briefly convinces Aragorn that the latter's relationship with Arwen is doomed, and Aragorn tries to end it by returning the necklace she gave him in the prior movie. Arwen replies, "It was a gift. ''Keep it.''"

* Used to [[spoiler:exorcise the ghost]] in ''Film/OneHundredFeet''. The wedding ring was [[spoiler:the only object keeping Mike present in the world]] and upon its return, he leaves.
* ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''. After they break up, Uhura tries to return the Vulcan necklace Spock gave her, as it's a family heirloom. However Spock says it's not a Vulcan tradition to return a gift once it has been given. [[ChekhovsGun Which is just as well]].
* In ''Film/CastAway'', Chuck returns the pocket watch his then-girlfriend Kelly gave to him before he spent 3 years on a deserted island and Kelly got married to another man during that time. He explains to her that it's a family heirloom that should stay with her family.
* Zigzagged in ''Film/{{Contact}}'' with the compass Joss gives to Ellie, at first she refuses the gift but then he leaves it on her bedside along with his number, several years later she gives it back to him after Drumlin is chosen over Ellie to go on the machine because of a question Joss asked her regarding her faith, but later just before Ellie goes on the second machine he gives the compass back to her.

* An interesting variant is found in the short story "[[http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/howells/editha.htm Editha]]," by William Dean Howells. The title character returns her engagement ring, along with every other gift he ever gave her, to her fiance before he goes off to war. Her intentions are good, if overdramatic; she tells him she wants him to love their country first, even before herself. He's killed in action, and she finds out from his mother that her act basically stripped him of the will to live.

* In the ''Creator/CarlHiassen'' novel ''Lucky You'', a major character had been engaged six times, broke the engagement six times, and returned the ring five times. The time she kept the ring was because the breakup was over the man developing a disturbing fascination with body piercings, and she was afraid of what he'd do with it if it was returned.
* In the Otto Prohaska novels, the protagonist is injured in a flying accident and is likely to lose his leg. Countess Sophie, the wife of Archduke Ferdinand, visits Otto in hospital and presents him with a religious medal to urge him to keep faith. After she leaves Otto throws the medal in the rubbish bin in a fit of anger. Turns out she's arranged for the royal train to convey him express to Vienna where a surgeon is able to save his leg. Otto feels guilty for the rest of his life, worried that someone might have found the medal and returned it to her. The countess and her husband are assassinated in Sarejevo (triggering World War One) so he never had a chance to apologise or thank her.

* Lampshaded in ''Series/SixFeetUnder'', as seen in the page quote.
* In a reversal and inversion of this trope, during the GrandFinale of ''Series/{{MASH}}'', Charles demands that Margaret return to him a book that he gave her as a present. She grudgingly obliges, and at their final farewell, he returns the book to her, this time with a heartfelt message written inside.
* Another inverse on ''Series/{{Greek}}'': When Evan breaks up with Casey, he coldly demands his lavalier back in the most publicly humiliating way imaginable.

* The song "[[PrettyInMink Take Back Your Mink]]" from ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' inspired the trope name.

* In ''Theatre/TheKingAndI'', after Anna's tragic confrontation with the King, she tells the Kralahome that she will be on the next boat leaving UsefulNotes/{{Bangkok}}, takes off the ring which the King not long before the confrontation had insisted she put on, and tells the Kralahome to return it to him. The script calls this "the final humiliation for his King to suffer."

* A fairly passive version is done in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', when a meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet is organized and she greets him by offering to give back several items he had recently given her (most likely love tokens, given that they were betrothed). Given that Hamlet was not in the best mental state and soliloquizing about suicide and death just before the meeting, he doesn't take it well.

A character has had a falling out with a loved one, such as breaking up with their partner or a friendship turning sour. Consequently, they decide to return what had been a personal gift given to them by their loved one, as a physical symbol that whatever relationship they had is over. This is a good way to rub salt in the wound, even when done politely or without the intention of causing harm. Sometimes, the person may give back the gift in person, or they might leave it somewhere for the original gift-giver to find. It may be done as an act of spite from the gift-recipient, though in other cases it's because keeping it is too painful as it reminds them of what they once had with the gift-giver; if it was something that held a lot of personal meaning to gift-giver, such as a family heirloom, the recipient may feel it's wrong for them to keep it. Sometimes, the other person may insist they keep the gift, either out of wounded pride or to show they bear them no ill will. If the person does end up taking back the gift, it may end up becoming a TragicKeepsake.

For variants involving a person breaking off an engagement or leaving their spouse by returning a ring, see ReturningTheWedding.

A character breaks up with someone and deliberately returns what had been a personal gift, typically [[ReturningTheWeddingRing a ring]]. A good way to rub salt in the wound, even when done politely. A platonic variant may involve returning a FriendshipTrinket.

A character breaks up with someone and deliberately returns what had been a personal gift, typically [[ReturningTheWeddingRing a ring]]. A good way to rub salt in the wound, even when done politely.

* Downplayed in the 2002 mini-series ''Napoleon''. After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon's Polish mistress returns a diamond necklace he gave her, but makes a point of saying there's no rancor in the act -- Napoleon may have to flee France soon and will need money.

* In a flashback in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Two Towers'', Elrond briefly convinces Aragorn that the latter's relationship with Arwen is doomed, and Aragorn tries to end it by returning the necklace she gave him in the prior movie. Arwen replies, "It was a gift. ''Keep it.''"

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. When Cordelia breaks up with Xander on Valentine's Day, he demands the return of the locket which he gave her earlier. She pretends to go to her locker to fetch it, to [[AwwTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther hide the fact that she's still wearing it]].

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. When Cordelia breaks up with Xander on Valentine's Day, he demands the return of the locket which he gave her earlier. She pretends to go to her locker to fetch it, to hide the fact that she's still wearing it.

* In a reversal and inversion of this trope, during the GrandFinale of ''Series/{{Mash}}'', Charles demands that Margaret return to him a book that he gave her as a present. She grudgingly obliges, and at their final farewell, he returns the book to her, this time with a heart-felt message written inside.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Ino gave Sakura a ribbon to pull back her hair so that she couldn't [[ShrinkingViolet hide behind it]]. Sakura later broke off their friendship after realizing they were both crushing on the same guy; after they graduated from the academy, Sakura returned her ribbon, using her hitai-ate as a headband instead. Even though they'd already been rivals for a while by that point, Ino's still visibly taken aback by her giving it back.

A character breaks up with someone and deliberately returns what had been a personal gift, typically a ring. A good way to rub salt in the wound, even when done politely.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'', Bruce Wayne's fiance, Andrea Beaumont, breaks up with him with a DearJohn letter that also enclosed the engagement ring.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'', Bruce Wayne's fiance, Andrea Beaumont, breaks up with him with a letter that also enclosed the engagement ring.

[[folder: Film]]

* [[http://rageofthenerd.tumblr.com/post/26515951125/bennyslegs-thusspakekate-oh-dammit-now-i This Tumblr post]] humorously shipping [[CargoShip US/UK]] interprets [[TheAmericanRevolution the Boston Tea Party]] in this manner.