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    Plot Device

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    bhaskarchow
    Plot devices are elements introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot. A well-written plot device will seem natural, while a poorly-written one will seem contrived and break suspension of disbelief. Common plot devices include MacGuffins, which drive character actions but whose nature is unimportant; plot coupons or vouchers, which allow characters to escape danger or complete quests; and one-off events that move characters to the next scene. While some devices are derided for lacking complexity, others like Tolkien's Ring serve multiple purposes. Video games also rely heavily on plot devices to structure gameplay goals.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    Plot Device

    Uploaded by

    bhaskarchow
    443 views2 pages
    Plot devices are elements introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot. A well-written plot device will seem natural, while a poorly-written one will seem contrived and break suspension of disbelief. Common plot devices include MacGuffins, which drive character actions but whose nature is unimportant; plot coupons or vouchers, which allow characters to escape danger or complete quests; and one-off events that move characters to the next scene. While some devices are derided for lacking complexity, others like Tolkien's Ring serve multiple purposes. Video games also rely heavily on plot devices to structure gameplay goals.

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    Plot devices are elements introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot. A well-written plot device will seem natural, while a poorly-written one will seem contrived and break suspension of disbelief. Common plot devices include MacGuffins, which drive character actions but whose nature is unimportant; plot coupons or vouchers, which allow characters to escape danger or complete quests; and one-off events that move characters to the next scene. While some devices are derided for lacking complexity, others like Tolkien's Ring serve multiple purposes. Video games also rely heavily on plot devices to structure gameplay goals.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    443 views2 pages

    Plot Device

    Uploaded by

    bhaskarchow
    Plot devices are elements introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot. A well-written plot device will seem natural, while a poorly-written one will seem contrived and break suspension of disbelief. Common plot devices include MacGuffins, which drive character actions but whose nature is unimportant; plot coupons or vouchers, which allow characters to escape danger or complete quests; and one-off events that move characters to the next scene. While some devices are derided for lacking complexity, others like Tolkien's Ring serve multiple purposes. Video games also rely heavily on plot devices to structure gameplay goals.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Plot device

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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    A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the
    story. In the hands of a skilled writer, the reader or viewer will not notice that the device is a
    construction of the author; it will seem to follow naturally from the setting or characters in
    the story. A poorly-written story, on the other hand, may have such awkward or contrived plot
    devices that the reader has serious trouble maintaining suspension of disbelief.
    Calling an element of a work a 'plot device' is generally derogatory, implying a lack of
    complexity in the work. Judging something as a plot device is always subjective, and depends
    on the degree to which the 'item' serves other purposes or is well-integrated into the tale. For
    example the 'magic item' which the protagonists of a fantasy novel have to find or destroy is
    often a plot device; however one might hesitate to apply the term to the Ring of The Lord of
    the Rings, since it also serves many other purposes in the book.
    [edit] MacGuffins and related matters
    One of the most common plot devices is the MacGuffin (a term popularized by Alfred
    Hitchcock). A MacGuffin is an object (or character) which drives the actions of the
    characters, but whose actual nature is not important to the story; another object would work
    just as well, if the characters treated it with the same importance. Hitchcock said that "in a
    thriller the MacGuffin is usually 'the necklace'; in a spy story it is 'the papers'".
    MacGuffins are frequently found in 'quest' fantasy stories; the magic artifact which the hero
    must recover in order to save his village, world or family is a MacGuffin (unless, like
    Tolkien's Ring, its nature is a significant part of the story). The labours of Hercules might
    well qualify.
    MacGuffins are sometimes referred to as "plot coupons" (especially if multiple ones are
    required) as the protagonist only needs to "collect enough plot coupons and trade them in for
    a denouement". The term was coined by Nick Lowe.
    Another common form of plot device is the object, typically given to the protagonist shortly
    before, that allows them to escape from a situation that would be otherwise impossible. Nick
    Lowe coined the term 'plot voucher' for these, as the protagonist needs to "save the voucher
    and cash it in at the appropriate time". Examples of this might include the object given to a
    character which later deflects an otherwise fatal bullet. Most of the devices given to James
    Bond by Q could fall into this category. The gifts given to Perseus could also count, as could
    the sacrifice Harry Potter's mother made shortly before Voldemort's attempt on his life, since
    it saved him.
    Other plot devices are simply one-offs to get the protagonist to the next scene of the story.
    The enemy spy, who suddenly appears, defects, reveals the location of the secret headquarters
    and is never heard of again, would be an extreme example. Without this 'device' the hero
    would never find the headquarters and be unable to reach the climactic scene; however the
    character becomes less of a plot device if the author gives them a back-story and a plausible
    motivation for defecting, and makes them an interesting character in their own right.
    Many video games rely hugely on plot devices; lesser games are sometimes entirely centred
    around characters performing arbitrary tasks in order to 'win' the game. Even relatively well-
    plotted games often involve the protagonist in a series of relatively unconnected and
    unjustified tasks.
    Some other plot devices include:
    • Deathtrap — overly complicated method of killing a character, used solely to provide
    a means of escape
    • Deus ex machina — artificial or improbable means of resolving a story, such as
    having it turn out to be a dream
    • Quest — complicated search for capture or return of an object or person
    • Quibble — following the exact terms of an agreement to escape what would normally
    be expected
    • Red herring — a person, event or object which deflects attention from the real thing
    • Stupidity — a character wilfully ignores an obvious and convenient solution to a
    problem
    In humor-themed forms of entertainment, particularly those that break the fourth wall in
    pursuit of comedy, plot devices or the concept itself may be deliberately pointed out to the
    audience for a joke. For example, in the one-shot DC comic book Blasters, written by Peter
    David, one of the protagonists is shown installing a device, made by an alien race known as
    the "Plaht", into her spacecraft that will allow herself and her companion to locate the other
    protagonists, which was required to forward the plot of the story. Her companion then
    seemingly turned to face the reader and said, "Oh, I get it. It's a Plaht device." (In this case,
    the "Plaht device" would be considered a deus ex machina.) The animated series Sheep in the
    Big City even featured a robot character actually named "Plot Device", who apparently
    worked for the antagonists and served no other purpose than to advance the plot when it
    arrived at an apparent standstill (usually by coming up with ridiculous plans to capture
    Sheep).
    The popular card game munchkin contains a literal "plot device" that dramatically turns the
    tide of a game.

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