Our Analytical Tools:
THE BIG FOUR: PLOT (AND CONFLICT
ANALYSIS), CHARACTERS, SETTING AND
THEME
PLOT
Story is a narrative composed of a sequence of events.
Plot is more than Story because it is the author’s organization of all
the story’s elements in such a way as to suggest meaning.
The most common way fiction writer’s arrange events is represented
by the Freytag Pyramid
All fiction begins with Exposition,
which presents the Unstable
Situation. In other words,
something is not right.
Conflict Analysis
The unstable situation gives rise to the Conflict which develops
through the Rising Action. In other words, the Conflict grows
and we, as readers, get more into the narrative.
Conflict:
Two general categories of Conflict
External conflicts between individuals
“Man (meaning a person) vs. Man”
Internal conflicts
Conflict Analysis (continued)
The
Climax
in the work of fiction occurs when the Conflict comes to a
point of explosion. For example, if the Conflict is External, man vs. man,
and this conflict has been growing for a long time, the Climax is where
the Conflict (and the Characters involved in it) reach their breaking
point.
After the Climax of the work, we, as readers, experience the
Denouement
or the
Falling Action
. This is where things begin to return to
a condition of stability because the Characters in Conflict each a
Resolution
to the Conflict.
Conflicts are resolved in one of four ways:
The Main Character wins The Main Character loses
The Main Character wins but feels dissatisfied with the win Sometimes, but rarely, the Conflict remains unresolved
Why is Conflict Analysis Important?
As we reflect on the Character’s Conflicts, which many times will
be both Internal and External, then we begin to gain a clearer
insight to humankind’s struggle, since its inception, to live in a world
where he/she constantly struggles with other humans, society, an
even him/herself to resolve conflicts;
Since conflict is at the center of our lives, we can learn important
lessons about how characters in fiction resolve their conflicts;
Most importantly, an analysis of Conflict helps us understand why
Characters
Character are the heart of fiction as people are the center of life.
Just as in life, we must first care about the Characters struggle trough Conflict before we can care about the outcome of the Conflict he/she faces.
The Major Characters, or Round Characters, are those we see over a longer period of time in the literary work, and we think of them as more complex , interesting and realistic than the Minor Characters.
The Minor characters are known as Flat Characters because they usually have less personality characteristics than the major Characters and play less of a role in the Conflict development.
The two major characters are the Protagonist and the Antagonist.
Protagonist- The Main Character to whom the action occurs, the one who faces the
Conflict.
Antagonist- The other Main character who causes the action, who creates the
Charcters (continued)
In most novels, plays, short stories, and films, the Main Character must undergo some sort of crisis that brings about real change in fortune, attitude, or living conditions.
The Conflict is represented through the struggle in such a crisis.
In an Internal Conflict (“man vs. himself”) the relationship between the Protagonist and the Antagonist is more complex and more difficult to understand because this is a Conflict within oneself.
In an External Conflict (“man vs. man” or “man vs. society”) the
Protagonist is confronted with a struggle, usually Good vs. Evil, Right vs. Wrong.
That struggle is caused by the Antagonist.
We become interested in the Conflict, and ant to see a Resolution to it, usually because we want to see the Protagonist win over the Antagonist.
Setting
Understanding setting is critical to understanding the reasons why the
characters act as they do in the Conflict, and ultimately understanding why people act as they do and why Humanity exists in conflict as it does.
Setting in its simplest terms is the time and place the action occurs, but it is
more complex than just time and place.
Setting is……
The physical world where the action takes place.
The timeframe over which the action occurs (days, weeks, years). Most importantly, the social environment of the characters, which
includes the manners, the customs, and the moral values that govern the society in which the characters live.
Theme
Theme is….
The central idea of the work.
The most obvious statement of truth about Humanity.
The comment the work makes on the human condition, and a statement that applies to more than just the Characters in the work.
The most difficult aspect of the work to “dig up” because, unlike Conflict, Characters, and Setting, the Theme is not so readily revealed to us.
Theme deals with four general areas of the human experience: The nature of human experience
The nature of society
The nature of humankind’s relationship to the world The nature of our ethical responsibilities.
Theme (continued)
An analysis of Theme answers questions such as:
Are human beings innately “sinful” or “good”? Does fate control us or do we control it?
What does a particular social system or set of social practices do for- or
to- its members?
What is the right conduct and what is the wrong conduct and how do
we know?
Questions to ask yourself as you
Reflect on your readings:
Conflict:
Who is the most affected by the events?
What I the protagonist’s dilemma or crisis situation? Is the Conflict plausible, convincing an effective?
Do you relate to the Protagonist’s struggle? Can you understand why
the Antagonist causes the conflict? Do you care who wins?
Where does the Climax of the work take place? How is the Conflict ultimately resolved?
Questions to ask yourself as you
Reflect on your readings
(continued)
Character:
What are the main character traits of the Main Characters?
How do the major events (the Rising Action) influence changes in the
main Characters?
Is there a scene where the Main Character has an epiphany, or a
significant change? What does the main Character come to see or understand?
Can you list the major character traits of the Protagonist and the
Antagonist? Are the traits true to your understanding of Human nature?
Questions to ask yourself as you
Reflect on your readings
(continued)
Setting:
At what period in history does the action occur? How does the
historical period affect your understanding of the work?
What are some the significant differences between the social conditions
in the work and the social conditions of our life in the US now?
Do the differences affect our understanding of the work? Would the
Characters act the same today? Or are there universal conditions of mankind that carry over time?
How long does it take the action to occur? Does the time flow
Questions to ask yourself as you
Reflect on your readings
(continued)
Theme:
What image of mankind emerges from the work?
Can you ell if the author thinks people are just “no damn good”
(words of the 19
thcentury American writer Mark Twain) or does the
author show people as having redeeming traits?
If people are good, what good things do they do? If people are
flawed, how and to what extent are they so?
What control over their lives do the characters have? What control
over our lives do we have?
What are the moral conflicts in the work? What are the rights in
opposition to one another? Does right win?
Questions to ask yourself as you
Reflect on your readings
(continued)
Theme (continued):
Is one set of moral values in opposition with another?
How do the moral and ethical dilemmas presented in the work
compare with your feelings about Right and Wrong, Good and Evil?
Do ethical decisions emerge from situations or do they come from
preconceived notions of Right and Wrong?
Does the writer (artist) portray any particular society or social
scheme as life-enhancing or life-destroying?
Are the Characters in conflict with Society?
Are they trapped by it or do they ultimately find a secure place
without sacrificing their dignity or values?
