The Seven Basic Plots

The Seven Basic Plots : Why We Tell Stories

Author : Christopher Booker

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Part One - The Seven Gateways to the Underworld

Chapter One - Overcoming the Monster

• The hero comes to know of a dangerous monster with incredible power.
• The monster is tormenting the world/kingdom, or is a major threat to the hero.
• The monster may also guard some priceless treasure.
• The hero is equipped with some magical weapons to slay the monster with.
• In a dramatic battle to the death, the hero overcomes the monster.
• The hero is then rewarded with the priceless treasure and maybe the kingdom itself and the hand of the princess etc.

Chapter Two - The Monster and the Thrilling Escape from Death

The monster is described with the following attributes:

• Look - Something is off, it is not a perfect human. The monster maybe deformed in a horrible way, or it may be animalistic or some combination of the same.
• Abilities - Mortally dangerous, tricky and cunning.
• Description - Mysterious and somehow magical.
• Weakness - The monster must have just one weakness, which might be realised and capitalised on much later.

The monster takes on at least some of the following roles:

• Predator - When it must go out hunting, spreading terror and possibly capturing its treasures.
• Hoarder - Where it stays within the safety of its lair, jealously protecting it treasure, and destroying anyone who tries to take it.
• Avenger - If the treasure is stolen, or the monster is somehow disturbed, it will chase after and attempt to destroy the perpetrator.

The hero is described as a polar opposite of the monster at least in terms of the hero’s motivations, values and hopes of retaining the treasure etc.
Some key stages that the story goes through are:

1. Anticipation and the Call - We are introduced for the first time to the monster and slowly learn about why it is dangerous. The hero is called upon to defeat it.
2. Dream - All is going well and it looks as if the hero will be able to continue to triumph and defeat the monster.
3. Frustration - The hero begins to face setback after setback and it begins to dawn on us how much more powerful the monster is.
4. Nightmare - The monster has taken complete control and the hero is trapped in its lair, heading for a terrible death. This is often when the hero learns the most about the monster, its plans, strengths and weaknesses.
5. Miraculous Escape - In the last minute, the hero finds a gap, leverages the monsters weakness and miraculously escapes and overcomes the monster.

The pattern and rhythm of these stories follows a constriction and release pattern, where things get bad and better. The amplitude of these swings vary and are used to keep the reader engaged.

Chapter Three - Rags to Riches

• We start at the hero’s childhood, or beginning. Where they are facing a lot of hardship and are oppressed in some way.
• There are dark figures who may be parental(above them) or at their level, who don’t see the potential in them and disregard the hero.
• The hero then goes through a series of life changing adventures, which bring out the true value in them. Each time possibly improving their fortunes.
• Finally the hero has transformed and has the required happy ending.
• The happy ending involves improved fortunes (wealth), the perfect partner and ruling over a kingdom/dominion.
• Apart from these cosmetic riches, the happy ending can only be truly complete if a personal transformation (without cosmetic help) has been achieved. This sometimes comes only after the central crisis.

Along this transformation there is an important shift from being helpless and dependent to being independent and capable of helping others.
The central crisis is a key turning point(s) in the story. While the hero initially has a straightforward rise in fortunes, it reaches a point where it seems as if the happy ending has been reached. It is then that we have a drastic change of fortunes, the crisis point. The hero is now at their lowest, where things look even worse than they did in the beginning. We are now given a clue as to how, their is yet another turn in fortune coming. Now we have a more dramatic rags to riches rise, leveraging the skills/potential which we had discovered in the hero in the first leg and fully blossoming into a richer personality from within.
Key stages that the story goes through are:

1. Initial Wretchedness and the Call -  The hero starts off with difficulty and disregard at home. They then receive some sort of opportunity to go into the wider world, where they have a chance.
2. Initial Success - For the first time they start getting small rewards and recognition. They have their first (and successful) encounters with the princess/prince.
3. Central Crisis - Because they aren’t yet fully mature and ready, things go wrong, and the cosmetic success comes crashing down and they’re left even worse off than before.
4. Independence and the Final Ordeal - The hero learns how to be independent, fully matures, and grabs the second amazing opportunity (often a recall of a previously passed opportunity). The hero may now pass the test that only the ‘true hero’ could.
5. Completion - Any pending problems such as those the hero had at home in the beginning are now resolved and a fully satisfying happy ending is reached.

