“Plot” the Plot
Freytag’s Pyramid: A visual aid for
describing narrative structure,
seeing the effect of conflict,
and
charting the traditional ‘5 act’ story-line.
Why use the pyramid?
• The visual is meant to represent the normal ‘feeling’ of
tension (rising or falling) or lack of tension in
customary or traditional plotlines.
• It is not studied and applied because ALL stories have a
5 act plot structure.
• We use it in literary criticism because many if not most
authors do follow the rules. It is what the reader
expects. Its what the author knows the reader expects.
However, this also allows the author to choose to alter
it slightly or dramatically to achieve disorientation,
ironic twists, suspense, and more. Major changes to the
traditional plot startle, confound, tantalize and (always
a risk) even ‘turn off’ readers.
What are the 5 parts?
• Although we could break it down further, we
recognize 5 basic parts of the traditional
plot.
•
•
•
•
•
The
The
The
The
The
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Dénoument
• The five parts are depicted as a pyramidal
chart, with the spike of the pyramid
indicating the level of ‘excitement’ or
‘tension’ known as the Conflict.
What does it look like?
This is the basic 5 part structure.
The Exposition
• The Exposition: This is the introduction to the story.
Here is often found all of the information the reader
needs to know before the real story begins.
Characters, Setting (time and place), and events
outside the plot take up a great deal of the ‘action’ (or
inaction) of this part.
• In short stories, this part can be quite short or even
missing. The question to ask is “What information has
been left out that the reader might want or miss?
• In longer works, this part can be quite long, and may
make readers think that the work ‘starts off slowly.’
The question to ask is “What is so important about this
information that the writer spent so much time on it?”
You can imagine that this question is doubly important
if a short story has a long exposition!
The Rising Action
• Sooner or later something happens to set the
story in motion. Tension is caused by an event
or character action. A conflict is created. The
first big ‘plot complication’ has occurred!
• We traditionally call this the ‘inciting event’ in
‘Freytag-speech’ and this is visually the place
where the spike starts upwards.
• After this moment, there will be a number of
other plot complications (or complicating
actions). The more of them there are, the
longer this part becomes, the more tangled the
plot becomes, the deeper the tension, the
more pronounced the conflict… you get the
idea.
The Climax
• This is also called the Crisis
• An author’s worth is often gauged by the
impact of their climax-moments. The climax
of a story is often accompanied by great
revelations, catastrophic events, blissful
reunions (although marriages are often later
in the happily ever after sequence - just
wait).
• In essence, a great reversal of fortune is
expected (good to bad, bad to good) or a
fulfillment of goals and expectations
established in the rising action.
The Falling Action
• Traditionally, the climax does not end the story. Rather, a
series of repercussions of the central crisis occur as the
plot ‘untangles’ itself.
• Do not think that there is no more tension left at this point; the
pyramid is still ‘up in the air,’ but the reader has a sense that things
are winding down, not building.
• At the end of the falling action is a step often called the
‘Resolution’ - at this point the story has come to an event
or situation that puts the conflict to rest.
• In a short story, the amount of story telling between the climax and
the resolution can be quite short.
• Long or short, the question to be asked is ‘How does this
resolution (or lack of it) make me feel, or what does it
make me think?’ Or perhaps ‘How has the author given (or
withheld from) me (and his characters) closure?’
The Dénoument
• Neat word, huh? It is pronounced ‘Day-Noo-Mah’ and it
is French. And yes, it basically means ending. It is a
tying up of loose ends.
• At this point, any remaining secrets, questions or
mysteries which remain after the resolution are solved
by the characters or explained by the author.
Sometimes the author leaves us to think about the
theme or future possibilities for the characters.
• As you can imagine, this step can be short, implicit, or
completely contained by the resolution. Indeed, in many
versions of Freytag’s pyramid, the ‘resolution’ is the title of the
whole last step, recognizing the tendency to leave out the ‘And
they lived happily ever after’ statement as superfluous.
What are we left with?
• With the resolution and inciting event
included, the pyramid now looks like:
Inciting Event
Resolution
•
A Simple Example:
Cinderella
Exposition: Once upon a time there was a girl. Mom was dead. Dad
remarried. Dad died. Girl abused by stepmother and stepsisters. How
sad.
• Inciting Event: Then, one day the prince of the land decided to host a
ball (perhaps seeking a wife?)
• Rising Action (Complicating Events): An invitation came to the
house… Cinderella could not go, she had no dress… Fairy Godmother…
Nifty dress and pumps… Must be home by midnight…
• Climax: Cinderella goes to the ball, the prince falls in love, but she
must flee (the glass slipper left behind).
• Falling Action: The Prince is in love, but does not know who. Travels
the kingdom seeking the mystery girl (using the ‘footgear test’
method).
• Resolution: Cinderella is called and the slipper fits!
• Dénoument: They get married and live happily ever after.
See? Now you try…
You are not done!
• About now, you are feeling pretty good
about Freytag and his delightful pyramid. If
you plug in a children’s fairy tale, it works
every time. However, fairy tales are, by
their very nature, traditional.
• Now take a short story you have read or a
novel you are familiar with - try to divide it
into a ‘5 act story line’. If it doesn’t work
out easily, you are not necessarily wrong.
This is especially the case if you have always
thought of the story as having a unique plot.
What does it mean?
• Your job, as a literary critic, is to compare the
traditional structure of a plot to the story-line you are
reading. Then ask the questions that come to mind:
? Why did the author choose to follow the standard plot-line?
What did he or she get from being ‘familiar’ (structurally
speaking)
? Or, why did the author break out of the traditional structure
altogether?
? Or, What did the author accomplish by following the standard
plot structure and then change it up?
? And/Or, How did the author’s use (or abuse) of the standard
plot-line help me understand the story or predict the outcome,
or did it keep me guessing and in suspense? Did the author use
his or her knowledge of plot to mislead me? Confuse me?
Tantalize me?