ganisl_findingnemo

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FindingNemo:Severalplotsforone

story!PS American Literature: The Basic Plots in Literature (610005), WS 2012/13,

Mag. Dr. Claudia Schwarz

Barbara Ganisl

0438404

C 190 423 344

[email protected]

18 January 2013


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Table of Content

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2

2 Which Plot(s) does it follow? .............................................................................................. 2

2.1 Overcoming the Monster? .......................................................................................... 3

2.2 Rags to Riches? ............................................................................................................ 5

2.3 The Quest? ................................................................................................................... 5

2.4 Voyage and Return? .................................................................................................... 7

2.5 Tragedy? ...................................................................................................................... 9

2.6 Comedy? ...................................................................................................................... 9

2.7 Rebirth? ..................................................................................................................... 10

3 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 10

4 List of works cited ............................................................................................................. 12


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1 IntroductionAccording to Christopher Bookers The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories all literature

can be categorized into his seven basic plots: overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the

quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy and rebirth (cf. Booker vii). For him this small

number of plots [] are so fundamental to the way we tell stories that it is virtually

impossible for any storyteller ever entirely to break away from them (Booker 6). He further

argues that there are many stories which are shaped by more than one basic plot at a

time (Booker 5) and that on the other hand there are stories which are shaped by only part

of such a plot (Booker 6). Does this theory hold for popular animated films as well? Finding

Nemo is used in this work to bring Bookers theory to the test and find out whether and

which plot the film does follow.

Finding Nemo released in 2003 (IMDB) is one of the top ten rated animated films (AFI). It is

about the clownfish Marlin who lives at a peaceful coral reef until his son Nemo is abducted

and he therefore needs to set out in order to bring him back home. On the way he gets help

from a forgetful blue tang who is able to read, called Dory and the two of them go through

many adventures. They encounter dangerous situations, have to fight several obstacles, but

also meet helpful sea creatures and make new friends on their travel before they manage to

finally find Nemo and bring him back to the coral reef where they all live happily ever after.

2 Which Plot(s) does it follow?In the course of this work we are visiting all of the plots and analyzing what parts of the story

do or do not fit the discussed plot. As Booker condenses stories down to his basic plots he


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drafts several stages for each of them. I will show, that Finding Nemo is quite complex and

follows even more than one of these plots and also that there is a dependency on the

perspective you look at the story in regards to which plot does fit.

2.1 Overcoming the Monster?Many stories throughout world history, as early as some stories from the Gilgamesh epos

and Greek mythology, have a monster that needs to be defeated, also many fairy tales work

along the lines of this plot (cf. Booker 21 ff.). Up until today this plot remains quite popular,

allowing the good to defeat the bad. The plot is used in many blockbuster movies like James

Bond (cf. Booker 22) or Star Wars (cf. Booker 42) and is akey feature of whole genres of

stories, e.g., Westerns (cf. Booker 35), Thrillers (cf. Booker 37) or Science Fiction (cf. Booker

39). To Booker the essence of the Overcoming the Monster story is simple. Both we and

the hero are made aware of the existence of some superhuman embodiment of evil power

(Booker 23). In Finding Nemo the evil consists of three parts: first the open water, which

Marlin fears and warns Nemo from, second, the diver that abducts Nemo from the reef and

brings him to Sydney and third Darla, the dentists niece, who has already killed a fish. But

how does this plot unravel and Finding Nemo fit into that scheme?

The plot consists of five stages. To begin with, the Anticipation Stage and Call (Booker

48), where the monster and its destructive power are introduced and the hero is encouraged

to do something against it. If you look at the animation movie Finding Nemo from Marlins

perspective the monster is the dangerous open water, personified in the scuba diver. In the

movie this stage is when Nemo is so overly excited and Marlin has to remind him of being

careful at his first day of school (Finding Nemo 0:05:52). The plot proceeds to the Dream


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Stage (Booker 48) were everything is going well and the hero prepares for his fight against

the monster. In Finding Nemo this is when Marlin realizes that Mr. Ray and the school

children are going to the drop-off to see the open water so the father chases after the class

