Hourglass Plot: Difference between revisions

 

Compare: [[Prince and Pauper]], [[Perspective Reversal]], [[Freaky Friday Flip]] for an especially literal case, and [[Perspective Flip]] for when it's a [[Retcon]] instead of a plot development. Compare and contrast: [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him]], [[You Kill It, You Bought It]], and [[Not So Different]].

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Shinji and Asuka go through an Hourglass Plot in the last episodes of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. Then several more cycles in the ''End of Evangelion'' movie.

* [[Older Than Steam]]: In the first part of the novel, [[Don Quixote]] is a [[Daydream Believer]] [[Mad Dreamer]] and Sancho Panza has [[Simpleminded Wisdom]] and represents realism. Both are [[Static Character|StaticCharacters]]. At the second part, Sancho is influenced by [[Don Quixote]] and becomes more and more of a [[Daydream Believer]], while at the end, Don Quixote will become [[Bored with Insanity]] by Sancho’s influence. The relevance is that they maybe were the very first characters in literature to become [[Dynamic Character|DynamicCharacters]]

 

* The TV Movie ''Summertime Switch'' revolves around a young street punk and a spoiled rich kid both named Freddie Egan. Their identical names cause the former to be sent to a luxurious summer camp for the rich and the latter to a juvenile correctional facility, though obviously the opposite was supposed to happen. Both end up learning something from the whole experience (especially the rich kid).

* On ''[[Degrassi Junior High]]'' and ''[[Degrassi High]]'', neurotic, insecure Melanie is best friends with the insensitive Kathleen. Melanie gains confidence while Kathleen loses hers, and Melanie becomes just as insensitive as Kathleen was when they started. Their problems escalate as they get older, so Kathleen is insensitive to Melanie worrying about her body, while Melanie is insensitive to Kathleen becoming an anorexic abuse victim.

* ''[[Smallville]]'' had this with Lex and Lionel Luthor. At the beginning of the series, Lex was Clark's friend and ally and Lionel was the [[Magnificent Bastard]] [[Trope Namer]]. Overtime, Lex begins a descent as Lionel redeems himself.

** Arguably, Clark and Lex fit the description, given their destinies. Clark is usually the meaner of the two in the show.

* In ''[[Carnivale]]'' Brother Justin is a preacher who slowly turns to the darkside upon the realization that he is [[The Antichrist]], and also suffers from an unfortunate case of [[Bad Powers, Bad People]]. Ben, an escaped criminal on the lam from the law, makes a parallel journey as he comes into his own powers as [[The Messiah]].

* ''[[Supernatural]]'' brothers Sam and Dean swap positions on moral limits in season 4 - {{spoiler|Sam's demon blood leads him to kill humans for power, whereas he previously was always insisting they avoid "means to an end" sacrifices. Dean, previously a hedonist who expedited the hunt with an apathetic battleax approach, starts setting limits to the point that he'd rather let he and Sam both die rather than be possessed and possibly injure others in a blunt force strategy of the angels.}}

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' features a [[What Could Have Been]] example. Originally, it was planned to bring Faith back at the end of Season 6 and have her, [[The Atoner]] fight with Evil Willow. As it was, they didn't fight, though Faith still gat an [[Oh Crap]] moment where she saw Willow at full power.

 

* The play ''[[Pacific Overtures]]'' has two friends, a samurai and a peasant with knowledge of the west, exchanging places. The samurai, who becomes an ambassador of sorts with the foreign powers as Japan is forcibly opened to trade, becomes increasingly westernized, while his friend, angry at the exploitative actions of the West, becomes a reactionary after being made a samurai. Tragedy ensues.

* [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Henry IV]] Part I''.

 

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[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Older Than Radio]]

[[Category:Plots]]