Dramatica Theory Book

Chapter 17: Plot Appreciations (Continued)

There are eight Plot Appreciations that stand at the center of all four throughlines. They are the story Goal, Requirements, Consequences, Forewarnings, Dividends, Costs, Prerequisites, and Preconditions. All of these appreciations can be found at the Type level of the Thematic Structure.

In stories that reflect Western culture - particularly in American culture - the Story Goal is traditionally found in the Objective Story Throughline. This results in a story in which the Goal pertains to all of the Objective Characters. The Goal, however, might just as appropriately be found in the Main Character Throughline, or either of the other two. In such a story, the overall Goal could appear to be whatever the Main Character was hoping for or working toward, regardless of what was of concern to the Objective Characters.

In fact, it is the Concerns in each throughline that might also double up as the Story Goal. This has the effect of tying all four throughlines' Concerns together into the issues central to the story as a whole. The relationship among the eight plot appreciations remains the same no matter which throughline serves as their anchor point. Therefore, we shall describe the nature of the eight Plot Appreciations as they appear when the Story Goal is also the Objective Story Throughline Concern. For other perspectives, one merely needs to shift into a different point of view, such as that of the Main Character. The appreciations themselves would remain the same, only what they are applied to would change.