Abduction

Disciplines > Storytelling > Plots > Polti's Situations > Abduction

Description | Discussion | See also

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Description

Elements

The Abductor
The Abducted
The Guardian

Summary

The Abducted person is taken by the Abductor. The Abducted may be rescued by a Guardian.

Variants

abduction of an unwilling woman

abduction of a consenting woman

recapture of the woman without the slaying of the abductor
recapture of the woman with the abductor slain

the rescue of a captive friend
the rescue of a child
the rescue of a soul in captivity to error

Discussion

Abduction is the capture and taking of a person, normally against their will but perhaps just in an unexpected situation. Freedom comes when a rescuer performs some kind of 'reverse abduction'.

The thought of abduction creates fear in many of us as we think about children and loved ones being kidnapped (or maybe ourselves being taken). That fear then turns to thoughts of rescue and escape around which the rest of the story may revolve, with the reader paying close and excited attention.

'Abduction' is the 10th of Georges Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations.