Understanding The Seven Basic

Plots
A comparison of Christopher
Booker's theories of story
with Melanie Anne Phillips
and Chris Huntley's theory
of Dramatica.
By Glen C. Strathy
Christopher Bookers book, The Seven Basic Plots:
Why we tell stories, is an academic investigation into
the nature and structure of stories. As a fan of
Dramatica, hich ! believe is the most complete and
open"ended theory of story structure, ! as
naturally interested in seeing ho Bookers theories
compared, and hether Booker o#ers any
additional insights hich may be of practical use to
riters.
Because this is a lengthy ork $roughly %&& pages',
it may take me more than one article to discuss the theories it presents. So please consider
hat follos as an initial overvie. ! ill add more detailed analyses of aspects of the
book in other articles $hich ill link from this page' at a later date.
(oever, lets begin ith the part of the book of most interest to riters...
The 7 (or 1, or 9, or...) Plots
Themselves
As you can guess from the title, The Seven Basic Plots argues that there are seven basic
plots that riters have used throughout history, and that these have certain similar
structural features.
)ormally, ! resist approaches like this that try to reduce the universe of stories don to a
handful of types. !ts not that ! disagree ith the conclusions these approaches reach.
*ndeniably, good stories share many common structural features. +hat ! dislike is ho
reductionist approaches tend to leave one ith the impression that all stories are more or
less the same. !t may be useful from the perspective of literary criticism, to develop a
broad understanding of ho literature orks and its role in human culture. But from a
riters point of vie, making stories appear ,all the same- makes them less interesting.
Drama, e.citement, and emotional engagement come from di#erences, from stories that
seem ne and uni/ue.
0eductionist approaches also deliver the message that a riter has almost no hope of
creating an original plot. 1hat is not a particularly useful perspective for a riter ho is
trying to develop a ne and e.citing story idea.
! dont believe riters approach their craft ith the desire to rite the same stories over
and over again, nor to rite the same stories that have been ri2en a thousand times
before by other riters. 3ne of the reasons ! like Dramatica is that, hile it fully describes
the structure of stories, it does not limit possibilities. 4olloing the rules of Dramatica,
riters can create an almost in5nite variety of stories $over 67,&&& in its current form, and
potentially four times as many'.
)onetheless, hen you are struggling ith a story, it can be helpful to look at the
ell"orn paths created by successful authors, because it can help you avoid most of the
pitfalls you could stumble into otherise. And, to be fair, Bookers theories are not /uite
as limiting as his title suggests for the folloing reasons...
A. Despite calling the book, The Seven Basic Plots, Booker actually identi5es nine basic
4ollo Glen on 1i2er...
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8ou Are Secure9
:! am so glad ! found your site. !t has
helped me in so many ays, and has
given me more con5dence about myself
and my ork. 1hank you for making
this valuable resource, for me and my
fello riters. ;erhaps youll hear
about me someday...!ll oe it to you.: "
0uth, <ilton, *.S.A.
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New article on narrative modes and how
to choose the right one for your story.
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com
/narrative-mode.html
Me gusta esta pgina Me gusta esta pgina
:1hanks to your :Create a ;lot 3utline
in = >asy Steps,: ! as able to take a
story that ! simply ?ust fooled around
ith and ent illy nilly all over, into
a clearly de5ned, intriguing ba2le
22
14 people like this. Be the first of your friends. Like Like Share Share
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Understanding the Seven Basic Plots http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/seven-basic-plots.html
1 de 7 05/06/2014 11:50
plots. 1hese are...
Overcoming the MonsterD in hich the hero must venture to the lair of a
monster hich is threatening the community, destroy it, and escape $often ith
a treasure'.
E.
Rags to Riches: in hich someone ho seems /uite commonplace or
dontrodden but has the potential for greatness manages to ful5ll that
potential.
7.
The QuestD in hich the hero embarks on a ?ourney to obtain a great priFe that
is located far aay.
6.
o!age an" Return: in hich the hero ?ourneys to a strange orld that at 5rst
is enchanting and then so threatening the hero 5nds he must escape and return
home to safety.
G.
#ome"!D in hich a community divided by frustration, sel5shness, bi2erness,
confusion, lack of self"knoledge, lies, etc. must be reunited in love and
harmony $often symboliFed by marriage'.
