The significance of plot without conflict
In the West, plot is commonly thought to revolve around conflict: a confrontation between two or more elements, in which one ultimately dominates the other. The standard three- and five-act plot structuresâwhich permeate Western mediaâhave conflict written into their very foundations. A âproblemâ appears near the end of the first act; and, in the second act, the conflict generated by this problem takes center stage. Conflict is used to create reader involvement even by many post-modern writers, whose work otherwise defies traditional structure.
The necessity of conflict is preached as a kind of dogma by contemporary writersâ workshops and Internet âguidesâ to writing. A plot without conflict is considered dull; some even go so far as to call it impossible. This has influenced not only fiction, but writing in generalâarguably even philosophy. Yet, is there any truth to this belief? Does plot necessarily hinge on conflict? No. Such claims are a product of the Westâs insularity. For countless centuries, Chinese and Japanese writers have used a plot structure that does not have conflict âbuilt inâ, so to speak. Rather, it relies on exposition and contrast to generate interest. This structure is known as kishĆtenketsu.
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