The hero’s character must be built up full of hope and dreams, with talents and potential which are ahead of their time, or unrecognised in their current circumstances.
There is also a dark version of the rags to riches story. Here the character’s motives are darker and selfish. The steps follow in a similar fashion, but at each step we see the ugly side of the character. The story usually ends just before or after the central crisis. If it ends before the central crisis, it is shown that the character has achieved a hollow and deeply unsatisfactory ‘happy ending’.

Chapter Four - The Quest

The Call must shake things up at the hero’s home to such an extent that they have no choice but to leave. This may involve the situation getting very bad or a prediction of doom. It may also involve a promise of great treasure or value elsewhere.
The hero’s companions usually play a very important role in this type of story. The hero’s companions may be of 4 types:

1. Large number, undifferentiated, not individually significant characters.
2. One Alter-ego. Very similar to hero, just less important.
3. One Complimentary. Fills in the hero’s gaps, and is sometimes driving the other/different agenda.
4. Team complimentary. Everyone brings one different skill. Together they make the whole package.

The journey is a dangerous and risky one. The 4 kinds of dangers usually faced are:

1. Monsters - similar to those in overcoming the monster. But this is usually a brief and less significant encounter.
2. Temptations - These are in the form of rest, pleasure, treasure etc. They may be directly dangerous or just distractions, or both. A temptress may also be tamed and converted to a helper.
3. Narrow Paths - These are areas to be passed which are tightly caught between two different but equally dangerous monsters/natural dangers of any kind.
4. The Underworld - Sometimes the hero must travel through the underworld, where they witness all sorts of horrors and dangers, but rarely experience it on their own.

Helpers usually come in two forms. They may be an old, wise man or a young ageless woman. The kind of help that they render also takes two main forms. They may provide respite, care and material help. They may also provide training or guidance in some form.
Final Ordeal on completing the dangerous journey, the hero is only half done with the story. There is usually still a final set of ordeals they must face and a last set of difficult tasks that must be completed to be safe/attain the treasure. The companion’s usually band together well to make this a dramatic scene similar to the miraculous escape in ‘overcoming the monster’.
Renewal of Life - The happy ending here often involves a sense of a new kingdom or a new order of life being set in place. A world which is as perfect as can be.
The hero must once again be built with noble goals in mind. It is important that they mature over the course of the quest.

Chapter Five - Voyage and Return

Sudden Change of Setting is the defining element in this type of story. The hero is transported to a different world (geographically, temporally, socially or moves into a strangers body etc). The change in setting is not a consciously chosen one, it happens by mistake or misfortune.
Journey - The hero experiences a bunch of new and exciting adventures, understanding the new world. The world must be designed and very different and confusing to navigate for the hero. Any number of subplots may play in here until the dangerous constriction, where the world becomes too dangerous for them. The journey contains as usual the dream, frustration and nightmare stages.
Miraculous Escape - Standard miraculous escape, usually by luck in this case. Just in time things are returned to normal or the new normal(safety).
The character is bored and looking for a world expanding experience. They are curious and excited. The character may have a transformative journey, where they learn valuable lessons and grow as people. However, they could also remain completely unchanged and take the whole thing as an interesting experience.
There isn’t the usual happy ending in this type of story. Usually the return to normalcy with a possible personal transformation is how it ends. There also usually isn’t much of a love story as a part of this type of story. When there is, it rarely carries forward to the return to normalcy.
3 important questions to analyse and understand voyage and return plots:

• How did the hero / heroine end up in this other world?
• What is the true nature of this other world?
• What is actually happening to them as they navigate the world?