H.
Trage"!: in hich a character falls from prosperity to destruction because of a
fatal mistake.
I.
Re$irth: in hich a dark poer or villain traps the hero in a living death until
heJshe is freed by another characters loving act.
%.
Re$ellion Against %The One%: in hich the hero rebels against the all"poerful
entity that controls the orld until he is forced to surrender to that poer.
=.
M!ster!: !n hich an outsider to some horrendous event $such as a murder'
tries to discover the truth of hat happened.
K.
1he last to plots are only discussed late in the book because, as Booker e.plains, they
ere /uite rare for most of history. 1oday, of course, <ystery plots have become /uite
popular. 0ebellion Against 1he 3ne is still less common, but ! ould argue that some
great science 5ction stories are based on it L especially versions here the hero ins
against the overhelming poer of society $e.g. The Prisoner, The Matrix'.
Booker does make it clear that he has much more respect for the 5rst seven basic plots
than the last to. )onetheless, ! think its a li2le snobbish to say that <ystery stories are
someho inferior to 3vercoming the <onster.
B. Booker acknoledges that each of the seven basic plots comes in several variations,
including dark $or less satisfying' versions, depending on hich characters represent the
forces of light and dark, ho the story ends, the amount of realism, etc. 4or instance,
3vercoming the <onster has a number of variations including...
+estern $ton threatened by outlas'
<elodrama $hero threatened by scheming villain'
1hrillers $orld threatened by madman'
+ar stories $orld threatened by )aFis or e/uivalent'
Science 4iction $orld threatened by aliens or a man"made threatJmonster'
Sympathetic <onster $e.g. King Kong'
C. Booker acknoledges that many stories incorporate elements taken from more than
one of the seven basic plots, alloing for additional variations. (oever, unlike ith
Dramatica, Booker does not suggest rules that ould determine hether a particular
combination of elements ill create a satisfying story. $0ather, he seems to believe that
only the ,light- or archetypal versions of the seven basic plots are truly satisfying.'
The Basic Pattern to the Seven Basic
Plots
Booker describes almost all of the seven basic plots in terms of 5ve stages. !n this, he
echoes Aristotle, 4reytag, and Shakespeare, though, like most theorists, he assigns his
on set of labels to the stages.
Bookers 5ve stages are...
Anticipation: in hich the initial se2ing is established and reader is introduced
to the heroJheroine, ho is someho constricted or unful5lled.
E.
&ream: in hich the hero embarks on the road toard a possible resolution and
e.periences some initial success.
7.
'rustration: in hich the heros limitations and the strength of the forces against
him become more obvious, make a2aining the resolution seem increasingly
diMcult.
6.
here to characters 5ght to keep their
relationship intact, and try to 5nd a
balance in control of themselves and
their lives. 1hanks to you, !m not
ashamed of the poor organiFation of
my riting.: " )ommanic 0agus
:! never kne hat to do ith all the
characters in my head, but since
discovering Dramatica ! am riting
again in my spare time. 1hank you for
making this available. 8es, it is a bit
comple., and it does take time, but !
love it because it orks.: " Colin
Shoeman
:! came across your ebsite by chance.
!t is a plethora of knoledge, ri2en in
a simplistic ay to help aspiring
riters. ! truly appreciate all of the
information you have provided to help
me successfully $relative term' rite
my novel. 1hank you very much9: " Neo
1. 0ollins
:! can honestly say that this is the 5rst
ebsite that is really helpful. 8ou
manage to anser comple. /uestions in
relatively short articles and ith really
intelligent ansers. 1hank you for
taking the time to rite these articles
and sharing them so generously.: "
Chrystelle )ash
;rivacy ;olicy
Recent
Postings
Worried
my book is
moving
too
quickly.
Oun &G, EG EED&6 A<
CuestionD !m
riting my novel
and even on page
EE a lot has
happened. !m
aiming for the
book to be
appro.imately
7&& pages long so
ho might ! be
able
0ead <ore
Pros and
Cons of
first and
third
person
Oun &7, EG &KD&% ;<
CuestionD ! am
pre2y much
E&&P sure that
my book is going
to be in 5rst
person because it
seems to ork
the best that ay
and !m not
e.actly sure ho
0ead <ore
Understanding the Seven Basic Plots http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/seven-basic-plots.html
2 de 7 05/06/2014 11:50
Nightmare: in hich a 5nal ordeal takes place that determines the resolution. G.