(Finding Nemo 00:11:05). The subsequent Frustration Stage shows the first encounter of

the hero and the monster where the hero seems tiny and very much alone against such a

supernaturally strong power (Booker 48). Marlin experiences this stage when Nemo swims

out in the open water, touches the boat and is abducted by the diver (Finding Nemo

00:13:14 - 00:14:11). Up to that point Finding Nemo fits quite nicely to the Overcoming the

monster plot. The next stage is the Nightmare Stage: [where] the final ordeal begins, a

nightmare battle in which all the odds seem loaded on the monsters side (Booker 48). For

this there is no real equivalent in Finding Nemo, in a way that is when Nemo encounters

Darla (Finding Nemo 0:26:15) where in the end he manages to escape through the basin but

Marlin is not the one who fights this battle. The last stage The Trilling Escape from Death,

and Death of the Monster is where the hero defeats the monster and can enjoy the

reward, a great treasure; union with the Princess [or] succession to some kind of

kingdom (Booker 48) for killing it. Again this is not quite the case in Finding Nemo as the

monsters are still alive, but in a way at least partially defeated because Marlin has overcome

his fears and rescued his son. From Nemos perspective the plot does fit even less. His

monster could be Darla but the plot does not quite apply. There is no real Anticipation

Stage and Call Stage nor a Dream Stage for him the evil starts out without any notice

with the abduction from the reef(Finding Nemo 00:13:14 - 00:14:11) which could be

interpreted as his Frustration Stage which is then followed quite soon by the Nightmare

Stage (cf. Booker 48) when Nemo finds out about Darla (Finding Nemo 0:26:15) and finally

has to face her (Finding Nemo 1:15:56). This is succeeded by his spectacular escape (Finding


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Nemo 1:17:29) which cannot really be seen as his Thrilling Escape from Death, and Death of

the Monster (Booker 48) as Darla is still alive and a threat to other fish.

2.2 Rags to Riches?This plot just does not fit from any perspective as there is just not a young, unrecognized

hero or heroine [that] is eventually lifted out of obscurity, poverty and misery to a state of

great splendor and happiness (Booker 65). Of course if you look at it from Nemos

perspective he is this kind of hero but for the plot something completely different occurs.

Nemo is ripped out of his happy surroundings and his only aim is to have his old life back.

There is one thing that does change: the relationship to his father because Nemo grows up

and Marlin realizes he has to overcome his fears.

2.3 The Quest?This plot focuses on the pull of the hero towards some distant, all-important goal. However

much he becomes drawn into particular episodes along the way he does keep his ultimate

aim in mind (Booker 83). This plot does not fit regarding Nemos perspective, but definitely

fits according to Marlins view. First, The Call where the situation for the hero has become

unbearable takes place. This way he realizes that a long difficult journey is necessary to

resolve the matter (cf. Booker 83). To make this journey easier the hero is provided with a

supernatural or visionary direction (Booker 83). In the animation film this is when Nemo is

taken (Finding Nemo 00:14:11) and Marlin has to overcome his fear of the open water

instantly to set out to rescue him (Finding Nemo 00:14:45). His visionary direction is

provided by the goggles that show the address of the abductor on them (Finding Nemo

00:15:03). After this stage The Journey [starts and] the hero and his companions set out

across hostile terrain, encountering a series of life-threatening ordeals (Booker 83). Marlin

immediately sets out alone but meets Dory (Finding Nemo 00:15:45), the forgetful blue tang


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capable of reading, right at the beginning of his journey. Together they encounter several

obstacles and they have to overcome three sharks (Finding Nemo 00:17:58 - 00:21:15), an

explosion of mines (Finding Nemo 00:22:52), an angler fish (Finding Nemo 00:32:03),

numerous jellyfish (Finding Nemo 00:45:34), a pelican (Finding Nemo 01:13:12) and a bunch

of sea gulls (Finding Nemo 01:14:46), all of them trying to kill and eat them. But it is also

typical for this stage that help from others is provided (cf. Booker 83). In their case this

support is offered by a school of herring (Finding Nemo 00:41:17), Crush, the 150-year-old

sea turtle (Finding Nemo 00:52:30), and Nigel the pelican (Finding Nemo 01:14:09), who is

friends with Nemo and the tank gang. Also nature is on our heros side which is represented

by the whale (Finding Nemo 01:07:40 - 01:11:11) that seems frightful at first as he swallows

them, but actually brings them to Sydney harbor, closer to their goal. The next stage is

