4 ms·

What are universals in story, and where do they come from?

• harscoat 5y ago
  "Stories with that structure often have 6 secondary features. These don't always appear with the sympathetic plot, but they're common: 1. The protagonist is appealing (e.g., strong, clever, kind). 2. They are alone & suffer early misfortunes (e.g., they're orphaned or abandoned). 3. They are high-status or tied to high-status individuals (e.g., there's a prophesy about them; they're the child of royalty). 4. They journey to distant places. 5. Their opponents are formidable & repulsive. 6. Anyone who opposes the protagonist suffers or is reformed." -- manvir singh @mnvrsngh