Miraculous Escape(Re"emption(Achievement o) the *ri+e or ,in the case o)
Trage"!- the Hero%s &estruction. Booker uses various terms for this stage,
depending on the basic plot. But in all cases, this stage is some sort of
0esolution.
H.
4or a more detailed description of Bookers seven basic plots $including the other to'
click here.
Comparison to Other Story Models
1hough it is tempting to say that Bookers seven basic plots follo a 5ve"act structure, my
on feeling is that this is a mistake.
4or one thing, calling it a 5ve"act structure ould make Bookers model diMcult to
reconcile ith other story models, such as Dramatica hich describes plots in terms of
four acts. !ve pointed out elsehere that the +";lot is actually a four"act structure, even
though many people mistakenly call it a three"act structure. ! think Booker makes a
similar error. After all, each of these story models describes the same universal pa2ern
found in successful stories. So they should all coincide.
1here are to other reasons hy ! think Booker makes a mistake hen he describes the
seven basic plots in terms of a H"stage structure.
4irst, Booker fre/uently mentions ,1he Call- as an important part of story structure. 1he
Call is an event that occurs early in the story and makes the (ero aare of the possible
resolution or priFe and hich sets the (ero on the road to achieving it. >ven though
Booker regards 1he Call as important and distinct enough to be named as a separate part
of the structure, he doesnt consider it one of the stages. !nstead, he a2aches it to either the
start or the end of the Anticipation stage, depending on hich of the seven basic plots is
being folloed.
Second, hile Bookers 5rst four stages are described as longer sections of story hich
may be composed of many events, the 5fth stage, the 0esolution, is di#erent. Nike 1he
Call, the 0esolution is more like a single event that marks the 5nal change in the story
orld $or hat Dramatica ould call the 3utcome of the story'.
So hy are 1he Call and the 0esolution single events, hile the other parts are more like
se/uences of eventsA And hy is one considered a stage and the other notA (eres hat !
think is going on...
1he Dramatica model and others $such as the +";lot' divide stories into four stages. >ach
stage begins and ends ith a key event hich Dramatica calls a Driver. 3ther terms for
these key events are 1urning ;oints $ala <ichael (ague', or 1rigger >vents $ala the
+";lot'. 0egardless the term, each of these events are changes that send the story o# in a
ne direction $e.cept for the 5nal one, hich marks the end of the story'.
! believe that hat Booker refers to as 1he Call is hat other models call the 4irst or
Second Driver $depending on hether it comes at the beginning or end of the
Anticipation stage'. Similarly, Bookers 5fth stage appears to be hat others call the 4ifth
22
Understanding the Seven Basic Plots http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/seven-basic-plots.html
3 de 7 05/06/2014 11:50
or 4inal Driver.
Booker doesnt refer speci5cally to the other three drivers, but then neither do most
literary critics, probably because these drivers dont stand out as much from a readers
perspective $though they are /uite important from a story riters perspective'.
!n the folloing chart, !ve tried to reconcile the terms used by Booker, Dramatica,
<ichael (ague, and the +";lot users. !ve also included some alternate terms for some of
these stages and events. As you can see, these models all describe the same basic parts of
a story, ?ust using di#erent ords.
Based on this comparison, ! think e can say that Bookers seven basic plots actually
follo the same four"act structure described in Dramatica.
Story Goals
3ne of the core concepts in Dramatica is that all stories represent an a2empt to solve a
problem or rebalance an ine/uity. (ence, the overall throughline of every story revolves
around a Story Goal $the thing the protagonist is trying to achieve that involves or a#ects
most of the other characters'. Dramatica allos for an in5nite number of possible goals,
grouped into EI categories.
Separate but connected to the overall throughline is the main character throughline, in
hich the main character faces an inner conQict, a dilemma of hether or not to change.
(o this conQict is resolved determines hether the Story Goal is achieved.
