Day: August 4, 2023

Plot Devices

Plot devices in literature are literary devices and also called narrative elements. Writers use these techniques to advance the storyline.

Introduction

Plot devices in literature are literary devices and also called narrative elements. Writers use these techniques to advance the storyline, create tension, resolve conflicts, and convey messages.

They serve as tools using which the authors manipulate the plot of the story to attract the attention of their readers. Common plot devices include cliffhangers, red herrings, deus ex machina, and MacGuffins, each playing its own specific role. These roles include shaping the narrative and keeping the readers glued to the stories.

It shows that there are several types of plot devices. These plot devices are as follows.

Types of Plot Devices
  1. Cliffhangers: These plot devices involve suspenseful endings that leave readers eager to know the outcome of a crucial event or conflict, compelling them to continue reading.
  2. Red Herrings: Employed as misdirection, these devices introduce false or misleading clues, diverting readers from the actual solution or truth, often enhancing mystery or suspense.
  3. Deus Ex Machina: These plot devices introduce an unexpected and often contrived event or character that abruptly resolves an unsolvable problem or conflict. It could be that this character faces criticism for creating this convenience.
  4. MacGuffins: Objects or goals central to the plot, these devices drive the story’s action and character motivations without holding significant intrinsic value. However, they serve mainly as plot catalysts.
  5. Foreshadowing: Through subtle hints or clues, these plot devices provide glimpses of future events. They also lead to anticipation to enrich the depth and complexity of the narrative.
  6. Flashbacks and Flashforwards: These devices disrupt the linear timeline by revisiting past events or showing future occurrences. They also offer insight into character backgrounds or foreshadowing developments.
  7. Coincidences: Often criticized for their convenience, these plot devices rely on improbable chance occurrences that significantly influence the direction and resolution of the story.
  8. Dramatic Irony: These devices occur when readers possess knowledge unknown to the characters, resulting in tension and emotional engagement as the story unfolds.
  9. Reversals and Plot Twists: Characterized by unexpected shifts in the direction of the story or surprising revelations, these plot devices aim to captivate readers and challenge their assumptions.
  10. Symbolism: These devices use objects, actions, or characters to represent deeper thematic meanings. They add layers to the meanings and enhancing significance of the story giving symbolic touch to characters, themes and meanings.

Each of these plot devices serves a specific purpose in crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives.

Functions of Plot Devices
Plot DeviceFunction in Storyline
CliffhangersThis literary device creates suspense and anticipation at key points.
Red HerringsThis plot device misleads readers and adds complexity to the plot.
Deus Ex MachinaThis literary device provides unexpected resolutions to seemingly unsolvable conflicts.
MacGuffinsThis plot device drives the plot forward and motivates the character actions.
ForeshadowingThis literary device builds anticipation and adds depth to the narrative.
Flashbacks and FlashforwardsThis plot device offers insight into character backgrounds and future events.
CoincidencesThis literary device introduces chance elements that influence the plot.
Dramatic IronyThis plot device engages readers through knowing more than the characters.
Reversals and Plot TwistsThis literary device surprises readers and alters the direction of the story.
SymbolismThis plot device enhances the narrative by adding deeper thematic meaning.

By utilizing these devices, authors can craft compelling and captivating stories, enriching the reader’s experience and appreciation of the literary work.

Suggested Readings about Plot Devices
  1. Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed., Cengage Learning, 1999.
  2. Booker, Christopher. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Continuum, 2005.
  3. Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, New World Library, 2008.
  4. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction, Vintage, 2011.
  5. Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale, 2nd ed., University of Texas Press, 1968.
  6. Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose, Dalkey Archive Press, 1990.
  7. Truby, John. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, Faber & Faber, 2008.
  8. Todorov, Tzvetan. Theories of the Symbol, Cornell University Press, 1982.
  9. Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd ed., Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

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Character Device

Character device is a literary device related to a character in a story. This is also called characterization authors use to show characters.

Introduction to Character Device

Character device is a literary device related only to a character in a story. This is also called characterization. Authors show characters, their personalities, traits, motivations, beliefs, and emotions through dialogues, actions, and interactions with others through characterization.

This process enhances credibility, relatability, and authenticity of the characters, and fosters a deeper engagement between readers and the narrators as well as the narrative, providing valuable insights into the human condition and underlying themes. Character devices fall under this broad category. There are several types of character devices. Some of these are as follows.

