Comments | tejas: A literary device and a question or three

tejas

A literary device and a question or three

Apr 19, 2009 12:56

There's a literary device that I believe has it's own name, but I can't remember what it is. It might just be bundled in with flashback, but it shouldn't be. It seems to me that it deserves a name on it's own (maybe I'll call it George ;-). I'm thinking of the situation where the author starts out with an event of some kind, usually shocking or ( Read more... )

writing, meta

Comments 47

roylevosh April 19 2009, 18:45:13 UTC

I think the movie Pulp Fiction nailed this, uhm, what-yer-talking-about exactly.

superbadgirl April 19 2009, 18:48:20 UTC

Hehe. I was just going to reference Pulp Fiction.

tejas April 19 2009, 19:30:42 UTC

Really? I've never seen Pulp Fiction (never had any desire to). May have to change that now.

wraith816 April 19 2009, 18:59:42 UTC

Um, we always just called it a circular story structure (because it circles back around to what you saw in the beginning) in all my lit classes...not sure if there's a fancier name for it.

SPN 4x06 "Yellow Fever" kind of used it, opening with Dean running away from the little dog...not really sure if I'd say it was used all that well though. I'll probably remember like a million examples the minute I've turned off the computer for the night, LOL.

tejas April 19 2009, 19:31:23 UTC

Yes! That's it exactly. I'd forgotten that episode.

cleothemuse April 19 2009, 19:13:41 UTC

I believe you are referring to in medias res, which is Latin for "in the middle of affairs".

I think it works best if the climactic point which opens the story actually takes place early on, and events continue to build after the opening scene is revisited.

tejas April 19 2009, 19:27:37 UTC

Um. I don't think so, though that's part of it. I'm referring specifically to a story that's predominantly told as a flashback with just the very beginning and the very ending told in 'real' time. Nor is it really a framed story as in the "well, let me tell you how I wound up in this cell" sort of thing.

cleothemuse April 19 2009, 19:38:43 UTC

Hmmm... the only other thing I can think of is the "film noir" style, but that's probably not it, either.

tejas April 19 2009, 19:42:24 UTC

No, that's a style not a device.

I did find "flash forward", which is, I guess, exactly right.

I just wanted it to have a cooler name, I guess. :-)

donutsweeper April 19 2009, 19:16:33 UTC

I actually had a big post and discussion about this a few months ago ( here). Overall most people thought it could be done well, but far too often it was just annoying.

Flashpoint (the tv show) starts nearly all episodes with this. As do each of the "Cat Who..." books.

I tend to find it annoying. Like I'm being teased and having my buttons pushed in attempts to have me care more than I should.

tejas April 19 2009, 19:40:38 UTC

Oh, yeah. I remember that one.

kateri_e April 19 2009, 19:19:59 UTC

There is this lovely bit of Greek poetry that uses this type of literary device, I believe the title is The Odyssey ;-)

Lovely story, you really must read it someday ;-)

(runs and hides)

tejas April 19 2009, 19:29:08 UTC

*glares at kat*

Just because I *know* my flist is made up of smart asses is no reason to go out of your way to demonstrate.

:-)

kateri_e April 19 2009, 19:33:00 UTC

&whines*
But Teeeejas, we have to get our kicks somewhere!

:-D

tejas April 19 2009, 19:41:14 UTC

*raises an eyebrow in kat's direction*

Go taunt shippers or something. :-)

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