Booker, on the other hand, believes there is only one universal goal of a good storyD the
donfall of the ego and reconnection ith the true Self. 3r, to put it another ay, the
story problem is alays about an imbalance beteen the masculine and feminine
principles. 1he masculine principle has become dominant to the point that it threatens the
orld, and the solution must be to rebalance things so that the feminine principle carries
e/ual eight. 1his change must be internal as ell as e.ternal. 1he hero $or more rarely
heroine' must change L must recover and integrate the feminine part of himself. <ost of
Bookers basic plots end happily because this change occurs. 1ragedy ends unhappily
because it doesnt.
Booker argues that many variations on the seven basic plots are unsatisfying because they
do not ful5ll the basic goal of recovering the feminine principle. But is this really fairA
<any of the stories Booker uses as e.amples of bad storytelling have been e.ceedingly
popular $Star Wars, for e.ample'. Certainly, readers and audiences have found them
emotionally satisfying and en?oyable. !t seems rather unfair to say they are categorically
unsatisfying. Should riters really abandon all variations on Bookers seven basic plotsA
Nets look a li2le more closely at the terms feminine and masculine and see if Dramatica
can shed some light on hats going on.
Feminine and Masculine Values
Booker describes masculine values asD
E' poer or strength $hether physical or in terms of personality'
7' order $as in hierarchy, discipline, and ?ustice under the la'
22
Understanding the Seven Basic Plots http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/seven-basic-plots.html
4 de 7 05/06/2014 11:50
1he feminine values, he describes asD
E' SelQess feeling
7' !ntuitive understanding $,the ability to see hole, making for connection, the healing
of division, and life-'
Dramatica similarly says that main characters can be either holistic $feminine' or linear
$masculine' thinkers. <ost male characters $and most men' are linear thinkers and most
female characters $and most omen' are holistic thinkers.
+here the theories di#er is that, for Booker, female characters almost alays embody the
feminine principle and male main characters alays su#er from a lack of feminine values.
Dramatica, hoever, is a li2le more Qe.ible. !t allos that some male characters are
holistic thinkers, and some female characters are linear thinkers $an e.ample ould be
Agents Sculley and <ulder from The X-Files'. !n fact, earlier versions of Dramatica
assigned characters a male or female ,mental se.- or brain gender, hich could be
opposite to their physical gender.
Dramatica gives riters more options to play ith. 4or instance, you can create a male
hero ho is a holistic thinker. Such a character ould hardly need to recover his feminine
side to achieve the Story Goal. 0ather, his success might depend on his adopting more
masculine values.
3n the other hand, a female heroine might be a linear thinker ho can only achieve the
goal by adopting more a more holistic outlook or feminine values.
$!n fact, the conQict beteen the holistic and linear ays of thinking often play out in the
relationship beteen the main and impact characters. !f one is holistic, the other tends to
be linear, and vice versa. 1he impact character is a concept uni/ue to Dramatica, but
Booker comes close to it hen he observes that male characters are often saved by union
ith a female, and vice versa.'
Dramatica also allos for the possibility that main characters dont alays need to
change. !n some stories, staying steadfast is the choice that ill let the hero or heroine
achieve the Story Goal. 1he fact that neither the hero nor the audience can be certain hat
the right choice is makes stories less predictable, and therefore more engaging.
Booker doesnt seem to allo for steadfast heroes.
Archetypal Characters
!n addition to the seven basic plots, Booker describes a number of archetypal characters.
Some of these ill be familiar to everyone, such as hero and heroine. Some are similar to
archetypal characters found in Dramatica. 4or instance, Bookers +ise 3ld <an and
Anima characters are male and female versions of hat Dramatica calls the Guardian.
Similarly, Bookers 1empter and 1rickster are good and evil versions of hat Dramatica
calls the Contagonist.
1he di#erence ! notice is that Booker interprets stories from a psychoanalytic perspective
in hich many characters symboliFe fathers, mothers, and siblings. 4or this reason, many
of his archetypes have de5nite genders associated ith them.
Dramatica, on the other hand, allos any character to take on any of the archetypal roles.
*nlike Bookers +ise 3ld <an, Dramaticas Guardian doesnt have to be old or male. 1he
Guardian role could be played by a child, a young oman, an animal, a computer, or any
other sentient being.
