Contrived or Realistic Plot
CONTRIVED is not just made up, it is a tad ridiculous. A bit of hyperbole is often
interjected. The plot does not unfold naturally. Whereas realistic means something
that reads like it might happen.
Could this have happened?
My parents were going out for the evening. My brother had fallen asleep
on the couch. My parents gently shook his shoulder and explained they were
leaving and the two of us would be home alone. Meanwhile I grabbed Gone
with the Wind and headed for my bedroom. As fast as I read I figured I could
read the entire thing in an hour or less. I dozed off after the first page.
Meanwhile my brother woke up, all he remembered was the “alone”
part. Panicked he decided to go to a neighbor’s house for help. He carefully
locked the front door on his way out.
He explained to the neighbor that he had awakened to an empty house.
The neighbor tried calling, the phone next to my bed rang unanswered. I slept
on. The neighbor went back to our house and found the door locked. He rang
the doorbell until he got blisters on his finger. I slept on. He went around to
my bedroom window and banged on it. I slept on.
In a state of utter terror, the neighbor called the police who contacted
the fire department. Within seconds the street was filled with the cacophony of
sirens blaring and radios squawking as the police cars and fire trucks arrived.
The fire department used axes to smash open the front door. They
rushed to search the house and found me asleep in my bed.
What parts of the story might happen in real life? Which parts are a little
outrageous? List three examples of each.
Realistic Contrived
Use the current book you are reading for pleasure.
Find a short passage that is contrived.
Find a short passage that is realistic.
Share them with your group and then with the class.