These 3 questions also mildly overlap with the stages of anticipation / start of voyage, the journey (dream, frustration and nightmare stage) and the miraculous escape.

Chapter Six - Comedy

Comedy as a story isn’t about being funny, but is about the dark forces or characters coming into the light and changing for the better. The following elements are key in modern comedy and were added in various different stages:

• Aristophanes Stage
  There is a conflict between lighter and darker characters/forces. The lighter forces succeed in convincing and winning over the darker forces to the right side. No one is defeated, everyone is happy together.
• New Comedy Stage
  
  • Hero and Heroine are introduced to each other in the beginning and should be together, but dark forces/characters keep them apart.
  • There is confusion and misunderstanding. Often people mistake each other for different people.
  • In the end all confusion is cleared, dark forces become light and there is a conventional happy ending.
• Shakespeare Stage
  
  • There are multiple couples which will get together. But the process of wooing each other and figuring out who should be with whom is a large part of it.
  • There is a very complex range of confusion and reshuffling between the couples. Same elements of misunderstanding, disguises and mistaking one person for another is used.
  • Finally all couples get together, and dark forces are converted to light. If any dark force is not converted (rare) it is exposed and shamed for being dark. Happy ending.

The obscured heroine is a powerful tool which is employed in comedies. When the dark forces apply their constriction, the heroine often ends up disguising herself, either in hiding or in order to subtly start working the light forces against the dark.
The dark figures in comedy are usually a third party, not one of the central lovers. However, often the dark forces take over the hero during the main constriction, causing confusion. The hero may also be the main dark figure in some comedies.
Above the line refers to the upper caste and in control characters. They typically turn dark, leading to the constriction. Below the line refers to the less in control characters who represent the light. They often band together and conspire to convert the dark figures in order to lead to the resolution. Some of the light characters who are above the line often end up disguising themselves (or escaping) as below the line characters fr hiding or to be a part of the conspiracy.

Chapter Seven - Comedy 2 - The Disguised Plot

The steps and ideas in the comedy plot maybe disguised, adapted or transformed, making it seem different from shakespeare, while still having the same plot. Jane Austen did this by converting concepts of disguises, dark figures and conversion (dark to light) human traits, biases and warming up to each other.
Another way of disguising the plot is by replacing dark figures with events which have the same effect. A death, war, prohibition etc can lead to a situation where lovers are kept apart.
Sometimes the serious elements of comedy is removed, making it just funny. This is done, by removing the moral aspect of “the dark being wrong and being converted to light”. This leaves us with a plot which is just absurd and funny. Similarly the funnier elements can be ignored by using the same elements very seriously, not for humour.
The funny part of comedy usually comes from characters taking themselves too seriously, failed plans and ridiculous situations arising. All of these spring up as a result of dark characters taking a stance opposed to what logic dictates and the light characters trying to restore status quo.
Summarising Comedy
There are 3 key phases:

1. Initial challenge . This is usually because a desired outcome is seen. Often in the form of couples who should end up together. But there is some dark figure or force which prevents it from happening.
2. Middle confusion . There is some disguising, switching around of roles which happens. This maybe deliberate to try to arrive at a conclusion. Or it may be forced on characters. A lot of the themes of a disguised heroine, below the line characters, absurd situations etc show up here.
3. Final resolution . A happy ending in the form of dark being converted to light, couples ending up together, the new generation being passed the baton etc happen here.

Chapter Eight - Tragedy

Like comedies, tragedy has many different variations, rather than a singular set of steps. Most other plots have a dark version. However, a tragedy has more to it than just a dark ending (usually a premature and unnatural death).
Tragedies go forward in 5 stages:

• Anticipation - Dark or illicit call. This stems from the hero having some dark and unfulfilled desire.
• Dream stage - Things go well. There is unprecedented gratification.
• Frustration stage - Things begin to go wrong. Further dark acts may come in which further lock the hero into their predicament. A character who is targetedly the source of the hero's troubles may appear here.
• Nightmare stage - Final constriction and intensification of frustration in every way.
• Final destruction - There is a final act of death or violence which ends the hero's tale.

