| Title | Motivation and Plot |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Characters’ Needs, Goals, and Actions |
| Contributor | Jens Eder(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0283.09 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0283/chapters/10.11647/obp.0283.09 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Jens Eder; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-07-29 |
| Long abstract | Part V of the book examines two crucial narrative contexts of characters: the plot (Chapter 9) and the character constellation (Chapter 10). Chapter 9 explores the relationship between character, motivation, and action/plot. Based on a range of theories of motivation, it outlines alternative (e.g. mental and textual, external and internal) explanations for the behaviour of characters and distinguishes between different types of more or less basic, conscious, rational, egoistic, or altruistic motives. It details the conflicting interplay between characters' explicit wants, their deeper, often unconscious needs, and certain key flaws that prevent them from fulfilling their wants or needs. The chapter looks at the structure of external and internal conflicts and considers their narrative utility in driving the plot forward, creating tension and interest, and establishing the themes of a film. The resolution of a character's conflicts is often linked to a thematic message and completes a transformative character arc, which can be negative or positive (reconciling wants and needs, overcoming flaws). The example of Casablanca illustrates how the development of Rick Blaine’s motives, conflicts, and personality conveys thematic meanings. |
| Page range | pp. 391–426 |
| Print length | 36 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
Jens Eder is Professor of Dramaturgy and Aesthetics at Film University Babelsberg in Potsdam, Germany. His research focuses on the intersections of audiovisual media, narrative, and society. He has published books and articles on narrative theory, characters, emotions, political documentaries, video activism on social media, and image operations in societal conflicts. Currently he is heading the research group ‘Film as a Catalyst of Social Transformation’, which investigates the impact of engaged films.