The modern theory of literature offers several definitions of the concept of “plot”. According to Ozhegov, the plot in literature is the order and connection of events. Ushakov's dictionary suggests considering them a set of actions, the sequence and motivation for the unfolding of what is happening in the work.
Relationship with the plot
In modern Russian criticism, the plot has a completely different definition. The plot in the literature is understood as a course of events, against which a confrontation is revealed. The plot is the main artistic conflict.
However, in the past, other points of view existed and continue to exist on this issue. Russian critics of the mid-19th century, supported by Veselovsky and Gorky, considered the compositional side to be the plot, that is, how the author communicates the content of his work. And the plot in the literature is, in their opinion, the very development of the action and relationships of the characters.
This interpretation is directly opposite to that in Ushakov’s dictionary, in which the plot is the content of events in their consistent connection.
Finally, there is a third point of view. Those who adhere to it believe that the concept of “plot” does not have independent meaning, and when analyzing it is quite enough to use the terms “plot”, “composition” and “plot scheme”.
Types and variations of product schemes
Modern analysts distinguish two main types of plot: chronical and concentric. They differ from each other in the nature of the connections between events. The main factor, so to speak, is time. The chronic type reproduces its natural course. Concentric - no longer focuses on the physical, but on the mental.
A concentric plot in literature is detective stories, thrillers, social and psychological novels, dramas. Chronic is more common in memoirs, sagas, adventure works.
Concentric plot and its features
In the case of this type of course of events, a clear causal relationship between the episodes can be traced. The development of the plot in the literature of this type is consistent and logical. It is easy to highlight the plot and denouement. The previous actions are the reasons for the subsequent ones; all events seem to be pulled together into one node. The writer explores one conflict.
Moreover, the work can be either linear or multilinear - the causal relationship remains just as clear, moreover, any new storylines appear as a result of events that have already happened. All parts of a detective story, thriller or story are based on a clearly expressed conflict.
Chronic plot
It can be opposed to concentric, although in fact it is not the opposite, but a completely different construction principle. These types of plots in the literature can interpenetrate each other, but more often one or the other is decisive.
The change of events in a work based on the chronicle principle is tied to time. There may be no pronounced connection, there is no strict logical causal relationship (or, at least, this connection is not obvious).
Such a work can deal with many episodes, the common thing of which is that they happen in chronological sequence. A chronicling plot in literature is a multiconflict and multicomponent canvas, where contradictions arise and go out, others come to replace one.
The plot, the climax, the denouement
In works, the plot of which is based on conflict, it is inherently a scheme, a formula. It can distinguish the constituent parts. The plot elements in the literature include exposure, outset, conflict, escalating action, crisis, climax, top-down action and denouement.
Of course, all these elements are not present in every work. More often you can meet several of them, for example, the plot, conflict, development of action, crisis, climax and denouement. On the other hand, how exactly to analyze the work matters.
Exposition in this regard is the most static part. Her task is to introduce some characters and the setting of the action.
The set describes one or more events that give an impetus to the main action. The development of the plot in literature goes through conflict, increasing action, a crisis to a climax. She is the peak of the work, playing a significant role in revealing the characters of the heroes and in the unfolding of the conflict. The denouement adds the finishing touches to the story told and to the characters of the characters.
The literature has developed a certain plot construction scheme, psychologically justified in terms of influence on the reader. Each element described has its own place and meaning.
If the story does not fit into the scheme, it seems lethargic, incomprehensible, illogical. In order for the work to be interesting, for readers to empathize with the heroes and delve into what is happening with them, everything in it must have its place and develop in accordance with these psychological laws.
Plots of ancient Russian literature
Ancient Russian literature, in the opinion of D. S. Likhachev, is “literature of one theme and one plot”. World history and the meaning of human life are the main, deepest motives and themes of writers of those times.
Plots of ancient Russian literature are revealed to us in lives, messages, walks (travel descriptions), chronicles. The names of the authors of most of them are unknown. According to the time interval, the Old Russian group includes works written in the XI-XVII centuries.
The variety of modern literature
Attempts to classify and describe the plots used have been made more than once. In his book The Four Cycles, Jorge Luis Borges suggested that there are only four types of them in world literature:
- about the search;
- about the suicide of God;
- about a long return;
- about the assault and defense of a fortified city.
Christopher Booker singled out seven: “from rags to riches” (or vice versa), adventure, “back and forth” (Tolkien's “The Hobbit” comes to mind), comedy, tragedy, resurrection and victory over the monster. Georges Polty reduced the entire experience of world literature to 36 plot conflicts, and Kipling singled out 69 of their options.
Even specialists of a different profile did not leave this question indifferent. According to Karl Gustav Jung, a well-known Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, the main subjects of literature are archetypal, and there are only six of them - a shadow, anima, animus, mother, old man and child.
Index of folk tales
Most of all, perhaps, the Aarne-Thompson-Uther system “allocated” the writers the possibilities - it recognizes the existence of approximately 2500 variants.
This, however, is about folklore. This system is a catalog, an index of fairy tales, known to science at the time of the compilation of this monumental work.
There is only one definition for the course of events. The plot in the literature of such a plan is as follows: “The persecuted stepdaughter is taken to the forest and thrown there. Baba Yaga, or Morozko, or Goblin, or 12 months, or Winter test it and reward it. The stepmother’s own daughter also wants to receive a gift, but she fails the test and dies. ”
In fact, Aarne himself established no more than a thousand options for the development of events in a fairy tale, however, he allowed the possibility of new ones and left a place for them in his original classification. This was the first index that came into scientific use and was recognized by the majority. Subsequently, scientists from many countries made additions to it.
In 2004, the edition of the directory appeared, in which descriptions of the fairy-tale types were updated and made more accurate. This version of the pointer contained 250 new types.