ABSTRACT
The technical requirements for effective narratives are discussed. The approach taken is to use theme as the general entry point into the narrative. Themes can have differing tones and consequently different outcomes. For example, although The Handmaid’s Tale, The Ballad of Little Jo, and Sense and Sensibility are each about the theme of the oppression of women, they differ considerably as narratives.
In this chapter, the themes are revenge and secondly redemption. The revenge theme focuses on the personal revenge story and the epic revenge story while the redemption theme deals with a character seeking redemption for prior behavior.