Type of Character Devices

  1. Direct Characterization: The author explicitly describes a character’s traits or personality in this character device.
  2. Indirect Characterization: Through this device, the author reveals a character’s traits through his/her actions, thoughts, and interactions.
  3. Dialogue: Dialogue shows a conversation between characters, providing insights into their personalities, relationships, and emotions.
  4. Actions: How characters act and react in various situations, revealing their personality traits and motivations depends on how authors use this device.
  5. Inner Monologue: This character device gives readers access to the characters’ inner feelings and reflections.
  6. Physical Appearance: This character device shows the character’s outward appearance, which may provide clues about their personality or background.
  7. Foil Characters: It shows secondary characters whose traits contrast with those of the main character, highlighting specific qualities.
  8. Round Characters: This character device shows well-developed and multidimensional characters with depth, emotions, and realistic qualities.
  9. Flat Characters: It shows one-dimensional characters with limited depth or complexity, often serving a specific purpose in the plot.
  10. Dynamic Characters: This device shows a character who undergoes significant internal changes, personal growth, or development throughout the story.
  11. Static Characters: This literary device related to characters shows characters who remain unchanged throughout the story, maintaining consistent traits and beliefs.
  12. Symbolism: It shows the use of symbols to convey meaning about characters or their attributes.

These character devices help authors bring their characters to life, make them relatable, and create engaging and memorable stories for readers.

Functions of Characterization/Related Literary Devices
Type of Character DeviceFunction
Direct CharacterizationThis character device explicitly describes a character’s traits or personality.
Indirect CharacterizationIt shows character traits through actions and interactions.
DialogueThis device provides insights into the characters’ personalities and emotions.
Actions and BehaviorThis device shows how characters act and react, revealing motivations.
Thoughts and Inner MonologueThis character device gives readers access to the characters’ inner feelings and reflections.
Physical AppearanceThis device provides clues about the characters’ personality or background.
Foil CharactersThis character device contrasts with the main character, highlighting specific qualities.
Round CharactersThis device creates well-developed and multidimensional characters with depth and complexity.
Flat CharactersThis character device portrays one-dimensional characters, serving a specific purpose in the plot.
Static CharactersThis device maintains characters unchanged throughout the story, offering stability.
SymbolismThis character uses symbols to convey deeper meaning about characters.

Suggested Readings about Character Devices/Characterization

  1. Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. University of Chicago Press, 1983.
  2. Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert Penn Warren. Understanding Fiction. 3rd ed., Prentice Hall, 1979.
  3. Culler, Jonathan. Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism, Linguistics, and the Study of Literature. Routledge, 2002.
  4. Forster, E.M. Aspects of the Novel. Harvest Books, 2002.
  5. Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton University Press, 1957.
  6. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. Penguin, 1993.
  7. Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. University of Texas Press, 1968.
  8. Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. 5th ed., Routledge, 2005.
  9. Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing. Princeton University Press, 1978.
  10. Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading. Indiana University Press, 1987.

Structural Device

Structural device in literature serves crucial functions of shaping the narrative and enhancing readers’ engagement. They provide a coherent framework to organize narrative elements of a story.

Introduction

Structural device in literature serves crucial functions of shaping the narrative and enhancing readers’ engagement. They provide a coherent framework to organize the plot, characters, and themes, ensuring a cohesive and logical progression of events.

By employing these structural devices, authors create depth, complexity, and suspense in their storylines. These are also literary devices and facilitate the exploration of multiple perspectives and thematic elements, contributing to a profound understanding of the literary work and enabling critical insight among readers.