Some stories don't start with the first few stages. Instead they start by the time frustration is peaking. The earlier stages have happened before the start of the story.

Chapter Nine - Tragedy - The Divided Self

These stories also begin with a call, like many others. But the call here is more like a temptation, which is targeted at a part of them which is an unhealthy obsession.
In tragedies the hero/heroine is unsure of whether they should answer the call. However in other stories the hero is fully committed from the very beginning. It is like there is a side of them that wants to be dark and another which wants to be light. Sometimes this is shown clearly from the call stage.
The hero often tries to keep the dark side of themself hidden from the rest of the world. Once they succumb, the dark side comes to the surface, and the light side is hidden, diluted or disappears altogether.
While other plots move towards a satisfactory closure in a non-linear path, tragedies, move in a linear or exponential fashion towards an unsatisfactory end (not happy). This usually includes alienating of their network. Some key characters involved in this process for contrast are:

• The good old man - an older, kingly or authority figure.
• Rival - similar in age and capability, but on the light side, in contrast.
• Innocent young girl - she is a good angel, but is unable to sway the hero. When her goodness doesn't convert the hero, we move from frustration towards nightmare.
• Temptress - She leads him into darkness. She is often part of the same downfall as the hero. But may also be the traitor who destroys the hero, without herself being destroyed.

Chapter Ten - Tragedy - The Hero as a Monster

The hero in tragedies is basically going through a transformation into a monster. As the story proceeds, they often play the 3 roles that a monster does:

• Predator - in their first few cruel acts from anticipation towards the dream stage. This is often well hidden and rewarded.
• Holdfast - this is usually in the frustration stage, as they defend the treasure that they are going after.
• Avenger - this is usually in the nightmare stage, when they fully transform into a monster and lash out.

The standard plot involves and increasing darkening of the hero, until their eventual downfall. But there are a few possible shades of grey rather than steady movement from light to dark:

• The hero begins to redeem themself and is fully brought back to light. If this happens completely, through all relevant stages, this becomes a rebirth plot.
• The hero begins to redeem themself towards the end. But redemption isn't enough to prevent their downfall.
• The hero redeems themself and is saved by the end. But the process of darkening has had its impact and can't be undone fully.
• The hero keeps deteriorating and finally is destroyed. But in the last moment, their destruction becomes a sacrificial act of goodness which ends the story on a light to grey note.
• The hero is light throughout. The regular plot of tragedy is followed, but all the darkening that happens is because of society around them. However, the hero may have a positive impact on society and bring it from darkness towards a little bit of light.

Chapter Eleven - Rebirth

Stages of a rebirth plot

• Initial curse (state of living death) - the hero / heroine is placed under a curse of some sort or trapped in some way. This sets up an unhappy trajectory for the character.
• Dream stage (reprieve) - For a while it seems like the curse has been kept at bay or that something has been done to resolve it. This usually involves a hero/ine (of opposite gender) acting as a saviour. The cursed hero/ine is usually pretty helpless and dependent on others for saving.
• Frustration - The curse then takes full hold, or something worse happens, making it seem like escape will be difficult. The hero/ine gives up on trying to save them or fails.
• Nightmare - The curse reaches its maximum grip. And it looks like nothing can be done to save the hero/ine.
• Rebirth - Miraculously the hero/ine is saved by the other gender. If the main hero frees themself, they must be guided and helped by some other, pure character. The curse is released. Often the main hero/ine is revealed not to be so awful after all, but just veiled by the curse. And both end up together.

