It’s anagnorisis time…

Anagnorisis: the Greek word for ‘recognition’ or ‘discovery’ to denote the turning point in a drama at which a character (usually the protagonist) recognizes the true state of affairs, having previously been in error or ignorance.’ (definition abbreviated from the Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms).

Not to be confused with ‘climax’ or ‘dénouement’ of the plot.  Sadly, I’m a few chapters away from those babies yet.

Anyway, I’m working on the anagno thingummy in Eve’s story. Every good book has one – or more. It’s where something ‘clicks’ into place and leads to a change of behaviour or attitude in the main character.

Examples are:

1. When a victim is finally pushed too far and decides to take action against the bully, having found a chink in the bully’s armour or strength in his/her own character. In my teen book, Accidental Friends, 16 year old James’ anagnorosis comes when his older sister, who was always viciously mean to him when they were little, didn’t have any power over him any more. ‘Then he realised something. He no longer had to crick his neck to stare up at her as he began to plead with her to let him go. He was taller than Imogen and probably physically stronger. As observations went it wasn’t earth shattering but it was enough to give James the boost he needed. He squared his shoulders as she began to gather her words…’

2. When the character sees or hears something totally unrelated to their problem and it triggers a memory or train of thought that leads to the solving of the problem. This happens in one of my favourite TV programme House a LOT. In every episode of House, (House being Dr Gregory House, the rudest but most brilliant doctor in his field ever) House will be given an obscure illness no one in the whole wide world has come across before. Three- quarters of the way through the programme, the patient will be five, maybe six seconds tops from snuffing it. House, having already tried every avenue (drilling holes into the skull, replacing blood with organic lemonade, that kind of thing) and at his wits’ end, sees, let’s say, a bunch of daisies. His eyes open wide. ‘Stop the treatment! It’s not lupus-yakult disease!’ he cries ‘It’s Muller-Lightrametiosis.’

‘How do you know?’ asks Wilson, his implausibly patient side-kick. ‘The daisies… ‘ and he’ll go on to give an impecable explanation.

‘OMG,’ says Wilson. ‘You are so coool.’  Or words to that effect.

So there you have it; your new word of the day. Anagnorisis. Must be worth something in Scrabble if nothing else. Tomorrow: tragedy as in ‘it’s a tragedy she spent so much time on her blog she missed her deadlines…’