A Response to Jeremy Butler
This is a response paper wherein I have chosen a commentary written by Jeremy Butler, entitled Classical Narrative Structure: Exposition, Climax, Resolution. It explains the conventional narrative form that filmmakers follow. Butler cites examples from the popular movie Raiders of the Lost Ark in order to support his statements. While the commentary is precise, concise and well written, structurally it seems to be an incomplete read.
It is well written and is to the point. For instance, Butler has not given an introduction about the article; instead he has jumped straight to the body where he begins with his first section about the first element of the classical form which is the exposition. Since there is no introduction, there is no thesis statement either. While I understand that commentaries don’t have thesis statement but the absence of one, in this case, leaves the reader to interpret the purpose of writing this piece. Through the body Butler has explained the concept well and there is enough evidence that support his views. In the piece, for every statement he has cited relevant examples from his chosen film which make it easy to comprehend and it shows that he has done enough research before making a statement. The text concludes the section named “Resolution/Denouement”, but there is no final concluding paragraph. This absence of a conclusion gives an incomplete feeling and the purpose of writing is still unresolved for the reader. The language used is formal and is rid of any colloquial phrases or profanity which makes the reading appropriate for researchers.
I would like to conclude that while this is well written it lacks a structure. In my opinion, any piece, especially an explanatory one which is trying to define and analyze concepts, needs to have a defined introduction and conclusion. A proper introduction and conclusion completes a piece of writing as well as defines the intent of the author. For example, if Butler had commenced the purpose of writing the piece, it would have been a better read. Similarly, if there was a concluding paragraph stating the relevance of using Raiders of the Lost Ark it would have been easier for the reader to connect the concept to the movie.
Source
Butler. Jeremy. “Classical Narrative Structure: Exposition, Climax, Resolution”. Critical Commons. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
