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How many basic story plots are there?


Written by Michal

In 1965, Kurt Vonnegut, the American author, presented a study to the University of Chicago focusing on how traditional stories such as Cinderella had a popular "shape". After it was rejected he was enraged and responded with “the apathy of the University of Chicago is repulsive to me.” He believed it had been turned down due to the fact  “it was so simple and looked like so much fun”.

 Kurt Vonnegut proposed that there are simple shapes of stories that can be fed into computers and that these shapes are beautiful. He expanded on this theory in a lecture(press here to watch the lecture, it's pretty entertaining), using graphs to illustrate the various forms of story, such as "man in a hole" and "boy gets the girl." This idea has been explored further by researchers at the University of Vermont's Computational Story Lab, who recently analyzed the emotional content of 1,737 stories from Project Gutenberg and found that there are six core trajectories that form the building blocks of complex narratives. These include "rags to riches," "tragedy," "man in a hole," "Icarus," "Cinderella," and "Oedipus."


 “I confessed that I was daunted by the graph of Cinderella."

Image from: https://jerryjenkins.com/

Vonnegut's theory on the simple shapes of stories has been compared to other literary theories on the number of basic structures of all stories ever told. One such theory is that proposed by Christopher Booker in his book "The Seven Basic Plots." Booker believes that there are not 6 but 7 possible story structures: rags to riches, overcoming the monster, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy, and rebirth.


Another theory is one proposed by Foster-Harris in his book, published in 1959, "The Basic Patterns of Plot." Foster-Harris asserts that there are only three basic plot patterns: happy ending, unhappy ending, and tragedy.


While these theories do not see eye to eye on the number of basic structures of possible narratives, they do, however, all share a common factor: the belief that all stories can be broken down into a finite number of basic structures. Vonnegut himself acknowledged the similarities between the multiple theories and stated in his autobiography "Palm Sunday": “I confessed that I was daunted by the graph of Cinderella, and was tempted to leave it out of my thesis since it seemed to prove that I was full of shit. It seemed too complicated and arbitrary to be a representative artifact… but then I said to myself: ‘Wait a minute – those steps at the beginning look like the creation myth of virtually every society on earth.’ And then I saw that the stroke of midnight looked exactly like the unique creation myth in the Old Testament. And then I saw that the rise to bliss at the end was identical with the expectation of redemption as expressed in primitive Christianity. The tales were identical.”


While these theories may give a foundation for understanding story structures, they do not account for the specifics and technicalities of particular tales. Furthermore, it is worth noting that these ideas are not widely accepted in the area of literary criticism, and different methods for story analysis do exist.


In conclusion, Kurt Vonnegut's theory on the simple shapes of stories is one of many theories that attempt to classify the basic structures of all stories ever told. Vonnegut's theory, like others proposed by Christopher Booker and Foster-Harris, suggests that all stories can be broken down into a finite number of basic structures. Many theories have been presented and none have been determined as 100% correct because there will always be nuances and complexities of individual narratives that cannot be explained by a single narrative “shape”.



Wertham, F. (2021, October 19). Kurt Vonnegut's shapes of stories: the six building blocks of narrative. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/oct/19/kurt-vonneguts-shapes-of-stories-six-building-blocks-of-narrative


Jenkins, J. (2019). The Writer's Guide to Creating the Plot of a Story, http://jerryjenkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Writer%E2%80%99s-Guide-to-Creating-the-Plot-of-a-Story-scaled.jpg

The first From A to Z of 2023 is Here! This time you'll get to read about Mr. Michalík's favorite piece of cinematography, crossfit and New York.

 Written by Elen

ATTENTION… I love the atmosphere of the station - start of the journey, which is completed by the specific station announcement. Previously, every announcement began with the words: Attention, attention!

BROTHERHOOD… is something unique. And like any uniqueness, it is difficult to explain. You may not always understand your brother, but you will always get him.

