As has been written once before, old concepts need constant adjustment to suit the modern thought. If those concepts cannot adapt to a new method of thinking, then there is a good chance that the idea itself will fade away. Either that, or it will become nothing more than a footnote in history.
The trio of classical unities introduced by Aristotle is no different. It has been discussed in many classrooms on a semester-long basis, and yet it remains one of the more difficult subjects to teach. Subsequently, most professors will gloss over the concepts in the unities because of this fact.
As it was with Action, Place and Time, each Unity can be taught separately for understanding. However, when it comes to combining the three into a single unified concept, this is where confusion sets in.
In a previous article, these unities were discussed using the Harry Potter novels up to the sixth book. But to take the examples a step further -and see just how each one would be integral to the plot- take a look into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Unity of Action
With the Unity of Action, the easiest question in a debate about common sense is why would a writer only want one plot in the story? Why would an author creating a piece of stagecraft or otherwise not want to weave intricate details into the pages, as has been proven to work successfully since the time of William Shakespeare?
There may seem to be many plots, but by the conclusion of a novel, each plot has had a sort of connection. In teaching this unity in a single work, imagine how important the storylines have to be in order to achieve the final goal. Every single storyline in the previous six Harry Potter books has to connect in order for the final showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort to have merit. Without the introduction of Hogwarts in book one, there would be no location for the final setting. Without the plot points of Hermione and Ron becoming close friends with Harry, there would be no logic connecting why those two would follow Harry on such a dangerous journey.
Eventually, the need for these closely connected plot points lead to an even more in depth one.
Unity of Place
Place is important because it gives the story a location. In modern times, a reader can take being transported from one location to another as easily as a feather floats on the wind. Back when the unities were first established, this was not quite as possible. So, to take Place and examine it in a more modern scope, a professor would have to acknowledge that Place does not have to remain stagnant, but that Place must remain where the story is located. Any setting, whether it be a cellar or a castle, should be just as important to the story as the plot points themselves.
Returning to the Deathly Hallows, Hogwarts is not only a plot point for the final quest of Harry Potter, but it is also a return to where the entirety of the series has taken place. It is a setting that is both a plot device and a singular consistent location that manages to convey the story in a way that only readers can understand. For example, without Hogwarts, there would have been no place for the young Tom Riddle to go, and therefore, no place for him to hide the final Horcrux.
Unity of Time
Finally, look at how Time is used in the old method behind the unities. It s essentially saying that time in a work of art should be confined to twenty-four hours. Of course, the Harry Potter novels take a different approach. Each chapter is a small segment out of the character's lives. There is the passage of time, but what the reader sees are flashbacks that allude to the present scenario.
In the Deathly Hallows, time is used the same way. However, bringing all the elements together in the final battle is a perfect example of how to explain the unities in the classroom. Time is the constraint in which Harry Potter must defeat Voldemort, as time is all that is given to him and his companions before the Dark Lord descends onto the castle. It may not be exactly what Aristotle envisioned, but it is as close as modern fiction works can come today.
In the end, the only way to successfully teach the unities is to find something the students can latch onto and ask questions about. Do not discourage the questions, but instead, use them to further the ideas and meanings behind each unity. Aristotle had very specific rules in mind, this much is true. However, time has not only changed the world of fiction, but it has also changed the rules.
If literature is being forced to adapt to changing styles, then so must the people responsible for teaching it.
Sources:
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 1998.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2000.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2001.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2002.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2004.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2006.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Scholastic Paperbacks; First Edition: 2009.
Patrick Stephens - My name is Patrick Stephens. I earned my degree in English: Creative Writing in May of 2010. After having studied under numerous published ...
