"I do think, however, that plot is a notion that critics undervalue and, hence, often disregard."
(Todorov, 2102)
This does seem to be the trend in some of my classes. We do not disregard plot, but we are more interested in talking about the nuances of a character (their flaws, motivations, etc), or about symbolism, motifs, themes, etc. Plot oftentimes get shoved to the background, considered merely the framework for the story, but otherwise unessential compared to the "deeper" aspects of the story.
While plot is, by necessity, a framework that supports the motifs, themes and characters, I do agree with Todorov that we often undervalue it. Just this evening I was at a meeting where a film major was outlining his vision for his upcoming film. His goal is for it to be a Christian film, with Christian themes, etc, but (to paraphrase) he doesn't want it to be "crappy plot, crappy plot, crappy plot, salvation speech, BAM! conversion." He made (what I feel is) a valid criticism of some Christian works--film, books, etc--in that they focus too much on forcing in a literal conversion of one of the characters, that they forget to make the rest of the work any good. I have observed this unfortunate truth many times myself. In an effort to get at the "higher meaning," important aspects like plot and characterization are sacrificed. Unfortunately, when you neglect your important "base" elements (like plot and characterization), then your "higher meaning" often becomes as unbelievable as the shaky plot.
While I dearly love symbolism, motifs, themes, etc, I would not sacrifice the plot of a work for anything. Isn't that what we look for when we pick up a book? Plot? You can't tell me that when you're browsing in Barnes and Noble's you look for the book that looks like it will have the best symbolism. You don't read the back cover/inside flap for insight to the motifs of the novel. No, you look for a plot that looks, if not fresh (for we can argue as to how many "original" plots there really are), then intriguing.
Sometimes I think we get just a little too full of ourselves, a little to assured of our own deep insight as English majors, or literary critics, or whatever. I think we tend to tell plot to sit down and keep quiet, to not draw attention to itself.
But I say: "Nobody puts plot in a corner."
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Kate,
I found your blog not only humorous but also very insightful. After reading Todorov I found myself considering some of the same questions and ideas. Plot so often is forgotten or not given the credit it deserves. If it wasn't for the plot there wouldn't be literature or it would be lots and lots of dull works of writing. I think this has a lot to do with our getting wrapped up in themes and motifs and symbolism. As kids we often focus on the plot and its sequence, but as we enter high school and college we are taught to dig deeper and find hidden meanings. It is in this that we start to classify good writing, which isn't usually a problem. I think that we just need to remember that plot is key to every story and so it needs to be appreciated.
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