CROSSFIT… you can only start with it if you are 100% convinced that you are 100% fit. And when you start, you'll still find that you still have a long way to go to get fit.

DARE… Anytime anything. Just like that, just for the curiosity of what will happen, how who will react.. In other words, we're still a society where Id keeps losing to Superego.

ENTHUSIASM… is a fire. It warms, shines, ignites, sometimes burns and devastates.. and does not have to withstand long rain..

FAUX PAS… sugar of life. But watch out for diabetes. Whether it happens to you or to others, it immediately changes the atmosphere, usually lightening it up. And as a bonus, you can tell others about them for ages or be told by others.. for ages..

GENERATION… It rhymes nicely with the word presentation or penetration. For a G, though, maybe G.H. Bondy comes to mind.... Karel Čapek was a genius.

HEALTH… is something that fundamentally affects quality of life. When you have it, you don't know about it. If you don't have it, you miss it. People are incorrigible.

IDOL… You see each of them in much brighter colors than they really are. Those who are good idols remove the rose-tinted glasses of those who idealize them.

JOY… JOEY TRIBBIANI.

KILL BILL… is a messed-up toddler's tale. If Tarantino really wanted to make a world movie, O-Ren Ishii would, of course, win the fight in the Japanese garden over the Bride.

LOOK-ALIKE… human beings. Sometimes it goes hard. Tom Cruise? Brad Pitt? Tom Rett? That would probably be even harder.

MUST HAVE… I have a knack for Must Have affairs to always come across the most unavailable or expensive items, so in this section. I am cleaning more and more and neatly settling only the CHILL item. But just for the record - there's still a little house on the rocky Portuguese coast lying there with the CHILL item , or a 1964 Porsche 911.

NEW YORK… Pack your backpack and go there! At least for three or four months. You will come back richer - wiser, smarter, stronger, more experienced. If you want the school of life, the best university will be New York City.

ONLY… once we are here..

PORTUGAL… Paradise of Europe. If you want to experience Portugal, buy Portugal's most expensive tourist guide and avoid all the places in it.

QUATTRO… Stagioni…Formaggi…Audi

RELAXING… after a job well done. Every day, once a day give yourself a little present… Don’t plan it , don’t wait for it, just let it happen. It can be a new shirt, a nap in your office chair or a cup of good hot black coffee ;)

SOMETIMES… I have a feeling I should answer all of the letters once more. Again and better..

TWIN PEAKS… A brilliant work by a brilliant author. And we're all still looking for a White Lodge!

UNIVERSITY… For me the best university was my Kindergarten..

VANDALISM… illness of the society..not all are balanced and satisfied people 

WONDER… WOMAN

X (GENERATION)… Sauropods in the Gen-Z world.

YOU… 2

ZOOM… without M is ZOO. Ostrava’s ZOO is successfully turning into an Entomologist friends club in my opinion. Most of the big interesting animals you can see out of the pavilions there, in the wild nature. Which is actually a lot of added value, too.


SOMETHING… about me…? For a long time I thought I was a gifted and very smart person. Then, sometime in the second grade of elementary school, I realized that a lot of people are smarter.

Is intermittent fasting really good for you?


Written by Alicja

With a new year come New Year’s resolutions and a lot of people have the goal of losing weight. Many people decide to go on a diet, which can be simply a calorie deficit or cutting out certain food groups, like in the keto diet. But, aside from controlling, there is a diet that only cares about when you eat, and it’s called intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. In this respect, it’s not a diet in the conventional sense but more accurately described  as an eating pattern.

Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.

People are using it to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles.


Intermittent fasting is more a lifestyle than a diet, which is why it may be more sustainable for people that want to lose weight but not give up foods that they like.

And with diets the best one will always be the most sustainable for you.


It also has other benefits, because some people do intermittent fasting for their health.

Image: "What is Intermittent Fasting?" Intermountain Healthcare

How was intermittent fasting even discovered?

As with many diets it was created for people that have medical issues.

