Module 2: Section 4

Literature: Plot as an Organizational Device

"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before."
--- Willa Cather in O! Pioneers!

Willa Cather may have a point - we humans share our experiences over and over again as if they are unique and new! A talented writer can turn a universal idea or storyline into a fresh new work of art. To do this, he/she not only needs strong ideas, but also needs to have a sense of how a story can be structured and what the best possible structure is for each case. When creating the plot of a story, writers are usually very careful and deliberate with how they organize the events.

Part I: Elements of Plot

View the Elements of Plot tutorial to learn more.

Reading Assignment. Read the short story The Enchanted Bluff by Willa Cather. It is a wonderful example of her philosophy that we tell the same stories over and over.

While the plot of The Enchanted Bluff may seem simple, the story contains very complex, universal ideas. Like all good writers, Cather's transitions between exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action are very subtle, and thus, flow very naturally.

As you read the story, determine what the main elements are in the exposition:

• What is the setting?
• From what perspective is the story told?
• Are there any apparent themes?

Next, identify the rising action and the climax.

• What is the major turning point of the story?
• How does it affect the characters?

Finally, identify the falling action and resolution.

• What happens after the climax?
• Are there any consequences for those involved?
• What do you think happens to the characters after the story ends?

Clever writers often play with the sequencing of the events in their plots in order to create certain effects like suspense and complexity. If you listen to people telling stories orally, they rarely move from event to event in a purely chronological fashion. Rather, they use plot devices like foreshadowing, flashback, ab ovo narrative, circular narrative, and en medias res narrative to enhance their tales.

View the Special Plot Devices tutorial to learn more about these terms.