Narrative Structures part deux
In
addition to the plot elements identified by Freytag, there are a number of other
elements that are essential to all narrative. Perhaps the most obvious of these
is conflict. Conflict plays the central, defining role in a plot. In fact,
without conflict there is no plot, not even a story to tell. Conflict
is defined as the tension between characters or even the opposition of
characters. In the image above, the conflict is obvious as the chef tackles the
catch of the day. In Shakespeare's Othello the primary conflict
exists between Othello and Iago as Iago takes his revenge on Othello for
promoting Cassio in his stead. At the same time, Shakespeare's plot is deepened
by secondary conflicts between characters such as Iago and Roderigo which add
texture and intrigue to the action. Conflict may also be internal where we are
made privy to the character's moral struggle. Shakespeare used asides
[moments when the characters talk directly to the audience and speak of their
innermost feelings] and comic books use thought balloons to allow the reader to
see this conflict. Some critics posit that there are only four types of
conflict upon which all plots are built:
- man v. man -- The Rocky films are wonderful examples of
this.
- man v. self -- Hamlet, Spiderman, and The Red Badge
of Courage are examples.
- man v. nature -- Twister, The Tempest, and
The Old Man and the Sea
- man v. the gods (pretty much any force which appears
supernatural) -- The Odyssey, Independence Day, most Superman
stories, and most religious parables.
For conflict to take place, there must be characters. A character
is a figure in a narrative. Most characters are human, but they don't
have to be. Nearly any thing or concept can be anthropomorphized into a
character by providing them with human attributes. Characters can be either
flat (or caricatures) or round. Flat
characters are those that are composed of only a single idea or quality. Round
characters are closer to the complexity of a real personality. For a character
to be successful they must be believable.
The characters are the actors that move within the plot. Stock characters
include:
- protagonist -- from the Greek word meaning "first
combatant," the protagonist is the most important or leading character in a
narrative. The protagonist is the character which is engaged in the main
conflict with the villain. The protagonist is also called the hero
or heroine.
- naive hero -- narrator/character which misrepresents the
events in the plot because of some weakness or trait such as innocence,
stupidity, or insensitivity.
- antagonist -- the character pitted against the
protagonist. Also called the villain.
- narrator -- The speaker through which the writer tells
the story. The author's point of view (the vantage point
from which the narrative is told) determines the type of narrator:
- Third person narratives utilize omniscient (all knowing)
narrators which may be either intrusive (opinionated) or unobtrusive
(detached).
- First person works utilize either a character as narrator or, if
the work is autobiographical, the author will narrate. First person
narrators in fiction often turn out to be naive or unreliable.
- antihero -- A modern version of the protagonist where the
main character displays none of the traditional heroic attributes, but is
instead too ordinary.
- chorus -- used predominantly in Greek drama, these are a
group of people who chanted, sang, and comment on the action
of the play. Still seen in modern musical dramas.
- foil -- a character who, by their contrast with the
protagonist, highlight the protagonists distinctive qualities. For instance,
Robin serves as a foil to Batman by showing fear before engaging in combat.