This rebirth plot can also have a slightly different flow. The steps could match the tragedy plot almost completely. However, towards the last few steps, for some reason or the other, the hero turns from dark to light. Usually this reason is love which successfully turns the hero. Note that in this version, the first few steps are darker and more tragic than like the hopeful steps that come in the first few types of plots.
The dark power might be:

• Something entirely external which locks the hero in a curse. This happens because of some immaturity or weakness of the hero.
• Something internal which takes over the hero. The hero must be liberated, changed and improved to free themself.
• Something initially external, which then changes and makes the hero themself dark. The hero must once again change and improve.

Chapter Twelve - Dark Power - From Shadow Into Light

There are many motifs and themes which repeat across all or many plots. The most core of all of this is the dark power. Dark powers have a bad ending, and light powers have a happy ending. It is therefore a common theme for dark to be converted into light or being destroyed. Or for such an attempt to be made at least.

• Beginning - hero is incomplete, unfulfilled or in some way not ready.
• Middle - hero encounters dark power and may be troubled or taken over by it.
• End - resolution where the dark power is either defeated or it takes over.

Every plot follows this same basic beginning, middle and end. Each of the lays emphasis on different papers and takes different lenses.
In the first 3 plots, the hero is most clearly placed against the darkness. In voyage and return there is more of an opportunity for the hero to also change and grow out of some sort of darkness. In comedy, there is a lot of emphasis on how a single dark figure can affect a lot of key characters. The transformation of the dark figure is very important here. In tragedy the spotlight is on the dark figure itself. Rebirth is thematically similar to tragedy. The end is different and the flow is therefore different.
Generically all stories go through 5 stages of:

1. Initial construction or discomfort (need for change)
2. Opening out and movement towards resolution
3. Stronger constriction and closing in
4. Contrast between light and dark is most extreme
5. Final resolution in either direction

Epilogue to part one - The role of numbers in stories:
1 - There is the one hero, or one goal that is of significance and importance.
2 - There is a divide of good vs evil. There is also the uniting of hero and heroine. Thus 2 is important for dividing an uniting.
3 - Many things happen in 3s. Wishes, challenges, steps, different types of characters. 3 is a number which just fits very well to capture attention and still draw on for an appropriately long duration. Three is the number that is required for growth, progress and transformation.
Cumulative 3. Each item is of equal importance. But need to be put together for something to happen.
Progressive/descending 3. Each item gets tougher or more important than the last.
Contrasting 3. The last one contradicts the first 2. Often the case with one good sibling and 2 evil ones.
Dialectical 3. The first 2 are wrong in 2 different ways. The third is just right.
4 - the number of completion.

Part Two - The Complete Happy Ending

Chapter Thirteen - Dark Figures

There are 4 types of dark figures:

1. Dark father/tyrant - Someone who has taken the role of a father. They might be a metaphorical or literal replacement for the original father. Whether actual or adopted father, he is tyrannical, cruel and oppressive.
2. Dark mother/witch - Similarly heartless and oppressive character. Often they may pretend to work in the protagonists interest, through fake feminine values, but actually aim to trap them.
3. Dark rivals - These are usually siblings or people at the same level. But they try to put other people at their level down.
4. Dark other half - This is someone of the other sex. They seem to offer the option and maybe temptation of union but are otherwise dark as a character. Through fake feminine values they also try to trap the protagonist.

As the story progresses, there is often the possibility that a dark father or mother loses importance, but dark rivals or dark other halves grow in importance.
There are literal monsters also as dark figures. However, each of them also can be thought of as like one of the 4 types of dark figures in terms of how they act. Of course, many dark characters can be some combination of these 4 types.
Light protagonists sometimes find light allies to effectively counter or replace the impact of the dark figures in their life. For example a fairy godmother is a light figure to counter dark parents.
Dark figures must pose some sort of threat. Dark and monstrous figures usually embody a hard hearted masculinity (even if they are female). Dark figures must lack this soft femininity. They cannot be whole characters, the way in which light characters and protagonists are. On the whole, dark figures like monsters are often more powerful. But their lack of wholeness makes them flawed in a key way.

