GE1113 Visual Literacy and Cultural Thinking

2012-3-12

1.

Story Setting Theme Plot

Setting + Theme + Plot + Resolution Characters + Location + Time (Event)* + Goal Episode* Subgoal + Attempt* + Outcome {Event*/Episode} {Event*/State} {Event/State} Desired State State

MAPPING OUT THE STORY

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Episode Attempt Outcome Resolution

STORY GRAMMAR

CHARACTER

8. 9. 10.

{Subgoal/Goal}

{Characters/Location/Time}

CHARACTER
Character. An existent endowed with anthropomorphic () traits and engaged in anthropomorphic actions. Or, an actor; an existent engaged in an action. Protagonist. The main character; the character constituting the chief focus of interest. Character-I. The I of a character who also functions as the narrator of the situations and events in which he or she plays a part. Hero. The protagonist or central character in a narrative. The hero (or heroine) usually represents positive values. Antihero. An unheroic hero; a hero defined by negative or less than admirable attributes (). Antagonist. The major opponent () of the protagonist. A narrative articulated in terms of an interpersonal conflict involves two major characters with opposite goals: the protagonist (or the hero) and the antagonist, or enemy. False Hero. The false hero pretends to have accomplished what, in fact, the hero accomplished.

CHARACTERIZATION
k/ e Loosiqu y Ph

Gestures/ Actions

K Co now ns le ne cioudge ss s-

Round Character
r Inne ch S p ee
Po Self (M rtra irr it or)

Flat Character

Emotions/ Concerns

on bc ess Su usn cio s

Refers to the set of techniques resulting in the constitution of character. Characterization can be more or less direct (a characters traits are reliably stated by the narrator, the character herself, or another character) or indirect (deducible from the characters actions, reactions, thoughts, emotions, etc.

Lecture 09 by Dr. Louisa Wei

Spe (Ge ech nr e )

GE1113 Visual Literacy and Cultural Thinking

2012-3-12

MOTIVATION OF CHARACTERS
A character is usually more interesting when s/he has a strong motivation, as that will give the character a reason for his actions. Characters in action is crucial for the plot making, and different motivation of each character creates tension in the narrative. There are two kinds of motivation movements Pro-active (towards something) or Reactive (away from something). There are also external and internal motivation of a character. The primary internal motivation can be summarized as selfprotection, while the external motivation can have many facets.

Character relationship defines the story structure, as the focus on characters is changing in a story with more than one characters. Modern fiction often has multiple characters and involves different POVs. The number of main characters and the way their relationship is designed affect the story greatly. The most important relationships include power relation, money relation, love/sex relation and friend/rival relation (right). In a story with a central character, every other character is defined in relation to the protagonist. Only occasionally, there are strong relationships between two minor characters (see map on next page).

CHARACTER RELATION

http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/art motive.htm

TWOCHARACTER STRUCTURE

Stories with two characters as central figures often involve lovers and family members on both sides. Romantic comedy and tragedy often have the character relationship similar to the above map of Romeo and Juliet. This almost symmetrical setup often provokes conflicts.

Lecture 09 by Dr. Louisa Wei

GE1113 Visual Literacy and Cultural Thinking

2012-3-12

TRIANGLE RELATIONSHIP
Triangle relationship is usually more interesting and intense than a mere love/rival relationship between two characters, as the third party makes everything more complex. In order to make triangle relationship work, there must be a strong tie or emotion between each of the two characters. For instance, in a story where two men falls for one woman, the two men should also have a strong connection of some sort. Along the plot line, the focus should shift among two of the three characters constantly. A crime triangle works in a similar way with the love triangle.

FOUR CHARACTERS

Four-character stories can either have two sets of mirrored, parallel or double love/rival relationships, or two entwined triangle relationships. And the tension works within and between the basic relationships. Like main characters of a two-character story can also be about a split self, the four characters can be the ideal self, actual self, idealized self and despised self.

FIVE-CHARACTER STORY

Five-character story is less popular partially because its structure is more difficult to handle. If five characters are of equal importance in a story, the focal point can move among the five corners of a star. In this way the story will pick up tension from the magic of the pentagram.

SIX-CHARACTER STORY
It is not easy to have six characters of equal importance in a story, and it is not necessary to give equal weight in the portrayal of each character. If needed, however, the story focus can move along the lines shown in the hexagram (upper right). Six characters, however, allows narrative games to be played at different levels. Kurosawas Rashomon, for instance, has six main characters distributed in two levels of narrative (lower right).

Lecture 09 by Dr. Louisa Wei

GE1113 Visual Literacy and Cultural Thinking

2012-3-12

SEVEN CHARACTERS
As symmetry and balance can hardly be kept among seven characters, a story manages with seven characters can have a good tension. Usually, in the sevencharacter story, one character is placed at the center, but with changing relationship with others. The Inception poster with seven characters uses the size to indicate the screen time and the distance to Cobb the relationship with him: Arthur is the point man, Mal the shade, Fischer Jr. the mark, Ariadne the architect, Eames the forger, and Saito the tourist. Kurosawas Seven Samurai also places Mifunes role at the center, and the seven, when appear together is often like one character.

Lecture 09 by Dr. Louisa Wei