Reading Stories: Plots And Themes (1970)

pap there are all kinds of stories many are about animals many others are about people but as different as one seems from another stories have certain things in common they have particular characters in particular settings in addition things happen to these characters that's the plot of a story what happens to the characters one plot might involve The Adventures of a sailor another those of a young Pioneer boy still another plot might describe the things that happened to a [Music] viking and another the lonely wanderings of a [Music] cowboy these things that happen in a story are often the things we notice first and they help make the story interesting now one of the things that happens in a dog on barkham street by Ms stz is that Edward Frost is constantly being chased by the bully Martin Hastings Edward is the main character in the story and the fact that he had only one enemy didn't help him much because that enemy lived right next door why doesn't dad get a job in a land is it Martin Hastings [Music] again but the bully next door isn't all there is to the plot you see Edward wants a dog and he keeps trying to convince his mother that he's responsible enough to take care of one [Music] I suppose you had some reason for going out in the pouring rain aside from its nuisance value that is well somebody left the hammer out in the rain and might have gotten Rusty somebody well I'm somebody aren't I but try as he would Edward didn't seem to be any closer to getting that dog how responsible do I have to be before I can have a dog Edward look at today bed unmade Hammer off in the rain you out in the rain but I'm cleaning my whole room you started to look at this mess the plot of this story involves the things Edward does to get a dog it also involves the things he does to get away from the bully next door like running away with his friend Rod plot involves things the characters [Applause] do plot also involves things that happen to the characters [Music] the things that happen in a story don't have to be real for example in the borrowers by Mary Norton even young Kate has trouble believing the story Mrs May tells her are there such things as people other people living in a house who Barrow things what do you think I don't know there can't be and yet and yet sometimes I think there must be because of all the things that disappear safety pins for instance factories go on making safety pins and every day people go on buying safety and yet somehow there never is a safety pin just when you want one where are they all where do they go to [Music] the plot of a story may be true or it may not be but in a good story the things that happen seem real that's partly what makes reading them so much fun but there's usually even more more to a good story than just things that happen take a summer Adventure by Richard Lewis for example the plot of this story is clear and straightforward a young boy collects animals for his own private Zoo but as we continue reading this particular story looking at the things Ross sees finding out some of his thoughts going along with what he does we may begin to sense the author's feeling about his story this underlying feeling often called the theme is what we sense of the writer's attitude toward life most often he does doesn't put this feeling into words but we may grow to understand that feeling as the story moves along as Ross looks at these animals in their natural environment he begins to enjoy them even more than the ones back home in his Zoo the ones in captivity Ross begins to think and so do we [Laughter] each time Ross struggles with another animal he notices how fiercely it defends its freedom how strongly it resists being captured as Ross begins to get new ideas about nature and freedom so do we long after we've forgotten details of the plot we might share with Ross The Writer's feeling about caging wild animals the plot of a story is something quite definite something we can all follow for example what happens in this story is quite clearly described by Annie the book is my brother Stevie by Eleanor climber Annie and Stevie live with a grandmother who really doesn't want them and doesn't know what to do with them the plot of the story tells what happens when someone finally shows Stevie some affection Stevie had a new teacher Miss Stover sometimes Miss Stover would let Stevie take skipper for a walk after school and one weekend when she had to go away Annie and Stevie took care of Skipper the whole time the theme of a story may never be stated in so many words instead we go beyond the plot to thinking first about Stevie's happiness when he has someone something to love and later we sense his unhappiness when those loved ones go away what's the matter nothing quit that go to your homework I haven't got any homework you're a liar M St gave you work she did not she isn't even there we somehow learn from Stevie the place of love in everyone's life we might call this the theme there are all kinds of good stories and we read them for all kinds of reasons but those stories we like best are usually those that in the end give us a sense of how the author feels about his story about his characters about life itself this we may call the theme the theme might deal with a strle of animals to be free and the meaning of freedom or it might deal with everyone's need to have someone to love but however we perceive the theme a good story is usually one we enjoy reading its theme may make some change in us a change that can remain long after the details of the plot are forgotten [Music]