Hourglass Plot: Difference between revisions
m
clean up
m (revise quote template spacing) |
m (clean up) |
||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
A [[Story Arc]] in which two characters or groups slowly, and involuntarily, swap their positions in life. These positions are usually social (who's high-status, who's popular), economic (who's rich), and most of all,
The pathos from the
Lucky characters will get a [[Not So Different]] moment and actually learn from it.
Line 10:
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Shinji and Asuka go through an
* In ''[[Phoenix]]: Karma'', Gao begins as a ruthless bandit with a [[Freudian Excuse]] and Akanemaru is a simple artisan who winds up [[Kick the Dog|stabbed by him for no good reason]]. As the story progresses, Gao finds salvation through art while Akanemaru discovers his own ambition; by the end, both are changed men, and Gao is a sculptor whose talents outshine even Akanemaru's. The petty Akanemaru will not stand to be upstaged by Gao and throws away his own redemption, telling the tale of Gao's origins as the bandit who wounded him; Gao's remaining arm is taken as punishment and he is thrown into exile. However, Akanemaru himself [[Karmic Death|dies in a fire trying to save his work]], and as he dies, the Phoenix tells him that he will never be reborn as a human; Gao, on the other hand, manages to return to his art despite his disability.
* In ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', popular idol singer Sheryl Nome serves as a mentor to up and coming Ranka Lee, but later Sheryl becomes ill and as her popularity wanes, Ranka's soars to the point of becoming a heroine capable of using her song to scare away enemy aliens. Then it happens again when Ranka loses her will to sing and makes a [[Face Heel Turn]] while Sheryl takes her place when it turns out she has the same power.
Line 19:
* You may have to squint a bit, but this was part of the [[Character Development]] between Neo and Smith in ''[[The Matrix]]'' and its sequels. Or so the directors say, anyway: Smith picks up human emotions and independent goals (which he doesn't like) while Neo finds himself as a "cog in the machine" with a pre-destined goal (which also proves to be a bit of a drag).
* ''[[Juno]]'' and Mark. She keeps going over to his and Vanessa's house to get to know them better and see what kind of family her baby will have ("I just like being a piece of furniture in your weird life"), while his exposure to her and her teenage flippancy gives him second thoughts about his adulthood and eventually causes him to bail on his wife and the coming baby, to Juno's shock and dismay. His regression triggers her [[Coming of Age Story|coming of age]].
* In ''[[What About Bob]]'', Bob Wiley starts off all-but-paralyzed by his various neuroses, while Dr. Leo Marvin is a psychiatrist who's just published a best-selling self-help book. Bob's interactions with the Marvin family helps him overcome his fears and learn to interact with normal
* In ''[[Primer]]'', Aaron starts off as a family man and rather risk-averse (note the scenes where he worries about needing eye protection and warns his wife against using the first batch of ice from the new fridge). Abe starts off unmarried and rather more devil-may-care. Over the course of the film, access to a [[Time Travel]]-powered [[Reset Button]] makes Aaron become more aggressive and willing to take risks, and he eventually leaves his family. Abe, on the other hand, becomes increasingly worried about the side-effects of time travel and oddly protective of Aaron's family.
* The entire plot of [[She Devil]].
Line 28:
== [[Literature]] ==
* Notably appears in Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel ''The Mayor of Casterbridge,'', making this [[Older Than Radio]].
* ''The Scarlet Letter'' features an
* In William Faulkner's ''A Light In August'', this happens to Lena Grove and Byron Bunch. Not that any Faulkner book is comprehensible the first ten times you read it, but it's there.
* ''Sister Carrie''
Line 39:
* 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.
** To be fair, Melanie was the one who told a teacher about Kathleen's anorexia, so she could get help, and was also the one who told her she had to leave Scott.
** The fifth season of ''[[Degrassi the Next Generation]]'' has Emma swapping moral positions with her entire circle of friends and family. They screw up their lives one by one, Emma redeems them
* ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', "Equinox": The Voyager crew comes across their [[Evil Counterpart]]: the lost ship Equinox, whose crew are murdering and enslaving their way across the Delta Quadrant. The villainous Equinox captain slowly becomes paralyzed with guilt, just as Janeway becomes just as ruthless as he used to be in her quest to get him.
* The Narn and the Centauri in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' are caught in an apparently endless cycle of invasion, occupation, liberation and revenge.
Line 54:
* [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Henry IV]] Part I''.
* Also ''[[Macbeth]],'' which begins with Macbeth as the moral hero being forced into murder by his wickedly ambitious wife and ends with her wracked with guilt as he's turned into a tyrant.
* In Shakespeare's ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', Antonio saved Sebastian's life after a horrific storm, when they were both mired in a strange country. Antonio grew very close to Sebastian, and even got into a duel in Sebastian's defense. When Antonio was placed under arrest by Orsino, his old rival, he expected that Sebastian would help him
== [[Video Games]] ==
| |||