Circular plot structure
A circular plot structure is a narrative technique where a story begins and ends in the same or a similar setting, theme, or emotional state, creating a sense of closure and continuity. Unlike linear plots that follow a straightforward progression, circular plots often return to their starting point, allowing for reflection on the characters' journeys and the changes they have undergone. This type of structure can be found across various forms of storytelling, including novels, films, poems, and plays.
Commonly, circular plots involve a journey or adventure where characters leave a familiar place and return, often transformed by their experiences. For instance, in stories like "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck and "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis, the protagonists’ returns evoke deeper themes such as loss and growth. Additionally, circular plots can incorporate multiple cycles within a single narrative, as seen in the film "Groundhog Day," where repeated experiences lead to significant character development.
Overall, this narrative structure allows for subtle and reflective endings, prompting audiences to contemplate the contrasts between the beginning and the end, enhancing the emotional impact of the story. Circular plot structures serve as a unique storytelling device that resonates with the audience through its exploration of change and continuity.
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Circular plot structure
A circular plot structure is a type of narrative plot in which a story begins and ends in the same (or a comparable) place, physically (setting), figuratively, or thematically. The ending of a story with a circular plot is often said to echo the beginning. This type of plot exists in fictional and nonfictional books, short stories, films, poems, and plays, including those for children. Some might consider the novel Of Mice and Men (1937), by John Steinbeck, an example as it incorporates parallel story lines and begins and ends with the two protagonists meeting by a river under similar circumstances.
Overview
Like a linear plot structure, a circular structure often shows the changes that characters experience during their passage through the plot points of the story, but it does not have an ending that is a clear departure from the beginning. Instead, the overall meaning of the story is derived from bringing the audience and characters back to the start in some manner. The beginning and ending of a circular plot do not have to take place in the same physical location; they can each contain figurative, symbolic, or metaphorical resonances or counterparts that leave readers with the impression that the story has come “full circle.”
A common type of circular story contains a journey or an adventure, which usually opens with a character departing some location and ends with his or her return to the same place. Throughout this adventure, characters face challenges and acquire new insight into themselves and the world. Upon their return, the characters’ and audiences’ perceptions of the original circumstances have changed. An example of this structure can be found in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950), part of C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. In this story, the Pevensie children leave their life in England and journey into the mythical world of Narnia, which they are enlisted to help save. They become adults and live in Narnia for many years before returning to England—as children again—at the same moment they had left, inspiring readers to contemplate the loss of the characters’ childhood innocence.
Highlighting the changes characters have endured, circular plot stories generally have more subtle endings than stories with linear plots. This allows for greater reflection on discrepancies of the “before and after.” Readers and viewers of stories with circular plots can often anticipate characters’ returns to a location or theme of origin because of the narrative techniques employed.
Circular plot structures can also repeat multiple times within one story. In these instances, the ending of the story is more difficult to predict. The film Groundhog Day (1993), for example, in which the protagonist relives the same day again and again, is often viewed as representative of this kind of narrative. His experience during these days changes, but the repetition of their occurrence remains the same until a pivotal moment at the end of the film. Similarly, the use of elements such as recurring flashbacks or dream sequences can help convey meaning within this structure.
Employed in a variety of narrative genres, circular plot structure serves as one of several artistic vehicles used to tell a story. However, this narrative technique has a different pattern and effect on an audience than the linear plot structure.
Bibliography
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