Basic Trope: Each child has a closer affinity to a different parent, because of similarities/differences in sex, appearance, or personality.
- Straight: Alice and Bob have two kids, Alex and Beatrice. Alex is more like his mother in looks and personality, while Beatrice is more like her dad. Fittingly, Alice is closer to Alex and Bob is closer to Beatrice.
- Exaggerated: Alex and Beatrice are basically Generation Xerox of their corresponding parents.
- Downplayed: Alex is slightly more similar to Alice; Beatrice is slightly more similar to Bob. Alice and Bob aren't particularly blatant about which child they prefer, but it's implied in their interactions.
- Justified: Birds of a Feather
- Inverted: Alice chose to marry Bob because she gets along well with him. She likewise gets along well with Beatrice, since she's like Bob. While Alice loves her mini-me, Alex, they're Too Much Alike and this makes their relationship fraught.
- Subverted: ??
- Double Subverted: ??
- Parodied: ???
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: Alex and Beatrice don't particularly resemble either parent, and Alice and Bob don't particularly favor either child.
- Enforced: ???
- Lampshaded: "Alex is a lot like his mom." "And Beatrice is a lot like her dad!"
- Invoked: When they were younger, Alex and Beatrice picked which parent to be closer to.
- Exploited: Alex guilts Bob into doing something for him by telling him that he's closer to Beatrice.
- Defied: Alice naturally gravitates toward Alex, but she makes a concerted effort to spend time with Beatrice and build their relationship.
- Discussed: "Alice and Bob, you'll find that each of you might each prefer one child over the other, and that's fine."
- Conversed: "The mom likes the son more and the dad likes the daughter more? It's like a literal family feud!"
Back to Jacob and Esau