Arrival and Frustration: [where] the hero arrives within sight of his goal. But he is far from

having reached the end of his story, because now, on the edge of the goal, he sees a new

and terrible series of obstacles (Booker 83). This stage already starts out with the arrival of

Marlin and Dory at Sidney harbor (Finding Nemo 01:11:11), but in the movie this stage

overlaps with the journey and peaks when Marlin sees his son floating upside down in the

plastic bag (Finding Nemo 01:15:14). He is absolutely devastated and gives up, not knowing

that Nemo only wanted to trick the dentist to escape. In The Final Ordeals: The hero has to

undergo a last series of tests [] to prove that he is truly worthy of the prize (Booker 83).

After Marlin has given up, he parted from Dory and started his way back home (Finding

Nemo 01:20:03). Nemo had finally managed his escape (Finding Nemo 01:20:35) and met

Dory, who unfortunately could not remember Marlin any more(Finding Nemo 01:21:15).

Together they set out to find him. They even succeeded in that but they joy of reunion only

lasted shortly because they were caught in a fishing net and Dory could not get out (Finding


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Nemo 01:23:31). They had to deal with that together and Marlin had to trust his son who

already had a plan. Together they instructed all the fish in the net to keep on swimming

(Finding Nemo 01:25:19) down. The Goal [is reached] after a last thrilling escape from

death, the kingdom, the Princess or the life-transforming treasure are finally won: with an

assurance of renewed life stretching indefinitely into the future. As their plan worked out, all

the fish, including Dory and Nemo, could escape. Finally Marlin had reached his aim and his

reward was saving his sons life (Finding Nemo 01:25:52). Afterwards they returned back

home and lived happily at the reef. Even the sharks did their best to stay away from eating

fish and Crush the sea turtles son Squirt was an exchange student at the again peaceful

coral reef(Finding Nemo 01:27:41).

2.4 Voyage and Return?So the plot of the animation film can be seen as a voyage from the reef and return back to

their home for both main characters, but does it really follow that plot as Booker has

outlined it? This plot shows the hero or heroine being abruptly transported out of their

normal world into an abnormal world and eventually back to where they began Booker

105). It starts with the Anticipation Stage and fall into the other world where the hero is

often young and inexperienced and is suddenly transferred to the other world (Booker 105).

This absolutely holds true for Nemo, who resembles that type of hero as he is just about to

start school and has so many new things to learn but is suddenly abducted, but not for

Marlin who is already experienced and consciously decides to set out to rescue his son. The

argument between father and son sets the stage for Nemos kidnapping (Finding Nemo

00:12:40) and therefore his journey, because he ignores the dangers of the open water in

order to show his overprotective father what he can do on his own, so he touches the boat

and on his way back to the safe reef he is captured (Finding Nemo 00:14:11). This stage is


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followed by an Initial Fascination or Dream Stage: [for the hero where] at first their

exploration of this disconcerting new world may be exhilarating, because it is so puzzling and

unfamiliar. But it is never a place they can feel at home (Booker 105). In the investigated

movie this stage is almost omitted as Nemo more than anything is scared of his new

environment in the fish tank (Finding Nemo 00:25:17). But still there is some kind of

fascination concerning its inhabitants and he builds a special relationship to Gil who, as

Nemo himself was captured in the ocean and wants to be free again. Gil helps Nemo to grow

up as he treats him like a grown up and devolves responsibility for his escape to him (Finding

Nemo 00:26:23). In the Frustration Stage: [] the mood of the adventure changes to one of

frustration, difficulty and oppression. A shadow begins to intrude, which becomes

increasingly alarming (Booker 106). For Nemo this dark power is a picture of Darla, the

dentists fish-killing nice whose present he is about to be (Finding Nemo 00:26:15). The tank

gang decides that he needs to escape and offer their help. Unfortunately their first attempt

to block the filter and get out fails leading up to the Nightmare Stage: [here] the shadow

becomes so dominating that it seems to pose a serious threat to the hero or heroines

survival (Booker 106). In the movie this manifests through Darla actually being there

(Finding Nemo 01:12:36) and poking her finger at the glass of the tank (Finding Nemo

01:14:26). The

Thrilling Escape and return: [happens] just when the threat closing in on the hero or

heroine becomes too much to bear, they make their escape from the other world, back to

where they started. At this point the real question posed by the whole adventure is: how far

have they learned or gained anything from their experience? (Booker 106).

