Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Marriage Plots


In his book, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Christopher Booker claims that nearly all western literature can be categorized into one of seven basic story lines: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth.  While this blog certainly couldn’t be mistaken for literature, I wondered how I could use Booker’s schema to summarize my life in Kellie’s World? Here’s what I came up with:


1.  Overcoming the Monster -  A couple struggles to exorcise four demons.  Tired, exhausted, and broke, they surrender all hope and just wait for them to grow up and move out. 

2.  Rags to Riches - Single mother whose worldly possessions fit into two large suit cases marries handsome young naval officer and leads a life filled with puppies, sports cars, and vacations.

3.  The Quest - One man looks for his sanity in an irrational world he cannot comprehend, while those around him believe everything is normal.

4.  Voyage and Return - An American family travels to France.  Pick pockets at the Louvre steal everyone’s passports from dad’s murse.

5.  Comedy - A husband extorts sex and consumer electronics from his wife each time she wants another pet.  

6.  Tragedy - Handsome young naval officer suffers financial ruin after marrying a single mother who spends all his money on puppies, sports cars, and vacations.

7.  Rebirth - A husband has an epiphany and begins saying, “Yes dear, whatever you desire,” to every request his wife makes.  He then spends the rest of his days on a cruise ship with his wife and her two mutts.

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