I researched structures of storylines and found a website (https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/) where the most common used structures are explained in detail. There are variations depending on the structures (a protagonist might encounter several obstacles and there might be different stages before the resolution at the end) but there is something in common to all of them:
- The status quo: the characters and the location are set.
- A trigger that changes the status quo: it could be as small as a chance encounter between two people as is often the case in romantic comedies or a crime that needs to be resolved.
- The main protagonists pursue their goal and are being tested (it could be seducing the person they love, finding who committed a crime or working on a relationship in a family drama). Often all hope seems to be lost at some point.
- The resolution: Conflicts are resolved, misunderstandings are cleared and a new status quo is reached.
I decided to analyse the story of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens as I enjoyed that novel and it contains many elements. I checked the details of the story online to be reminded of all the events in the right order (https://www.britannica.com/topic/David-Copperfield-novel) and created a table to visualise the plot(s):
This novel contains several storylines. The main two stories are around David Copperfield:
- David Copperfield as a child with no protection who has to face many dangers before he finds a safe home at his aunt’s and
- David Copperfield, as a young man who faces financial and romantic hardships before he builds a successful career and marries the woman he is meant to be with.
Other stories are intertwined with the main plots. I tried to colour code the table above to see how the stories are waved together: The story of Emily abandoned by the man who seduced her (purple), the dangers faced by Agnes and her father at the hands of Uriah Heeps (red), and the Micawber family (green) always in financial difficulties.
Charles Dickens brings all these characters to life and makes sure we care about all of them and the challenges they face. Every story is important and we want to know that the characters are safe and happy in the end.
I tried to think of other films or books with other stories intertwined and remembered the film “Four Weddings and a Funeral”. Although it seems like a completely different style and many aspects are different as this is a contemporary romantic comedy, the structure is very similar although a bit more simple in the case of “Four Weddings a A Funeral”. In that case, there is one main plot:
The status quo: the protagonists are introduced as they get ready to attend a wedding.
The trigger: Charles, the best man meets an American lady, Carrie and falls in love.
Obstacle: He learns that she is about to marry another man, attends her wedding and is about to get married himself to another woman as he has lost all hope of ever being with Carrie.
Resolution: He cancels the wedding and is reunited with Carrie.
Alongside the main plot, there are several stories intertwined as we follow the relationships of the characters attending the four weddings and the funeral.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 