Chapter Fourteen Seeing Whole - Feminine & Masculine Values

Being able to “see whole” is a necessity for a satisfying end. This is why dark figures with a blind spot lose to light figures who have grown and gained some sort of perspective.
Making the protagonist(s) complete often involves using many pieces of the puzzle (details shared early on) to make the protagonist whole. The plot thus holds the reader in suspense as they guess which pieces will fit in where and how it will bring about completeness.
Dark figures usually embody a hard hearted masculinity (even if they are female). Dark figures must lack soft femininity. This places them usually as a polar opposite to the main heroine of the story.
Feminine value : Selfless feeling & ability to feel whole. Connection and a deeper understanding of the world. This is why feminine values must emerge from the shadows to bring about a happy ending. 2 key feminine values are feeling and understanding.
Dark inversion : Standard story plots are sometimes inverted, as happens in tragedies. Even light values become dark, and feminine values might take a backseat for hard hearted masculine values. However, these tragic dark figures also lack some masculine values of strength, confidence, generosity etc.
Masculine value : Overpower & outwit through physical & intellectual capability. But also the control and ability to live a free life, in a world or order. When freedom or order is missing, it often implies that there is some type of stunted masculinity. 2 key masculine values are strength and order.
The pieces which must come together and make the protagonist(s) whole can often be simplified to a coming together of masculine & feminine value. This may happen within one protagonist alone, or through the classic coming together of hero and heroine, or both of these.

Chapter Fifteen - The Perfect Balance

Every happy ending requires a perfect balance of all elements coming together, including the 2 masculine + 2 feminine values. Not all values are given equal importance in every story. But there can't be a clear lacking in any of them for there to be a happy ending.
The struggle for rhe perfectly balanced ending is usually represented as a struggle between 3 corners:

1. Dark and masculine dark figure
2. Light and feminine heroine (passive)
3. Light and balanced hero (active)

The specific genders and the degree of distinction is just an illustration above. It need not be this stark. For example, the heroine could also be more active in the fight against darkness. The heroine could also be the one who is balanced and actively brings the hero back to his masculine state. The heroine might also have to fix and restore a hero who has become dark. There are more such permutations.
Cosmic happy ending : the world or setting of the protagonists usually starts off in some sort of disarray. With a balanced happy ending for the hero and heroine, the world that they live in should also reach a satisfactory resolution, in the light.
The general disarray which represents a world in trouble is characterised by 4 dimensions:

1. Oppressive use of power
2. The natural order being shifted
3. Things being obscured or hidden so no one can see whole
4. A lack of love or human feeling

A happy ending for the world at large means that the above 4 problematic dimensions must be resolved.

Chapter Sixteen - The Unrealised Value

In many stories the protagonist grows up without some key value in their life. Often they are an orphan, or have lost one parent (usually of the same gender). Early in the story there is some sort of a dark replacement version for the missing value. For example a dark parent figure shows up as the chief antagonist. By the end of the story, the protagonists is themselves transformed into a strong, light version of the missing value.
The protagonist is expected to beat and overcome the dark figures (any of the 4 types) by matching up to them on masculine qualities. But also showing that they have the required feminine qualities which the dark figures lack.
We can think of a happy family unit as a goal for the story. Thus, until there is a happy and light father, mother, hero and heroine, there will be some missing value. This movement to a complete and happy family unit might require the shift from a dark and incomplete generation towards the next, light and balanced generation.

Chapter Seventeen - The Archetypal Family Drama

In family dramas, often the protagonist starts in a somehow broken family. The plot follows a path where the protagonist can form their own more complete and light family. Along the way, there may be many dark parent figures or other family figures. This naturally had a rags to riches flow, even if there are other more central plots.
Even comedy naturally follows this plot of some obstacle to a happy family, which eventually becomes whole. The obstacle might come from:

• Older generation - There's a dark parent who acts as a tyrant. They need to be transformed into a light parent for the plot to reach completion and a happy ending.
• Younger generation - The protagonist might be dark and needing conversion. Or there might just be confusion which must get resolved for a happy ending.

