“In his poetics, Aristotle declared that the hierarchy of dramatic effects was in descending order as follows: plot, character, dialogue…” (Watts, 56). A good story is one that utilizes five elements of craft in coherence with one another to further the reader’s understanding of the narrative.
In accordance with Aristotle, plot is the most crucial to building a successful story and should be examined first. As stated by Nigel Watts, author of over ten books, “A classical plot is a narrative of causality which results in a completed process of significant change, giving the reader emotional satisfaction” (Watts, 28). The plot is simply the action of the story and a character’s journey or quest to accomplish a goal. The “causality” that Watts refers to, is the link between one event and the next in the hero’s journey. Every event needs to be connected to the previous one in order to create a smooth flowing story that not only makes sense but captures the reader’s attention. “A plot is like a knitted sweater-only as good as the stitches. Without the links we have a tangle of wool, chaotic and uninteresting (27). The next part of this definition is significant change. The point of plot is to do something, anything, with the characters involved. If the action is stagnant and there is no journey, there is in fact no plot, and as a result no story that anyone would take the time to read. The key is change. The protagonist needs to undergo change between the beginning and conclusion of a story. That change can be physical, emotional, spiritual, or any other type that the character can realistically have (in terms of believability for the reader). Finally, this sequence of events must at some point end in such a way that the ...
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...nce the reader can see only what the character sees while second is mainly used for dialogue purposes. The third is the one most frequently used in short stories and fiction since it gives the greatest range (coming from a narrator who knows everything). The distance between the character and reader is affected by the author’s choice of which one of these to choose. A reader has a greater chance of becoming emotionally attached if the story is told from the perspective of a protagonist because the reader is placed in the protagonists own shoes. However, then the reader cannot see if this is a reliable narrator or not. Point of view is solely up to the author and each of them can be manipulated to suit the needs of the story.
While all five can be used to create a great work of literature, some would argue that not all five are necessary to write a great work.
Stories are the way humans share, create, and explore their many experiences and identities with each other. When a story is told, the original content lingers depending upon how the storyteller recalls the content. Once the story is retold, it often takes on different details and meanings, because each storyteller adds their own perspective, experience, and meaning. The story then begins to have its own life. Each storyteller has a connection to the beginning and the end of the story.
This paper examines the argument and theory proposed by Richard H. Tyre of the six basic movements of a plot in a hero story. Although Tyre’s theory does seem too narrow focused, fixed and direct to fit with the plot structure of all hero stories, he makes a great point and provides adequate evidence to support his statement.
There are various pieces of written work that do not fall into the category of literature work. This is because a piece of writing can be said to be literature when it has distinct features that follow the rules of literature writing. Some of the distinctive features that can be used to classify a piece of writing as a literature are the nature of language, themes and stylistic devices (Irmscher, 1975). Literature does not fully use the rules of grammar and may involve the use of informal writing. Hurston and Toni Morrison applied features such as using colloquial language, development of various themes and some stylistic devices which have lead to their pieces of work being considered as important literary art.
To fully appreciate the significance of the plot one must fully understand the heroic journey. Joseph Campbell identified the stages of the heroic journey and explains how the movie adheres meticulously to these steps. For example, the first stage of the hero’s journey is the ordinary world (Campbell). At the beginning, the structure dictates that the author should portray the protagonist in their ordinary world, surrounded by ordinary things and doing ordinary tasks so that the author might introduce the reasons that the hero needs the journey in order to develop his or her character or improve his or her life (Vogler 35). The point of this portrayal is to show the audience what the protagonist’s life is currently like and to show what areas of his or her life are conflicted or incomplete. When the call to adventure occurs, the protagonist is swept away into another world, one that is full of adventure, danger, and opportunities to learn what needs to be learned. T...
Plot is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution are the five elements of plot. The short story Greasy Lake uses plot as a single literary device.
The second concept of the Hero’s journey shows us that all stories are the same. They all follow the same pattern or algorithm of separation, initiation, and return. An example from the movie is the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is removed from her natural environment by a tornado, initiated with a lion, scarecrow, and tin man, and the group embarks on a journey to see the wizard. In the end, she is able to return home by clicking her heels. She realizes she has had the ability the whole time, but she needed to test herself. We are just like the characters we see in our favoritie movies, books, and shows – they are a metaphor for us as normal human beings. The last concept I learned is “Follow your bliss”. This concept of bliss is defined in many ways. One definition is serenity. Another definition is the thing you cannot not do. It is what makes a person feel alive. In order to answer the question of what is your bliss, you must ask yourself difficult questions like: What am I passionate about? What makes hours seem like minutes? What made me different as a child? After answering these tough questions, a person can find their
Plot is the major events and decisions that make up a story. In the very last sentence of the Uglies Tally says, “‘I’m Tally Youngblood,’ she said. ‘Make me pretty’” (Westerfeld 406). Because the author developed the plot throughout the story we are able to understand why Tally would make this decision. After all that she has done to stay away from the operation she has to resile to save her friend Shay. Likewise, in the second stanza of the poem “If” Rudyard Kipling states, “If you can dream- and not make dreams your master; If you can think- and not make thoughts your aim” (Kipling lines 9 and 10). This father is trying to show his son how to be a man. This shows how the boy has to be tough enough to do things without letting the things he does control him. Both of these texts show how through the development of plot resilience will be needed to overcome obstacles and ultimately become the person you want to be. In conclusion, the plot of a text helps readers to better understand characters actions and
...rves the way for the plot, the theme is the central idea around which a literary piece revolves. Without the theme the plot would be meaningless and there would be nothing for the readers to derive from the literary piece. Without the plot, the theme would be meaningless as there would be nowhere to consign the message the writer intends to give the reader. It can be said that the plot and theme are the two most important literary elements of a literary piece and are inter-dependant.
All stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. They are known collectively as The Hero’s Journey. Understanding these elements and their use in modern writing is the object of our quest. Used wisely, these ancient tools of the storytellers craft still have tremendous power to heal our people and make the world a better place (xxvii).
...st or heart of the story is often compromised, losing the power to grip an audience with its strong emotional or tragic plot. Furthermore, in the
...verything around us is made by our actions. Positive or negative they cause an effect that will ultimately lead to a different story base on how we interpret life. Narrative elements are used as a bridge by the directors in their film to create any master plot that is currently known. Any modification at any narrative element used by the director at important moments inside the story can help you portray a different master plot. This used of narrative elements can be best described as an ever changing process that takes place inside an individual’s head. Depending on the individual that may be exposed to those narrative elements can create different meanings. This new interpretation can be different for everyone. We have to be aware that one change in the surface scenery can lead to many ideal outcomes in our minds and that is the main power the audience has.
A successful descriptive narrative displays the necessary information for a reader to explain or develop speculations within the material. Narrating the text of a story, told through one or more narrators, allows the audience to connect with the feelings of the narrator. A description includes imagery for the audience’s recognition. Furthermore, descriptive narratives have a purpose and are there for a reason. “Shooting an Elephant” and “The Lottery” are both descriptive narratives. Descriptive narratives show a clearer understanding of the passage; therefore, the stronger text is “Shooting an Elephant” because of its detail and the plot’s conflict.
the story, making it possible for a reader to really see in his or her
good drama story? First of all, to categorize a good drama book or story the reader has to define
In Poetics, Aristotle defines plot as “the arrangement of the incidents” (Aristotle 12). He indicates that there are six elements in every tragic play, which are plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle, among these plot is placed in the foremost positi...