choosing between equally unappealing possibilities theme
A character must choose between courses of action and outcomes that are all bad.
Examples
In nightgallery0x01b "Eyes", Sidney was faced the stark option of whether to sell his eyes for $9000 in order to repay his debt to a criminal and escape lethal retribution. He believed that without sight he would probably fall into a depression and soon kill himself.
5 total · 3 major · 2 minor
| Story | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| movie: The Deer Hunter (1978) | major | Russian roulette was a central feature of the story. In particular, Mike, Nick and Steven had to play it while in captivity in Vietnam: if they refused to play they would be thrown into a rat infested cage submerged in the water and left to die. The rest of the story concerns how these three characters coped with this horrible experience. |
| nightgallery0x01b | major | Sidney sacrificed his eyes in order to repay his debts and save his skin |
| voy5x18 | major | The facsimile Voyager crew faced with dying on the way to Earth versus dying on the way to demon planet. |
| movie: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) | minor | Lieutenant Saavik had to pass the Kobayashi Maru test which was designed to have no way to win. A young Kirk dealt with the test by reprogramming the computer so that it was not longer a no win scenario. |
| tz1959e1x09 | minor | Edward was had to choose between facing a murderous woman in his dreams or risk dying from his congenital heart condition should he stay awake: he pitched himself out a window instead. |