Comments on How can I pinpoint a story's moral dilemma?
Parent
How can I pinpoint a story's moral dilemma?
In this answer, Mark Baker makes a statement about story:
All story ideas are basically a variation on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) has two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose... The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill.
I can immediately think of many cases where this is true:
- Lord of the Rings: Frodo can keep the ring OR save the world
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Luke can renounce the ways of the Jedi OR use his power to help the resistance
- The Book of Strange New Things: Peter can fulfill his missionary calling OR save his marriage
But what about stories where this is less obvious? What about ensemble stories where there isn't a main character? What about stories without a climactic moment of choice? What about heist movies?
I'm looking for ways to locate this thread in all of those, so as to better analyze them and understand the thematic undercurrent. Examples would be helpful!
Post
How can I pinpoint a story's moral dilemma?
In classic narrative structure, the first act, called "the setup," establishes the setting and characters. Then, it creates the problem.
First, look for the escalating problem that sweeps away the previous normal and puts pressure on the characters in the story. What differentiates the protagonist from the other characters is how they respond to the problem.
Then look for the chasm between the protagonist's past beliefs and the new reality created by the problem. This gap IS the dilemma. It forces the protagonist to make difficult choices and perform actions they would not have taken in the past.
The protagonist's response to the dilemma sets them apart from the other characters. Some stories accentuate this difference by juxtaposing the protagonist with a secondary character, called the foil. The foil's lesser qualities and choices draw attention to the protagonist's exceptional response to the dilemma.
Let's apply this analysis to a well-known story, Star Wars, A New Hope.
-
The setting: Luke is a bored farm boy working on his aunt and uncle's farm, longing for adventure.
-
The escalating problem and pressure: The war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance comes to Luke's remote corner of the world in the form of two droids on a mission to deliver a secret message. One of the droids escapes, forcing Luke to leave the safety of the farm and meet Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan reveals that Luke's father was a fellow Jedi knight and close friend and that he was betrayed and murdered by a student who turned to the dark side of the Force. Obi-Wan bestows his father's lightsaber upon Luke. Luke returns to the farm to finds that imperial stormtroopers have murdered his uncle and aunt. His old life is gone, no turning back. The only question is, "what next?"
-
The dilemma: Luke's dilemma is that he must choose between two possible futures. One, in which he refuses to change and does little of consequence. The other, in which he acknowledges his connection to the Force and accepts the greatness of his destiny.
Luke resolves this dilemma in steps. His first step is when, during lightsaber training, he puts on a helmet with its blast shield lowered and accepts Obi-Wan's suggestion to reach out with his feelings. He does this and successfully blocks the small blasts of a remote.
Luke's ultimate step on the path to greatness happens during the attack on the Death Star. Again, he heeds Obi-Wan's ghost voice, which says, "Luke, trust me." Luke turns off the X-wing's targeting scope, feels the Force, and makes the one-in-a-million shot that destroys the Death Star.
-
The foil: Luke doubts himself and struggles to become great, but he never challenges the path that others put in front of him. He is a virtuous, obedient, and almost too predictable rube. To provide tension and contrast, Han Solo plays the foil. He is nearly the inverse of Luke: A greedy, egotistical, violent criminal. When told about the Force, he sneers, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." He is motivated by Imperial credits, not altruism or noble causes.
So, to summarize, you can pinpoint the dilemma by doing the following:
- Identify the problem in the first act.
- Recognize the internal struggles it creates for different characters.
- Spot the protagonist, whose dilemma makes them take action.
- Look for a possible foil, whose thoughts and actions contrast with the protagonists.
0 comment threads