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Point of highest tension in a narrative
- In literature, the turning point or climax is the point of highest tension in a narrative; it’s the most exciting and revealing part of a story. It leads the rising action into the falling action before a story is resolved and reaches the conclusion.
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Nov 5, 2023 · According to Merriam-Webster, a turning point is defined as: A point at which a significant change occurs. A decisive moment in history or in a situation. The concept of a turning point can be applied across various disciplines, such as literature, history, politics, and personal life.
- I. What Is A Turning Point?
- II. Example of A Turning Point
- III. Importance of A Turning Point
- IV. Examples in Literature
- V. Examples in Pop Culture
- Related Terms
In literature, the turning point or climax is the point of highest tension in a narrative; it’s the most exciting and revealing part of a story. It leads the rising action into the falling action before a story is resolved and reaches the conclusion. From a narrative’s beginning, all of the action rises up to the turning point, where questions are ...
Read the following short passage: The passage above shows a turning point of a larger crime story. Here, the detective has a revealing idea that will lead to the murderer’s capture and the story’s conclusion.
The turning point is an important part of all stories because it brings out the final action that is necessary for the narrative to end. It’s what the audience spends their time waiting for, and it leads to the conflict’s resolution. Without turning points, narratives would be incomplete and boring—all audiences read and watch stories with the expe...
Example 1
In Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the play reaches a turning point when Romeo arrives at Juliet’s tomb, believing she is dead when she is actually in a false sleep. Below, he recites his last words as he looks at Juliet’s body: This tragic scene when Romeo drinks the poison is the perhaps the play’s most tense moment—the audience knows Juliet will wake up any second, but Romeo is about to die. He doesn’t know about her plan that is supposed to bring them together, a plan that will ac...
Example 2
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s dark short story A Rose for Emily, the turning point comes after the death of Emily, a woman with many secrets: Here, the townspeople break into a room in Emily’s house, where they then find a dead man’s body. Before this passage, the readers didn’t know just how dark Emily’s secrets were, and had no idea what would be behind the door. But when they find the man’s body, all of the story’s details seem to come together and make sense. The story concludes just a few sen...
Example 3
In Charles Dicken’s time-honored novel A Christmas Carol, three ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge on the night of Christmas Eve. At the end of the last ghost’s visit, the ghost shows him a gravestone with his name on it. Scrooge sees that if he doesn’t change, he will die in the near future. In the following passage, he begs the ghost for his life: With these words Scrooge starts to be the man that the audience has hoped he would become. He has realized his mistakes and is now promising to change...
Example 1
In the action horror film World War Z, based on the novel by Max Brooks, former United Nations investigator Gerry is on a mission to save the world from a zombie epidemic. In the following clip, he’s figured out a possible solution: Everything has led to this scene—the moment when Gerry opens the door is the turning point of the film. This tense situation has the audience on the edge of their seats as Gerry takes that chance that will either kill him or save humanity. As he walks past dozens...
Example 2
In the science fiction drama Gravity, this is astronaut Ryan’s last chance of making it home after a tragic accident leaves her in space while repairing a satellite. The turning point is when she’s about to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. This is the point in the film where the suspense and anticipation are highest—neither the audience nor the protagonist knows whether Ryan is going to live or die. As her parachute deploys, some of the tension is relieved, and it seems that she might be safe...
Turn of events
A turn of events is when the plot of a narrative suddenly takes a drastic turn in a different direction. Unlike a turning point, it can happen at any time in the story, so long as it provides a shock and “turns the events” to new action.
- Kristine Tucker
- Exposition: Beginning of the Story. The exposition is the beginning of the story and prepares the way for upcoming events. In the exposition, the author introduces the major characters, establishes the setting and reveals major conflicts in the story.
- Rising Action. The rising action occurs when the main problem or conflict is addressed with a form of action. The rising action always leads up to the climax.
- Climax or Turning Point. The climax is the pivotal point in the story when the protagonist deals with the culmination of events. The climax often centers on the protagonist's most difficult challenge or bleakest moment, according to Pasadena City College.
- Falling Action. The falling action occurs immediately after the climax and details the consequences -- good or bad -- that the characters must deal with after the turning point of events.
Apr 6, 2024 · A turning point is essential in shaping the structure and plot of a narrative. It’s where the direction of the story pivots, and as a reader, you’ll see the conflict heighten, leading to inevitable change.
In literature, a turning point occurs in a story or a play at a moment when it becomes necessary to make a change. This is a climax that generally happens when the story exposes something. However, this is not the end of the narrative.
Jan 9, 2024 · Understand why a narrative turning point is pivotal for an engaging story. Recognize the power of a well-crafted plot twist in maintaining reader interest. Learn about the significance of a story climax in driving the narrative forward.
The turning point is the moment within a scene where the story’s trajectory changes. It can be subtle or grand, but it shifts the character’s circumstances, outlook, or direction regardless of scale. It’s when something significant occurs, forcing your character to react and respond.