There are 2 types of struggles which are often important in family dramas and especially comedies:

1. The struggle of the hero to form the balance of light masculine and light feminine. He might have a positive feminine influence in his life. But even a light mother could become overbearing and a dark feminine influence, unless he learns to leave the nest as he develops a strong, light masculine character.
2. The struggle of the heroine to break free from the grip of dark characters. Often the heroine is shown as a damsel in distress. In these situations, she often needs to develop the strength to become her own, well-rounded character.

Chapter Eighteen - The Light Figures

Important types of guiding light figures:

• Wise old man - He is mature and represents completion. He has well balanced masculine and feminine values. He is strong and authoritarian. Often has physical characteristics like a beard and penetrating eyes to show his age and wisdom. This is true even if he isn't very old or even a human.
• Ageless woman - She is often everything that the wise old man is, but in a more feminine form. Often the 2 of them will appear together, to show perfect balance together, but not necessarily individually.

A more active light figure is the light other half. The opposite gender figure, whom the protagonist will end up with. They may play an active role in bringing out the strong and light values of the protagonist out, to fight the darkness. They may be on some way oppressed, drawing the protagonist to action. The attraction which draws the protagonist to action could span across 4 increasing levels:

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Emotional
4. Spiritual

Just as with dark figures, we can see 4 archetypal light figures:

1. Light father
2. Light mother
3. Light alter ego - close ally / alter ego / group of lesser companions (can also be a mysterious, helpful animal that the protagonist helps, when no one else does)
4. Light other half

All of these can be thought of as being polar opposites of the dark figures we have already seen. Each of these might be active guiding roles, or background supporting roles, depending on the plot and other characters.
The light child is another light figure. They may serve to symbolise the hope of a new generation. They can also sometimes serve to awaken the light feminine values of a protagonist.
Of course, there must be light within the protagonist itself. This is a central part of the lightness shown across any plot. The self and it's complete lightness must be represented by 4 things for a happy ending:

• Complete self realisation
• Hero and heroine coming together in complete reunion
• Complete family coming together
• The larger society finding happiness, centred around the protagonist

Chapter Nineteen - Reaching The Goal

This chapter only covers an illustration of the combined plot types covered and each of the core ideas discussed in the last few chapters through 5 stories.

Chapter Twenty - The Fatal Flaw

In tragedies, there is some fatal flaw in character of the protagonist. This flaw is usually one related to hubris, or a lack of balance. This fatal flaw will prevent them from succeeding in their goal and succeeding the previous generation.
Often they go after a goal which is overly ego centric. And they may go after it in a flawed way. This is usually a part of their fatal flaw. Another part of the fatal flaw includes giving in to the dark figures' influences while destroying supporting light figures.

Part Three - Missing The Mark

Chapter Twenty One - The Ego Takes Over : Enter The Dark Inversion

In the last 200 years, there has been an increased focus on more egocentric characters. However, these aren't conventional tragedies about these characters' downfall.
Difference - In these stories, there is no disintegration and gradual darkening of the character. They are egocentric, but darkness doesn't increasingly take over them. Nor do they evolve and grow, becoming more light.
Similarity - Because they don't become completely light, there is no complete resolution. There might be a slight happy or sad ending. But the full checklist of a happy ending isn't reached.

Chapter Twenty Two - The Ego Takes Over : The Dark and Sentimental Version

There is a spectrum of how darkly a story can end (in the case of dark or tragic stories)

• Dark version - Tragic ending because of egocentricity and lack of balance.
• Lesser dark version - Insufficiently happy ending, with something missing, because of lack of balance.
• Sentimental version - On the surface looks like the complete happy ending, however is actually hollow or just a facade in some way. A little closer to a happy ending than the lesser dark version. But the hollowness is more subtle.

