By JD Goracke
4 SEGMENTS, DANGLING CAUSES, AND MOTIFS
THROUGH INDIANA JONES AND THE LOST ARK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Plot Development
Transition (Section 1)
Transition (Section 2)
Transition (Section 3)
What is a Dangling
Cause
“I hate snakes”
Bottoms Up
Pssssssh
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Motif…What is that?
RED
Indy
Marion
The Ark
Conclusion
Works Cited
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
There are four stages when it comes to plot
development.
1. Set-up- Meeting the characters
2. Complicating Action- Action goes in a new
direction
3. Development- Goals are set but many
incidents are there to create action and delay
4. Climax/Epilogue- Will the goals be reached?
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TRANSITION(SECTION 1)
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Once Marion is done drinking is about the time
where the movie goes from Set-up to
Complicating action. After she is done drinking
we learn what all of the characters are like. Indy
is a brave hero while Marion is a tough girl who
is always getting into trouble.
TRANSITION(SECTION 2)
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After Indy finds where the Ark is hidden
because we know that he must find the Ark
before Belloq figures out the location. This sets
up all the action that is about to happen, and it
shows that Indy must achieve his double goal
of saving Marion.
TRANSITION(SECTION 3)
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The last transition is when Marion and Indy get
captured by the Nazis and are tied to the pole
together while the Ark takes the Nazis’ lives.
They all disappear while Indy and Marion are
still left letting us know that he has achieved
his goals of getting the girl and saving the Ark.
WHAT IS A DANGLING CAUSE?
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A dangling cause is something such as: lines,
images, and/or actions, that are planted early
in the film and reappear in the film at a later
time period.
"I HATE SNAKES"
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A dangling causes is Indy is in the plane and a
snake crawls out of the cockpit onto him an he
says that line. Then, when he discovers where
the Ark is he finds out that it is guarded by
snakes. He must battle the snakes to get the
Ark out.
BOTTOMS UP
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Another dangling cause is we learn that Marion
is hard drinker because she has a drinking
contest with another person. She out-drinks the
person, and this becomes vital because she
uses her strength to try to escape the
confinement of Dr. Belloq
PSSSSSSH
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A dangling cause the audience learns is at the
beginning one of the Nazis burns his hand on
the medallion. This becomes key because the
Nazis only has half the information of the stick
to find the Ark. The staff isn't long enough so
they don't find the Ark.
MOTIF…WHAT IS THAT?
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These are lines, actions, colors, images, or
musical themes that are intertwined
throughout the film in order to produce a
consistent text.
RED
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The motif of red is used for multiple reasons.
The first reason is for love. Red is also used to
show when there is death. Last it is used to
show where the Indy and Marion are traveling.
INDY
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Anytime Indy does something heroic like trying
to get Marion out of the plane that is about to
explode. Anytime they travel somewhere or he
does something smart is when his theme song
is played.
MARION
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Marion's theme occurs anytime when her and
Indy are having a love moment with Indy like
standing on the stairs or right after the Ark
takes everyone that looked at it. Also, her
theme occurs whenever something sad
happens to her.
THE ARK
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Anytime the Ark's theme is played is when
something mysterious has happened like when
Indy discovers that the Nazis have found the
digging site while his book is open. Another
time the theme is played is whenever it is in
view of the characters like when Indy first
discovers it.
CONCLUSION
Raiders of the Lost Ark was a great demonstration
of the 4 stages of plot development, motifs, and
dangling causes. Not to mention it is one of the
greatest movies of all time!
 For more information about the movie or actors go
to http://www.imdb.com/
 To learn more about dangling causes or motifs go
to
http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/anatomy.ph
p which gives great examples of both.
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WORKS CITED
Spiiellberrg ,, Stteven,, diirr.. IIndiiaanaa JJooneess
aand tthee Raaiideerrss ooff tthee Loosstt Arrkk ..
Wrriitt.. Lawrrencce Kassdan,,Georrge Luccass,,
and Phiilliip Kauffman.. 1981.. Fiillm..
 "Throwback Thursday: Indiana Jones and the
Raiders of the Lost Ark! | Geek Mountain State."
Geek Mountain State | Geeking out in Vermont.
Web. 27 Jan. 2012.
<http://geekmountainstate.wordpress.com/2012
/01/27/throwback-thursday-indiana-jones-andthe-raiders-of-the-lost-ark/>.
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