!t may seem that ! am being rather dismissive of Booker, but that ould be unfair. Booker
did not rite The Seven Basic Plots for the bene5t of riters but as a ork of literary
scholarship, particularly for those interested in psychoanalytic theory. Booker has
obviously spent much time struggling to uncover pa2erns in literature, and his book
provides a vast survey of the history of storytelling. 1here is certainly something to be
learned from his description of the seven basic plots $or nine, or ...' and the archetypal
characters he describes. And in future articles, ! plan to e.amine these in more detail.
(oever, as a practical theory for riters, ! feel that Dramatica puts feer limits on a
riters imagination and allos a greater variety of dramatically sound plots and
characters. !t is also more suited for todays culture, hich is becoming increasingly
liberated from se.ual stereotypes.
4or information on other model story structures, click here.
0eturn to (ome ;age
Understanding the Seven Basic Plots http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/seven-basic-plots.html
5 de 7 05/06/2014 11:50
The Seven...Actually Nine Basic
Plots According to Christopher
Booker
By Glen C. Strathy
Continuing our discussion of The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker, this page
presents a brief outline of the plots themselves. (For more detailed discussion and
examples, you should probably read the book.
!n the previous article, "e noted that Booker actually discusses nine archetypal plots, but
only really approves of the #rst seven. $e%re going to look at all of them here brie&y,
partly because "e think they have all been successful and partly because its good for
"riters to be familiar "ith all of them.
'lso, "e noted that, although Booker argues that the basic plots all follo" a #ve(stage
structure, it is easier to reconcile his theories "ith those of others by presenting them in
terms of a four(act structure, "ith the terminals of each act marked by an event called a
driver or turning point. )f the #ve drivers found in a four(act structure, Booker only pays
a*ention to t"o of them+ ,he Call ("hich is either the #rst or second driver and the Final
-river ("hich Booker gives various names to, depending on the archetypal plot. $e%ll
omit the others too, for simplicity%s sake.
So, "ithout further ado, here are the nine basic plots...
1. Overcoming the Monster
)vercoming the .onster stories involve a hero "ho must destroy a monster (or villain
that is threatening the community. /sually the decisive #ght occurs in the monster%s lair,
and usually the hero has some magic "eapon at his disposal. Sometimes the monster is
guarding a treasure or holding a 0rincess captive, "hich the hero escapes "ith in the end.
1xamples+ 2ames Bond #lms, The Magnicent Seven, The Day of the Trids, Indiana Jones and
the Temple of Doom
2. Rags to Riches
,he 3ags to 3iches plot involves a hero "ho seems 4uite commonplace, poor,
do"ntrodden, and miserable but has the potential for greatness. ,he story sho"s ho" he
manages to ful#ll his potential and become someone of "ealth, importance, success and
happiness.
Follo" Glen on ,"i*er...
Follow @glencstrathy
!f the information on this site helps you,
consider giving a fe" dollars in
return...

5ou 're Secure6
7! am so glad ! found your site. !t has
helped me in so many "ays, and has
given me more con#dence about myself
and my "ork. ,hank you for making
this valuable resource, for me and my
fello" "riters. 0erhaps you%ll hear
about me someday...!%ll o"e it to you.7 (
3uth, .ilton, /.S.'.
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How
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3 de junio
a la(s)
7:20
New article on narrative modes and how
to choose the right one for your story.
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com
/narrative-mode.html
Me gusta esta pgina Me gusta esta pgina
7,hanks to your 7Create a 0lot )utline
in 8 1asy Steps,7 ! "as able to take a
story that ! simply 9ust fooled around
"ith and "ent "illy nilly all over, into
a clearly de#ned, intriguing ba*le
13 people like this. Be the first of your friends. Like Like Share Share
:;<Subscribe ,o ,his
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1 de 6 05/06/2014 11:51
1xamples+ @ing 'rthur, Cinderella, laddin!
's "ith many of the basic plots, there are variations on 3ags to 3iches that are less
upbeat.
Variation 1:
Failure
$hat Booker calls the AdarkB
version of this story is "hen the
hero fails to "in in the end,
usually because he sought "ealth
and status for sel#sh reasons.
-ramatica (and most other
theorists "ould call this a
tragedy.
Variation 2:
Hollow Victory
Booker%s second variation are stories "here the hero Amay actually achieve :his< goals, but
only in a "ay "hich is hollo" and brings frustration, because he again has sought them
only in an out"ard and egocentric fashion.B 'nother "ay to describe this "ould be a
comi(tragic ending or personal failure. !n -ramatica terms, it%s an outcome of success, but
a 9udgment of failure since the hero fails to satisfactorily resolve his inner con&ict.
3. Quest
?uest stories involve a hero "ho embarks on a 9ourney to obtain a great priCe that is
located far a"ay.
1.g. "dyssey, #atership Do$n, %ord of the &ings (though here the goal is losing rather than
gaining the treasure.
)ther variations on this basic plot include stories "here the ob9ect being sought does not
bring happiness. For example, Mo'y Dic(, &aiders of the %ost r(.
4. Voyage and Return
Doyage and 3eturn stories feature a hero "ho 9ourneys to a strange "orld that at #rst
seems strange but enchanting. 1ventually, the hero comes to feel threatened and trapped
in this "orld and must he must make a thrilling escape back to the safety of his home
"orld. !n some cases, the hero learns and gro"s as a result of his adventure (-ramatica
"ould call this a 9udgment of good. !n others he does not, and conse4uently leaves
behind in the other "orld his true love, or other opportunity for happiness. (-ramatica
"ould call this a 9udgment of bad
"here t"o characters #ght to keep their
relationship intact, and try to #nd a
balance in control of themselves and
their lives. ,hanks to you, !%m not
ashamed of the poor organiCation of
my "riting.7 ( >ommanic 3agus
7! never kne" "hat to do "ith all the
characters in my head, but since
discovering -ramatica ! am "riting
again in my spare time. ,hank you for
making this available. 5es, it is a bit
complex, and it does take time, but !
love it because it "orks.7 ( Colin
Shoeman
7! came across your "ebsite by chance.
!t is a plethora of kno"ledge, "ri*en in
a simplistic "ay to help aspiring
"riters. ! truly appreciate all of the
information you have provided to help
me successfully (relative term "rite
my novel. ,hank you very much67 ( Eeo
,. 3ollins
7! can honestly say that this is the #rst
"ebsite that is really helpful. 5ou
manage to ans"er complex 4uestions in
relatively short articles and "ith really
intelligent ans"ers. ,hank you for
taking the time to "rite these articles
and sharing them so generously.7 (
Chrystelle >ash
725
0rivacy 0olicy
Recent
Postings
Worried
my book is
moving
too
quickly.
2un FG, HG HH+FI '.
?uestion+ !%m
"riting my novel
and even on page
HH a lot has
happened. !%m
aiming for the
book to be
approximately
JFF pages long so
ho" might ! be
able
3ead .ore
Pros and
Cons of
first and
third
person
2un FJ, HG FK+FL 0.
?uestion+ ! am
pre*y much
HFFM sure that
my book is going
to be in #rst
person because it
seems to "ork
the best that "ay
and !%m not
exactly sure ho"
3ead .ore
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1xamples include+ The #i)ard of "), Coraline, &o'inson Cr*soe, +*lliver,s Travels, %ord of the
-lies!
5. Comedy
=ere%s "here things get confusing.
,raditionally, comedy has been de#ned in several "ays.
's any story that ends happily. !n -ramatica terms this means that the story
goal is obtained (outcomeNsuccess and the main character has satisfactorily
resolved his inner con&ict (9udgmentNgood.
H.
's a story "hich is humourous or satirical. J.
$ith >e" Comedy or 3omantic Comedy+ as a drama about #nding true love
(usually young love. ,raditionally these stories have ended in marriage.
I.
Booker makes a valiant a*empt at a be*er de#nition of comedy, but #nds he cannot apply
the same plot structure to it as "ith the other basic plots. !nstead, he loosely de#nes
Comedy in terms of three stages+
,he story takes place in a community "here the relationships bet"een people
(and by implication true love and understanding are under the shado" of
confusion, uncertainty, and frustration. Sometimes this is caused by an
oppressive or self(centred person, sometimes by the hero acting in such a "ay,
or sometimes through no one%s fault.
