klmama Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I was taught that the "denouement" was the resolution of the story. However, while some materials agree with that, I keep coming across materials that call the falling action the "denouement." :confused: Does anyone know why the apparent contradiction? I have no problem just using the English terms, but I assume my dc may someday need to know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Same here! I was recently talking with my 14yo son, who's taking an online lit discussion class with Adam Andrews ("Teaching the Classics"), and we had a lively argument -- I mean, discussion :001_smile: -- about dénouement before I realized that my son had learned from Mr Andrews that it means the falling action. I had never heard that before, and I'm still confused. I'll be interested to hear what more-experienced folks think! ~Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 In Windows to the World, Lesha Myers teaches that is the final resolution, close to the end of the falling action. denouement [deɪˈnuːmɒn], dénouement (French) [denumɑ̃] n 1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a. the final clarification or resolution of a plot in a play or other work b. the point at which this occurs 2. final outcome; solution [from French, literally: an untying, from dénouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, from des- de- + noer to tie, knot, from Latin nōdāre, from nōdus a knot; see node] HOWEVER the definition in the red font may not be as clear: 1. a. The final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot. b. The events following the climax of a drama or novel in which such a resolution or clarification takes place. 2. The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 What you are seeing is differening forms of talking about how a plot works in a work of literature. Here's a thread over on the TOG forum that includes debate over when a climax occurs in Much Ado. You'll see this in post by CJ Summerville that summarizes the different systems: Maybe he is thinking of the five-part plot system (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement), whereas I'm thinking of the seven-part plot system (exposition, inciting moment, rising action, turning point, further complication, climax, denouement). I always heard the five-part system until I started using tapestry, but since then I've run into the seven-part system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 No, either of those make perfect sense to me. The version I'm asking about has a 5-part plot diagram that shows falling action, but labels it denouement. There is still a resolution stage following that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 No, either of those make perfect sense to me. The version I'm asking about has a 5-part plot diagram that shows falling action, but labels it denouement. There is still a resolution stage following that. I am currently traveling and not near the materials, but it is driving me a bit nuts because I believe I may have run across this a while back also. My dd is using the Lightning Lit 7th grade materials and I "think" it may have stated that the denouement was before the resolution. Does anyone have these materials? Am I wrong? I very well could be, my memory stinks lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I have always heard the two as two separate parts. For theatre, we use exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement. Falling action is easily confused with denouement, but the terms are different in meaning. The falling action is everything that happens after the climax. In Shakespeare that is generally an act and a half. The denouement occurs at the end of the last act. I have learned this from 4 high school English teachers, 2 college lit professors, 5 college theatre professors ( at 2 Universities) and more books than I care to count. It is a model by Freytag. I can see where confusion would happen....the are closely related - denouement is part of the falling action, but not all of the falling action is denouement. It is late, I am tired, I am on my phone.....I hope that makes sense.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi mum Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I am currently traveling and not near the materials, but it is driving me a bit nuts because I believe I may have run across this a while back also. My dd is using the Lightning Lit 7th grade materials and I "think" it may have stated that the denouement was before the resolution. Does anyone have these materials? Am I wrong? I very well could be, my memory stinks lately. Ligtning Lit 7th grade refers to denouement as another name for resolution - we just came across it this week in the Rikki Tikki Tavi unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 No, either of those make perfect sense to me. The version I'm asking about has a 5-part plot diagram that shows falling action, but labels it denouement. There is still a resolution stage following that. This just indicates that there are more than the two systems I've run into. Does the source not show their system? If not can you contact them to ask what it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina in Oklahoma Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I was taught that the "denouement" was the resolution of the story. However, while some materials agree with that, I keep coming across materials that call the falling action the "denouement." :confused: Does anyone know why the apparent contradiction? I have no problem just using the English terms, but I assume my dc may someday need to know.... :iagree: I am teaching a lit class in our co-op using Teaching the Classics and I really have to watch what I say regarding "denouement" as I was taught as you were.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest devinkay Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I understand resolution to be the immediate outcome at the climax, the result of the protagonist's critical decision: Frodo throws the ring into the Cracks of Doom, thereby resolving the conflict. The denouement is what happens as a result of that resolution: Frodo returns to the Shire, Aragorn and Arwen wed, etc. All this is falling action, the unwinding of tensions. I could be wrong; there's a first time for everything, after all. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 fyi: zombie thread from 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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