Plot AP Literature and Composition September 2012

Defined  Plot is the sequence of events which involves the characters in conflict.  The sequence of events is called the narrative order  Conflict is the struggle between the protagonist and an opposing force.

Narrative Order  Chronological - In this case, the events are told in the order they happen.  Flashback - occurs when the author narrates an event that took place before the current time of the story  Time lapse - occurs when the story skips a period of time that seems unusual compared to the rest of the plot

Types of Conflict  Internal conflict, or person-against-self, occurs when the protagonist struggles within himself or herself.  Interpersonal conflict, or person-against- person, pits the protagonist against someone else.

Types of Conflict  Person-against-society happens when the protagonist is in conflict with the values of his or her society.  Person-against-nature takes place when the protagonists is threatened by an element of nature.  Person-against-fate occurs when the protagonist must contend against a fact or life or death over which people have little control, such as death or disability.

Plot Structure  Exposition - an explanation of the situation and the condition of the characters  Rising action – a problem is introduced for the protagonist to solve and is followed by a series of complications building tension  Dilemma  Conflict  Complications

Plot Structure  Climax - is the peak or turning point of the action  Climax means “ladder”  No new further action  The protagonist makes a decision and acts on it to end the conflict  Not necessarily an action!

Plot Structure  Denouement or falling action is the part after the climax giving any explanation and a resolution, or feeling of completion to the story

The Ending  The ending may be open or closed  Closed – the reader feels they know what will happen. There is definite closure to the story  Open – the reader must draw his/her own conclusions  Cliffhanger - is an abrupt ending at an exciting and often dangerous time in the plot

Additional Elements of Plot  Suspense is a state of tension, a sense of uncertainty, an emotional pull which keeps the reader reading  Foreshadowing is the planting of hints about what will happen later in the story  Coincidence, the concurrence of events which happen by chance, is a fact in real life

Additional Elements of Plot  Inevitability is the sense that the outcome is necessary and inescapable  Sensationalism is unrelieved suspense; it often includes violence and may produce fear in the reader  Sentimentality is the overuse of sentiment (a natural concern for another person) that produces a tear-jerker

How to Write About Plot  Why did the writer hold back information in the exposition? Explain how the writer constructs the exposition and how it leads to the story’s climax.

How to Write About Plot  Analyze what the conflict is and explain the complications – analyze the elements  Think? Is there a way to divide up the short story or novel? Use post-its as you read

How to Write About Plot  Do the meaning and emotional impact of this story heavily depend on the working out of the plot?  Or is the plot, if noticeable at all, subordinate to the other elements? The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction

How to Write About Plot  To what extent does the action of the plot arise from other kinds of characters depicted in the story and their relation to each other? The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction

How to Write About Plot  Are there any major breaks or omissions in the chain of events or episodes of the plot?  Is the outcome of the plot consistent with the actions that initiated it?  If there is a surprise ending, does it emerge from some unforeseen but plausible change in direction of the plot line? The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction

How to Write About Plot  How is the plot related to the chronology of the story?  That is, have some decisive actions, necessary to the plot, taken place before the narration begins?  Is the narration halted with an implication that some event still to come will round out the plot? The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction

How to Write About Plot  Test the plot for meaning and credibility by imagining alternative events which, at any point, might have made for a different outcome. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction

How to Write About Plot  What motivations in the characters are necessary to move the plot along? The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction