What Is Plot
- 1. What is PLOT? Comp. II Notes
- 2. Plot can be Series of events in sequential or narrative order: cause and effect Conflict Structure
- 3. Narrative Order What happens first in the story? Is the first detail given the first detail in the narrative? What are other events in the story?
- 4. Conflict Is cause and effect in a story Motivation and causation Nothing is irrelevant or accidental; Everything is related and causative
- 5. Think of Conflict as… Controlling impulse in a connected pattern of causes and effects. Conflict causes characters to Decide Act Respond Interact
- 6. Conflict can be… Internal External
- 7. How is External Conflict revealed? Character vs. character Anger, hatred, envy, argument, avoidance, gossip, lies, fighting, etc. Character vs. Nature Character vs. Society
- 8. How is Internal Conflict Revealed? Character vs. Himself Curiosity, choice, doubt
- 9. Conflict shows… The doubt, the tension, thus creates the interest in the story.
- 10. Plot and conflict = good story Plot—cause and effect Conflict—interest—What will happen to these people?
- 11. Plot as…Structure Arrangement of the story and the purpose for that arrangement
- 12. Think of arrangement as … Placement, balance, recurring themes, true and misleading conclusions, suspense, models such as reports, letters, conversation or confession.
- 13. Structure can be… Formal Informal (actual)
- 14. Formal structure Exposition Complication (Rising Action) Crisis (Climax/Turning Point) Falling Action Resolution (Denouement)
- 15. Exposition Main characters, their backgrounds, characteristics, interests, goals, limitations, potentials and basic assumptions are introduced. Exposition can be found at the beginning of the work or anywhere else.
- 16. Complication The development of the conflict
- 17. Crisis Part of the action where conflict reaches its greatest tension. A decision or action to resolve the conflict is undertaken Curiosity, uncertainty and tension the greatest
- 18. Climax Consequence of the crisis High point Decision, action, affirmation or denial, illumination or realization No new major developments follow this
- 19. Resolution Untying Completing of the story
- 20. Actual structure/Informal Flashback Selective recollection Ceremony Fragments of Conversation Delirium Dream Geography