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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Coincidences: Often criticized for their convenience, these plot devices rely on improbable chance occurrences that significantly influence the direction and resolution of the story.
- Dramatic Irony: These devices occur when readers possess knowledge unknown to the characters, resulting in tension and emotional engagement as the story unfolds.
- 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.
- 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 Device | Function in Storyline |
| Cliffhangers | This literary device creates suspense and anticipation at key points. |
| Red Herrings | This plot device misleads readers and adds complexity to the plot. |
| Deus Ex Machina | This literary device provides unexpected resolutions to seemingly unsolvable conflicts. |
| MacGuffins | This plot device drives the plot forward and motivates the character actions. |
| Foreshadowing | This literary device builds anticipation and adds depth to the narrative. |
| Flashbacks and Flashforwards | This plot device offers insight into character backgrounds and future events. |
| Coincidences | This literary device introduces chance elements that influence the plot. |
| Dramatic Irony | This plot device engages readers through knowing more than the characters. |
| Reversals and Plot Twists | This literary device surprises readers and alters the direction of the story. |
| Symbolism | This 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
- Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed., Cengage Learning, 1999.
- Booker, Christopher. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Continuum, 2005.
- Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, New World Library, 2008.
- Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction, Vintage, 2011.
- Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale, 2nd ed., University of Texas Press, 1968.
- Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose, Dalkey Archive Press, 1990.
- Truby, John. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, Faber & Faber, 2008.
- Todorov, Tzvetan. Theories of the Symbol, Cornell University Press, 1982.
- Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd ed., Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
More from Literary Devices:
