A
plot or structure of story, is the arrangement of tied-together chronological
events which have causal and thematic connections. The particular plot is
something the novelist and short story writers are driven to. It is what is
left after the whittling-away of alternatives.
Friedman
asks three questions before considering a set of alternative repotheses for
defining the form of a given plot;
First, who is the protagonist?;
Second, what is his character and how do we respond to it?; Third, which is the principal part and how
are the other two related to it?
Friedman
in his book Form and Meaning in Fiction discusses plot under Part two of his
book: The Problem of Form Chapter Five, Forms of the Plot, he proposes to have
terms in defining the form of plot, for differentiating its structure effect
from those of other plots. Since anyone of the parts an action may serve as the
principal part, we may have plots of fortune, plots of character, and plots of
thought.
·
Kinds
Of Plot
A.
Plots
of fortune
a) Action
plot. This is the most common, and the sole interest lies in what happens next.
This resembles the idea of plot which Forster called in opposition to
character.
b) Sympathetic
plot. Here we have a sympathetic protagonist who undergoes fortune through no
particular fault of his own.
c) The
tragic plot. If, however, a sympathetic protagonist has also stressed of will
in addition to certain degree of sophistication or ability change his thought,
his responsibility for what he does or cause happen may be correspondingly
greater and hence our satisfication his downfall is thereby made clearer.
d) The
punitive plot. Here we have protagonist whose character is essentially
unsympathetic in that his goals and purposes are repugnant, who may perhaps be
admirable for his strength of will.
e) The
sentimental plot. Coming now to those plots in which the change fortune is for
the better, we have a very common type involving sympathetic
protagonistwho survives the threat of misfortune and comes out all right at the
end.
f) The
admiration plot. A change in fortune for the better which is caused by a
sympathetic protagonist’s nobility of character results in a some what
different effect.
B.
Plots
of character
a) The
maturing plot. The most common with plots which turn upon arrange in character
involves a sympathetic protagonist whose goals are mistakenly conceived or not
yet formed, and whose will is rudder-ky and vacillating.
b) The
reform plot. Similar to the maturing plot is another form of character change
for the better, in which the protagonist’s thought is sufficient in the
beginning.
c) The
testing plot. A sympathetic , strong and purposeful character is ensured in one
way or another to compromise or surrender his noble and ways.
d) The
degeneration plot. A character change for the worse occurs when we start with a
protagonist who was at the time sympathetic and full ambition, and subject him
to some crucial loss which results in his utter disillusionment.
C.
Plots
of thought
a) The
education plot. The most common type involves a change in thought for the
better in terms of the protagnist’s conceptions, beliefs and attitudes. It
resembles the maturing plot in that his thought at the outset is somehow
inadequate and is then improved, but it doesn’t continue on to demonstrate or
confirm the effects of this beneficial change on his behaviour.
b) The
revelation plot. This type hinges upon the protagonist’s ignorance of the
essential facts of his situation. It is not a question of his attitudes and
belief’s but of his knowledge, and he must discover the truth before he can
come to a dicision.
c) The
affective plot. There is a change in attitude and beliefs here, but not of the
general and philosophical sort which characterizes the education plot. The
problem is to see some other person in a different and truer than before, with
involves a change in feeling.
d) The
disillusionment plot. Here a sympathetic protagonist starts out in the full
bloom of faith in a certain set of ideals and after being subjected to some
kind of loss, threat, or trial loses faith entirely.
·
Plot
Structure
A short story, in theory, and putting exceptions aside,
should probably be as much of a oneness as possible; and probably it is
something of a fault in a short story if there is an abvious separation between
its beginning, its middle, and its end. It is probably good to begin and end a
story as near the middle as possible.
Ø Beginning
, = it is certainly true that every story must have a beginning, in the sense
of s first sentence with a capital letter, but the beginning of a modern literary
story is not likely to do all the things that the books on writing say a
beginning ought to do.
Ø The
Middle, = “complication” and “development” are two terms related to the plot of
the middle of the story.
Ø The
end, = The ending of a modern short story does not require a long summary of
what happened after the complication has been resolved. The contemporary short
story writer need make no kore explanations in his endings than in this
beginnings, still he must avoid being obscure.
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