The Shape of the Story: Peace vs. Justice in Narrative Structure
Institutional Affiliation
George Mason University
Start Date
2-11-2023 9:30 AM
End Date
2-11-2023 10:30 AM
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Format
On-campus
Proposal Description
The study of intractable conflict and the prospect of peace offers a fresh perspective on story structure and narrative poetics, a perspective that is unrecognized in literary theory and one that has eluded even the most expert Hollywood screenwriters. This book uses examples from classic literature and popular film for practical use in developing narrative competence in everyday life, illustrating a new model of archetypal plot trajectories that can either push a reader/viewer toward political action or peaceful engagement. The archetypal or polygenetic model of narrative structure is useful for the practice of both politics and peacemaking, but also provides a new framework for literary analysis. What scholars and writers alike have missed is the dual source of tension that can provide the dramatic tension needed to animate a story. Antagonism can arise from the interaction of a subject/hero with an enemy or opponent, leading to inherently “political” stories that have either happy (romantic) or sad (satirical) endings. But antagonism can also arise from the interaction of a subject/hero with a social disruption or natural force, leading to inherently structural stories in which even complicit characters are not ultimately to blame, leading to inherently “structural” stories that have either happy (comic) or sad (tragic) endings. The most devasting human experiences open a window onto human experience that has been closed to those students of story structure who have been tasked with writing merely entertaining stories and even to those who have written in pursuit of literary depth. Storytelling is at its fever pitch when real human lives on the line and our actions and the way we story them could make a difference. Narrative matters most when we seek the solace of peace or the satisfaction of justice. This “two conflicts” approach to narrative structure is designed to promote both; it can be either directed to peace through structural storytelling or justice through political storytelling. This book helps writers and activists with an interest in either or both goals to better form their stories.
The Shape of the Story: Peace vs. Justice in Narrative Structure
The study of intractable conflict and the prospect of peace offers a fresh perspective on story structure and narrative poetics, a perspective that is unrecognized in literary theory and one that has eluded even the most expert Hollywood screenwriters. This book uses examples from classic literature and popular film for practical use in developing narrative competence in everyday life, illustrating a new model of archetypal plot trajectories that can either push a reader/viewer toward political action or peaceful engagement. The archetypal or polygenetic model of narrative structure is useful for the practice of both politics and peacemaking, but also provides a new framework for literary analysis. What scholars and writers alike have missed is the dual source of tension that can provide the dramatic tension needed to animate a story. Antagonism can arise from the interaction of a subject/hero with an enemy or opponent, leading to inherently “political” stories that have either happy (romantic) or sad (satirical) endings. But antagonism can also arise from the interaction of a subject/hero with a social disruption or natural force, leading to inherently structural stories in which even complicit characters are not ultimately to blame, leading to inherently “structural” stories that have either happy (comic) or sad (tragic) endings. The most devasting human experiences open a window onto human experience that has been closed to those students of story structure who have been tasked with writing merely entertaining stories and even to those who have written in pursuit of literary depth. Storytelling is at its fever pitch when real human lives on the line and our actions and the way we story them could make a difference. Narrative matters most when we seek the solace of peace or the satisfaction of justice. This “two conflicts” approach to narrative structure is designed to promote both; it can be either directed to peace through structural storytelling or justice through political storytelling. This book helps writers and activists with an interest in either or both goals to better form their stories.