As Nemo manages to escape via the drain because of Gils help he ends up back in the ocean

but he is still far away from the reef where he started out (Finding Nemo 01:17:29). He


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meets Dory who at first could not remember Marlin any more but eventually helped the two

of them to find each other. In the animated film there is still one more adventure to whether

when Dory is caught in the fishing net (Finding Nemo 01:23:31). But in the end they reach

the reef and everything is fine. Nemo and Marlin have both gained experience and are now

able to have a good father-son relationship where each of them can understand the others

motivations. Nemo tries to listen more to his father whereas Marlin tries to trust him to do

the right thing.

2.5 Tragedy?The story ofFinding Nemo follows neither of these two plots. For a tragedy there would

have to be a something tragic, of course it is tragic that Nemo is abducted but, does that

make it a tragedy? Booker states that the hero has to be tempted or impelled into a course

of action which is in some way dark or forbidden and that leads ultimately to the heros

violent destruction (Booker 155) which is quite the opposite of what is actually happening

in the animated film. As Nemo is in the end saved and kind of promised a happy life ever

after.

2.6 Comedy?A comedy in contrast is a plot that has a happy ending which would fit our story. But some

further criteria are not fulfilled: there is neither a shadow of confusion, uncertainty and

frustration, there is no pressure of darkness [] at its most acute and everyone is in a

nightmarish tangle nor is there finally, with the coming to light of things not previously

recognized (Booker 150) a resolution to this confusion. So this plot does not fit our story

even though it has some comic elements as for example Nemo and Marlin are shut off from

each other but still when they are torn apart father and son have an invisible connection to

each other.


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2.7 Rebirth?This plot has some similarities to the tragedy plot as in a tragedy, we are looking from the

inside at what happens to someone when he becomes possessed by the dark part of

himself (Booker 203) but there is also another version of this plot: the heroine first falling

under the shadow of the dark power when she is young (Booker 194) and in the end is

miraculously redeemed from her imprisonment by the life-giving power of love (Booker

195). Although there are different versions of this plot, and Booker did not explicitly name

the five stages of it, it unfolds very much like the other plots: in the initial stage the young

hero or heroine falls under the shadow of the dark power the dream stage where the

poison gets to work, [but] it takes some time until in a kind of an frustration stage the

darkness emerges in full force which leads to the nightmare stage that culminates in a

nightmare crisis which is the prelude to the final reversal. At last the actual rebirth where

the the hero wakes from his sleep, and is liberated through the power of love (Booker

203) takes place. So considering this sequence of events Finding Nemo does not fit to it in

any respect. As neither Marlin nor Nemo are under a dark power that needs time to bring

upon his destroying effect, quite contrary the evil suddenly strikes and Nemo is abducted.

3 ConclusionsHaving looked at all of Bookers plots it is amazing that the animated film Finding Nemo has

so much to offer. It does not only follow one but actually two of the plots completely: the

quest and voyage and return. Additionally the story has also many aspects, but not all, of

the overcoming the monster plot. Something really striking is that the plot you find to be

suitable highly depends on the perspective from which you look at the story to determine

what plot it does follow. In Finding Nemo there are two heroes, Marlin and Nemo that are


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about equal in importance for the story and therefore it cannot be decided which the real

main character, the hero, is. On the one hand, if you look at it from Marlins perspective the

story follows the quest plot but also shows facets of the overcoming the monster plot. On

the other hand, if you consider Nemo to be the hero it is a voyage and return story.


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4 List of works citedPrimary Sources

Booker, Christopher. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. London: Continuum, 2004.

Print.

Finding Nemo. Director: Andrew Stanton. Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, 2003. DVD.

Secondary Sources

AFI American Film Insitute. 2008. Web. (http://www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html)

IMDB Internet Movie Database. Web.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

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