H.
,he confusion "orsens until it reaches a crisis. J.
,he truth comes out, perceptions are changed, and the relationships are healed
in love and understanding (and typically marriage for the hero.
I.
6. Tragedy
,ragedy, along "ith Comedy, is usually de#ned by its ending, "hich makes these t"o
unlike the other basic plots. !n -ramatica terms, a tragedy is a story in "hich the Story
Goal is not achieved (outcomeNfailure and the hero does not resolve his inner con&ict
happily (9udgementNbad.
Booker%s description of this plot is close to that of the classic tragedies (Greek, 3oman, or
Shakespearean.
1xamples+ Mac'eth, "thello, Dr! -a*st*s
7. Rebirth
3ebirth stories sho" a hero (often a heroine "ho is trapped in a living death by a dark
po"er or villain until she is freed by another character%s loving act. 's "ith Comedy,
Booker%s outline of this plot is sketchy.
)ne of the big problems "ith this plot is that the hero does not solve his o"n problem but
must be rescued by someone else, and therefore can avoid resolving his inner con&ict.
,his is "hy many "omen hate fairy tales+ the heroines are so passive.
,he -isney version of Bea*ty and the Beast solves the problem by making Belle the main
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character (she rescues Beast. ,hough .arley intervenes to rescue Scrooge in Christmas
Carol, Scrooge ultimately chooses to change and therefore saves himself. (=int+ any ne"
version of Sleeping Bea*ty should make the 0rince the main character.
1xamples include Sleeping Bea*ty, Christmas Carol, Bea*ty and the Beast, The Secret +arden
Basic Plots Booker Dislikes...
,he last t"o basic plots are ones "hich Booker clearly sees as inferior, because they are
less about the main character embracing his feminine side.
8. Mystery
First, he de#nes .ystery as a story in "hich an outsider to some horrendous event or
drama (such as a murder tries to discover the truth of "hat happened. )ften "hat is
being investigated in a .ystery is a story based on one of the other plots.
Booker dislikes .ysteries because the detective or investigator has no personal
connection to the characters he%s intervie"ing or the crime he%s investigating. ,herefore,
Booker argues, the detective has no inner con&ict to resolve.
,his may be true many of .ysteries, including some by Sir 'rthur Conan -oyle or
'gatha Christie. =o"ever, in other .ystery stories the detective does have a personal
stake in the plot, "hich gives rise to inner con&ict O often a moral dilemma. Chinato$n, is
one example that springs to mind. So is M*rder on the "rient ./press and The Maltese
-alcon (9ust to name some classics.
>onetheless, it is true that .ysteries often do not leave one "ith the sense that the "orld
has been totally healed (after all, innocent victims are still dead. ,his sets it apart from
most of the basic stories ( "ith the exception perhaps of ,ragedy.
9. Rebellion Against 'The One'
,he last of Booker%s basic plots, 3ebellion 'gainst %,he )ne% concerns a hero "ho rebels
against the all(po"erful entity that controls the "orld until he is forced to surrender to
that po"er.
,he hero is a solitary #gure "ho initially feels the )ne is at fault and the he must preserve
his independence or refusal to submit. 1ventually, he is faced "ith the )ne%s a"esome
po"er and submits, becoming part of the rest of the "orld again.
!n some versions, the )ne is portrayed as benevolent, as in the story of 2ob, "hile in
others the reader is left convinced it is malevolent, as in 0123 or Bra)il! ,hese darker
versions seem to be "hat make Booker less than keen on this basic plot.
,hough Booker doesn%t mention it, a common variation is to have the hero refuse to
submit and essentially "in against the po"er of the )ne. !n The Prisoner, the hero
eventually earns the right to discover that the )ne is a t"isted version of himself, after
"hich he is set free. !n The Matri/, >eo%s resistance eventually leads to a be*er "orld.
'nother example is The 4*nger +ames, "here @atniss%s continued rebellion eventually
leads to the do"nfall of both the original tyrant and his potential successor, resulting in a
freer "orld.
See the previous article for more discussion of Booker%s ,he Seven Basic 0lots.
Click here for information on other models of story structure.
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