Type of Structural Devices
  1. Chronological Order: Chronological order is a structural device used to present events in the order they occur, moving from the beginning to the end of the narrative. This simple literary device allows for a coherent and logical progression of the story, helping the readers to understand storyline.
  2. Flashback: Flashback is a structural device that interrupts the chronological order of events. Through flashbacks, authors add more details about different memories and make readers aware of those minor details.
  3. Flashforward: Flashforward is a structural device that involves jumping the narrative forward in time to offer a glimpse of the future events. By using flashforwards, authors create anticipation in the readers, increasing their interest in the story.
  4. Episodic Structure: Episodic structure is a literary device that organizes a work into distinct episodes or self-contained chapters. Each episode may have its own plot, theme, or central idea, but they contribute to the completion of the narrative.
  5. Parallelism: Parallelism is a structural device in which two or more separate storylines run simultaneously. Often, they have thematic or character connections between them. This technique allows authors to explore multiple aspects of the narrative in parallel.
  6. Frame Narrative: Frame narrative is a structural device that involves using a story within a story. In this technique, one character narrates or tells a story to another character, creating layers of narration that add depth and complexity to the overall work.
  7. Circular Structure: Circular structure is a structural device that shows a story ending with a scene similar or identical to the beginning. It effectively brings the narrative full circle. This technique creates a sense of closure and can emphasize the cyclical nature of the themes.
  8. Non-linear Structure: Non-linear structure is a structural device that disrupts the traditional linear sequence of events. Authors may jump back and forth in time or present events out of order, adding complexity and intrigue to the narrative.
  9. Stream of Consciousness: Stream of consciousness is a structural device that follows a character’s unfiltered thoughts and feelings as they occur in real-time, mimicking the flow of their minds. This technique provides insight into a character’s inner world and create a sense of intimacy with the readers.
  10. Multiple Points of View: Multiple points of view is a structural device in which a story is told from the perspective of multiple characters. This approach provides diverse insights into the events and enhances the reader’s understanding by presenting various viewpoints.
  11. Montage: Montage is a structural device that incorporates a series of short, rapid scenes or images to convey information or emotions effectively. This technique is often used to create a vivid and dynamic portrayal of events or experiences.
  12. In media res: In media res is a structural device that starts the narrative in the middle of the action, rather than the beginning. This technique captures the reader’s attention immediately and creates intrigue.
Functions of Structural Devices

Structural devices in literature serve several important functions that contribute to the overall effectiveness and impact of the work. Some key functions of structural devices include:

  1. Enhancing Narrative Coherence: Structural devices provide a framework for organizing the plot, characters, and themes, ensuring a cohesive and logical flow of events. This coherence helps readers to follow the story easily and understand the connections between different elements.
  2. Creating Reader Engagement: By introducing non-linear structures, flashbacks, flashforwards, or multiple points of view, structural devices pique the reader’s curiosity and challenge them to actively piece together the narrative. This engagement leads the audiences and readers to have deeper connection with the story.
  3. Managing Pacing and Tension: Structural devices also impact the pace at which the story unfolds. Techniques such as in media res and cliffhangers create tension, while circular structures or flashbacks slow down the narrative to build suspense.
  4. Providing Context and Depth: Flashbacks, frame narratives, and parallelism add depth to characters and situations by revealing relevant background information. This context helps readers understand the motivations and emotions driving the actions of the characters.
  5. Highlighting Themes and Motifs: Structural devices also emphasize recurring themes or motifs by presenting them in different contexts or through multiple perspectives. This repetition reinforces the central ideas of the storyline.
  6. Exploring Multiple Perspectives: Devices like multiple points of view allow authors to delve into the minds of various characters, enabling readers to have a good understanding of the events. This leads them to have empathy with the characters.
  7. Aiding in Character Development: Through the use of stream of consciousness or first-person narratives, structural devices provide insights into a character’s inner thoughts and emotions. This deepens the reader’s connection with the characters.
  8. Stimulating Critical Analysis: Unconventional structures challenge readers to think critically about the elements of the storyline, their connections, and further interpretations. This encourages active engagement and discussion, leading to a good appreciation of the work.
  9. Creating Artistic Expression: Structural devices also offer authors a means of expressing their creativity and originality. Experimenting with various narrative techniques allows writers to craft unique and innovative stories that stand out in the literary landscape.
  10. Enhancing Emotional Impact: Strategic use of structural devices evoke specific emotions in readers. For example, circular structures may evoke a sense of closure or nostalgia, while montage techniques can elicit a rapid emotional response through their vivid imagery.

In summary, structural devices play a vital role in shaping literary works, enabling authors to craft compelling narratives that captivate readers and convey complex ideas with depth and resonance.

Suggested Readings
  1. Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed., Cengage Learning, 1999.
  2. Bal, Mieke. Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative, University of Toronto Press, 2009.
  3. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method, Cornell University Press, 1980.
  4. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction, Vintage, 2011.
  5. Scholes, Robert, et al. The Nature of Narrative, 40th Anniversary Edition, Oxford University Press, 2006.
  6. Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose, Dalkey Archive Press, 1990.
  7. Stanzel, Franz. A Theory of Narrative, Cambridge University Press, 1984.
  8. Todorov, Tzvetan. Genres in Discourse, Cambridge University Press, 1990.
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