Chapter Twenty Three - The Ego Takes Over : Quest, Voyage & Return, Comedy

Samples and explanation of the previous 2 chapters ideas within quest, voyage & return and comedy stories.

Chapter Twenty Four - The Ego Takes Over : Tragedy & Rebirth

Samples and explanation of the previous 2 chapters ideas within tragedy and rebirth stories.

Chapter Twenty Five - Losing The Plot : Thomas Hardy, A Case History

2 key features of all Thomas Hardy stories:

1. A polarised world with 2 very distinct spheres
2. Strong and numerous love mismatches, with a focus on resolving and finding the right match

From one story to the next, his own life experience and disintegration begins to come out through the characters. This is a case study of how losing touch with one’s self and roots leads to the darkening of the ego, and a deviation from a complete, happy ending.

Chapter Twenty Six - Going Nowhere : The Passive Ego, The Twentieth-Century Dead End, From Chekhov to Close Encounters

In the twentieth century, to mark a sort of spiritual plateau, there are many stories which markedly have no movement in their plot. There is dialogue, banter and ideas, but no movement in plot. These stories literally go nowhere. In such a story, all characters are sort of caught in their ego. They can't be fully light or complete characters. But they usually aren't dark either.
These characters often have an empty dream of a fantastic future. However, this is dream is hollow and the characters are bleak and take no real steps towards their goal.
These stories have a pseudo ending, where there isn't a satisfactory resolution of light and dark. This can happen in one of 3 ways:

1. A final act of violence (dramatic conclusion)
2. Circular ending, returning to the beginning
3. Makes it clear that nothing has changed or moved, but presents that as a positive thing

Chapter Twenty Seven - Why Sex and Violence? The Active Ego. The Twentieth-Century Obsession : From de Sade to The Terminator

Acts of sex and violence have always been a part of story telling. However, as story telling became more ego-centric, these acts became less of a background plot point, and more of a central, on screen part of the story.
In stories of fantasy and sensationalism, the ego thrives on "imagery of self defiance". Thus, fantasy is never focused on a complete happy ending. It is always focused on some form of defying the perfect happy ending. For example, sexual fantasy is usually built on some type of taboo, as opposed to a picture of a couple living happily ever after. Violent sensationalism shows a hero who is not whole, but whose animalistic urges get the better of them for some sort of gratification.
Fantasy and sensationalism can thus never culminate in a whole happy ending. It can only escalate the level of sensationalism until ending in a state of incompleteness.

Chapter Twenty Eight - Rebellion Against 'The One' : From Job to Nineteen Eighty Four

There are 2 more plots which are distinct from the basic 7:

1. Mystery (next chapter)
2. Rebellion (and failure)

In the rebellion plot the main character must rebel against a great, omnipotent power. The character is then step by step crushed. The phases through which these stories go may be similar to the standard 5 phases. It may be a light or dark story, resulting from the great power itself being light or dark. But the main character must be crushed into submission or death.

Chapter Twenty Nine - The Mystery

Mysteries must start off by posing a riddle. Often this involves a murder or a crime of some sort. The main character is the calm, confident, all seeing detective. While the information to solve the riddle may always be available with the reader (or may not), the answer will be made evident by the main character only by the end of the story. This slow, teasing and misleading reveal is the core of teh flow of the plot of a mystery. Most other key characters may provide bits of veiled evidence, or may be misled and have other, incorrect ideas of what the answer to the mystery are.
Interestingly, in mystery stories, the main character may stay outside of the main drama and underlying plot. They may come in after the drama, and relive it in a step by step revealing flashback. This isn't necessary, but is possible and frequent in mysteries.

Chapter Thirty - The Riddle of The Sphinx : Oedipus and Hamlet

Analysis of the plot of 2 stories.