The Admiration Plot

Disciplines > Storytelling > Plots > The Admiration Plot

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

In the admiration plot, the hero is someone who seems normal at first, but wins through to the end of the story through their responsibility, moral strength and general integrity.

They may well seem like the 'boy next door', but they show how ordinary people can have a depth of goodness that they can draw on in times of trouble.

The storyline thus is often a basic theme of good versus evil, perhaps with the evil force trying to seduce or coerce the good person into immoral acts.

Example

Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, Luke Skywalker in Star Wars

Discussion

Perhaps more than other stories, we like to associate with the protagonist, admiring their qualities and hoping that some will rub off on us. Not so many of us want to be all-action heroes, but we would like to believe that we have common decency and a strong integrity that will withstand evil influence.

The Admiration Plot is one of Friedman's story plots.