Plot is what we call the plot of a narrative. It can be linear (the facts are narrated chronologically) or non-linear (chronological order is not respected). In general, the plot is composed of an initial event, a turning point in the narrative and the resolution of the conflicts of the story.
Read too: Narrative genre — the genre that refers to texts that tell a story
Topics of this article
Plot summary
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The plot can be linear (sequential) or non-linear (fragmented).
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The classic plot structure is: initial event, change or “turn” and final solution.
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The elements of the narrative are: narrator, character, plot, time, space and discourse.
What are the types of plot?
The plot (or plot) is the sequence of narrated facts. Thus, one event generates another, and this makes up a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. Thus, the plot can basically be:
To make it clearer, let’s imagine the story of a boy who dreams of meeting his idol. In the linear plot, the plot begins with the manifestation of this boy’s wish, followed by the difficulty or actions to fulfill the wish and, finally, it concludes with the fulfillment of this wish.
But it is also possible to start the plot at the end and then tell the boy’s trajectory until the moment he gets what he wants. In this case, we do not have a sequential plot, but a fragmented one. Therefore, the plot structure has to do with the narrator’s intentionwhich can emphasize the outcome of the work or the trajectory of the character.
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How is a plot made?
In the construction of the plot, according to the literary critic Jonathan Culler, it is necessary:
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the existence of an initial, main event that triggers others;
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the occurrence, then, of the “turn”, a transformation;
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the resolution, at last, to history.
Thus, what binds the reader of a narrative is this change, which generates the conflict of the work. This transformation can be related to an event or a character, for example. It must be followed by the solution at the end of the work, an outcome that dialogues with the beginning of the narrative. This resumption shows the power of this outcome, as it highlights the transformation that took place during the story.
See too: Fable — the type of narrative that conveys various social values
examples of plot
→ Dom Casmurroby Machado de Assis
The book Dom Casmurroby Machado de Assis, is an example of non-linear plot. After all, the narrator of the novel begins the story at the end, when Bentinho is old and intends to “tie the two ends of life, and restore adolescence in old age”. In this way, the narrator-character begins to tell facts of his adolescence.
From there, we have a chronological narrative: Bentinho and Capitu fall in love, need to overcome an obstacle to their love (the young man is obliged to go to a seminary and become a priest), then they get married, have a child, jealousy of Bentinho and, finally, the eternal doubt — did Capitu cheat on her husband or not? Thus, Machado de Assis innovates by denying a final solution to his plot.
→ the star hourby Clarice Lispector
Innovative is also the book the star hour, by Clarice Lispector, due to its metalinguistic character. Initially, the work shows the doubts of the narrator Rodrigo SM in the creation of his protagonist: the northeastern Macabéa. So he prefers a linear plotas pointed out in:
“I just don’t start with the end that would justify the beginning — as death seems to say about life — because I need to record the antecedent facts.”
Then, he finally begins the story of his protagonist’s very monotonous life. It shows her work, the place where she lives, the poverty in which she lives, her relationship with the ambitious Olímpico, the end of the relationship, the meeting with a fortune teller and the tragic ending of the character, that is, her moment of the star .
→ Alice in Wonderlandby Lewis Carroll
At work Alice in Wonderlandby Lewis Carroll, we have an example of linear plot. The protagonist, bored, sees a white rabbit and runs after him. She goes into a burrow and falls down to «Wonderland». There, she has several adventures and meets exotic characters. Finally, Alice wakes up and discovers that it was all a dream.
→ By nightby Caio Fernando Abreu
In the soap opera By nightby Caio Fernando Abreu, the Plot linearity is evident. Santiago is at Pérsio’s apartment, where the two talk. Later, they leave «by night». First, go to a restaurant. Then to Deer’s, a bar, but they have a disagreement. Outside, in the rain, they kiss. Go to a disco. Afterwards, they say goodbye in front of Persio’s building. However, minutes later, the doorbell rings. Pérsio will open — it’s Santiago. Then, “they tasted each other, in the lap of the morning”.
Elements of the narrative
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Storyteller: who tells the story.
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Narrator types:
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character: participates in the narrated story.
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omniscient: he knows everything, he knows even the intimate thoughts of the characters.
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observer: you are limited to what you can observe.
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Character: who performs the narrated action.
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Character types:
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Plot: plot or story.
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Time: when the action occurs.
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Types of narrative time:
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Space: where the action takes place.
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Types of narrative discourse:
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direct: directly presents the speech of a character.
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indirect: the narrator makes reference to the speech of a character.
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free indirect or semi-indirect: the narrator reproduces the thought of a character.
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→ Video lesson on narrative elements
By Warley Souza
Literature Teacher