According to Wikipedia it started as a treatment for obesity that had been investigated since at least 1915, with a renewed interest in the medical community in the 1960s after an "enthusiastic report". Intermittent fasts, or "short-term starvation periods", ranged from 1 to 14 days in these early studies. This enthusiasm reached more mainstream magazines, which prompted researchers and clinicians to caution about the use of intermittent fasts without medical monitoring.

Neuroscientist Mark Mattson, who has been studying intermittent fasting for 25 years, says that “Many things happen during intermittent fasting that can protect organs against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, age-related neurodegenerative disorders, even inflammatory bowel disease and many cancers.”

Also it can improve thinking and memory, heart health, blood pressure and physical performance.

It is undeniable that it has benefits for some people, however just like in many scenarios, what works for someone doesn’t mean it will work for another person. The main issue with studies on intermittent fasting is that it was mostly done on men. There is some evidence that intermittent fasting may not be as beneficial for some women as it is for men. One study showed that blood sugar control actually worsened in women after three weeks of intermittent fasting, which was not the case in men. There are also many anecdotal stories of women who have experienced changes to their menstrual cycles after starting intermittent fasting. Such shifts occur because female bodies are extremely sensitive to calorie restriction.


Each person’s body is different, but there are more negative side effects that come with intermittent fasting. One of them is digestive issues, which include constipation, diarrhea and bloating. The reduction of food intake negatively affects your digestion. And combined with dehydration which can happen during fasting can worsen those digestive issues.

Next side effects are mood changes and fatigue, caused by low blood sugar. Intermittent fasting can also disturb our sleep, which will cause tiredness.

If not done properly intermittent fasting can cause malnutrition. When you don't plan your fasting program and don’t eat nutrient dense foods or restrict your calories extremely you can experience malnutrition.


It’s also not recommended for individuals who once had or currently have an eating disorder. It’s also unsuitable for children, people with underlying health conditions, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.


In summary, intermittent fasting was created for obese people that store excess amounts of energy in their body, but the diet was popularized by the general public. Some people may see the benefits, however it is not safe for everyone, especially women and children.

Sources:


"Intermittent Fasting Guide: What It Is and How to Do It Safely." Healthline, Healthline Media, 18 Nov. 2021, 

www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide#what-it-isWikipedia. "Intermittent Fasting." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Jan. 2023,


en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting."Intermittent Fasting: What is it and How Does it Work." Hopkins Medicine, Hopkins Medicine, 2021,


https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/intermittent-fasting-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work.Healthline, Intermittent Fasting for Women: What You Need to Know,


https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-for-women#effects-on-women9 Pontential Intermitted Fasting Side Effects, Healthilne, 23 Ap. 2021


https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-side-effects


Image:


"What is Intermittent Fasting?" Intermountain Healthcare, intermountainhealthcare.org, January 2020, https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2020/01/what-is-intermittent-fasting/.

Content

something. January/February 2023, Title
something. January/February 2023, People of something
something. January/February 2023, Resurrection of Rock
something. January/February 2023, Forms of plots
something. January/February 2023, From A to Z - Mr. Michalik
something. January/February 2023, Intermittent fasting
something. January/February 2023, The Silence of Zhurong
something. January/February 2023, Netflix tips for January
something. January/February 2023, Kerem Earthquake
something. January/February 2023, Eva Olchavová
something. January/February 2023, Title

Title

something. January/February 2023, People of something

People of something

something. January/February 2023, Resurrection of Rock

Resurrection of Rock

something. January/February 2023, Forms of plots

Forms of plots

something. January/February 2023, From A to Z - Mr. Michalik

From A to Z - Mr. Michalik

something. January/February 2023, Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting

something. January/February 2023, The Silence of Zhurong

The Silence of Zhurong

something. January/February 2023, Netflix tips for January

Netflix tips for January

something. January/February 2023, Kerem Earthquake

Kerem Earthquake

something. January/February 2023, Eva Olchavová

Eva Olchavová

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