Non-Linear
Plot
Non Linear
Plot
Nonlinear narrative is a technique sometimes
used in literature wherein events are portrayed
out of chronological order. It is often used to
mimic the structure and recall of human
memory.
Examples:
•The Notebook
•Forrest Gump
Non- Linear Techniques
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Foreshadowing
Flashback
Sub-plot
Parallel plot structure
Foreshadowing
• To show or indicate beforehand
• Reveal an upcoming event
Example:
•In the opening of The Wizard of Oz, set in
Kansas, the transformation of Miss Gulch
into a witch on a broomstick foreshadows
her reappearance as Dorothy's enemy in Oz.
Flashbacks
• A transition (in literary or theatrical works or
films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts
the normal chronological development of the story
• An unexpected but vivid recurrence of a past
experience
Example:
Forrest Gump reminisces about past
experiences in his life while he waits
for a bus.
Subplots
• A secondary story in a narrative. A subplot may serve as
a motivating or complicating force for the main plot of
the work, or it may provide emphasis for, or relief from,
the main plot.
Example:
In Possession two plots unfold.
1. That with the present day characters.
2. Plot taking place in the past.
Parallel Structure
Definition:
Two or more major plots that occur
within a story and usually intersect.
Example:
Pulp Fiction has multiple story lines that frequently intersect:
• Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Marsellus Wallace’s wife
(Uma Thurman)
• Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), Marsellus Wallace (Ving
Rhames) and his gold watch
• Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield’s (Samuel
L. Jackson) escapades as hitmen
Point of View
(POV)
POV
Definition:
Determines who is telling the
story—the perspective, or vantage
point from which an author presents a
story.
First Person POV
Definition:
In first person point of view, the story is told by
one of the characters.
Example:
As I placed a carefully wrapped
package on the park bench, I looked up
and saw Molly walking across the
street. I hoped that she hadn’t seen me.
Third Person POV
Definition:
In the third-person point of view the
story is told by a narrator who is not a
character in the story.
Types:
Limited Omniscient Narrator
relates the thoughts and feelings of just one character
Omniscient Narrator
knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters
Examples
Limited Omniscient Narrator
As George placed the carefully
wrapped package on the park bench, he
looked up and saw Molly walking across the
street.
Omniscient Narrator
George anxiously hoping that no one
was watching him, placed a carefully wrapped
package on an empty park bench. But Molly,
who was walking home, saw him and couldn’t
help thinking that he was acting strangely.
Food For Thought…
You must be able to do more than simply
identify the point of view:
1.How does the point of view affect your responses to
the characters?
2. How is your response influenced by how much the
narrator knows and how objective he or she is?
3. First person narrators are not always trust worthy.
How will you determine what is the truth and what is
not?
Imagery
the use of language to create
mental images and sensory
impressions. Imagery can be
used for emotional effect
and to intensify the impact
on the reader.