Do you agree that all STORIES have one of these SIX PLOTS?

[AviatorTom]

Researchers at Washington State University and the University of Vermont analyzed data from more than 1700 English novels and found just six basic plots:

1. Rags to riches – a steady rise from bad to good fortune

2. Riches to rags – a fall from good to bad, a tragedy

3. Icarus – a rise then a fall in fortune

4. Oedipus – a fall, a rise then a fall again

5. Cinderella – rise, fall, rise

6. Man in a hole – fall, rise

Here is the complete news story at the BBC website:

Every story in the world has one of these six basic plots

What do you think? Agree? or Disagree?

Agree

Disagree

Another Opinion

[WindAtMyBack]

Disagree. Nonsense like this is why I place very little credit with "research".

It's absurd. Why don't they further simplify it and say all stories have one plot. How about walking? All stories have a people walking. Or breathing? You could even include animal stories that don't have humans if you categorize by breathing.

They simply created categories that will include everything (except they didn't even get that right). That's not plot.

[NathanDavis]

the majority of all those 1700 English stories, maybe...

mine however, they all, always, include some Cheeto related factor or reference

[VanityFair888]

If you say it in such a common way, you could find many other details that thousands of novels have in common. In fact, nothing new is happenning in novels, every scenario is either from old tales, mythology, or historical depiction, or is based on those motives. What makes those novels different and valuable is details, the way of developing scenario and characters, philosophy and viewpoint of the author.

[purplepoppy]

So it's just how many combinations can you make with rise and fall? Really you could have the characters going up and down in any pattern.

If a character inherits a fortune is that a rise (financial) or a fall (emotional loss of a loved one)?

[BCRanger10]

No. There's also "she likes him, he hates her, but then they still go to prom". Or "he likes her..." and so forth.

[RavVid]

girl meets boy and boy meets girl is omitted in the list.

But yeah the number of plot lines is limited

[Mansearching]

My life is all those 6 plots... lol.

To Kill a Mockingbird really has none of those. Its more about lessons in life. Especially, Don't judge or you be judged in the end.

[TheSpaceGnome]

No, there are lots of other story arc types.

[exitseven]

I always like stories when people find redemption.

[Amuere]

At least in my experience, any story I've read has some variation of any of those paradigms.

[LiamJHayden]

7. Born in misery, live a pitiful life devoid of joy, die a meaningless death.

[QuietRunner]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oP3c1h8v2ZQ

Yes I do

[AngryCarl2]

The last one. Man in a hole.

[msc545]

Yes, pretty much.