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[10/14/2010]
(This is an old post, from the old version of this blog. I did not update it in any way.)
As a follow up to my previous post, I will now ponder on how a prologue can work.
Since prologues are such a mainstream trope, obviously there are many successful examples; Poring Pelters and Harry Potter have nice ones that I remember right now. Before I explain what they depict, let me tell you that I believe prologues work better when it is less about tragedy (the focus of my previous post) and more about character introduction. We were introduced to Ezio, yes, but the game didn't mean to make us pay attention to his womanizing traits whatsoever; instead, it was about his life being crushed and the roots of his quest for revenge. Poring Pelters instead opts to introduce the main characters in a lighthearted manner, then push some buttons and proceed with the plot; a long prologue alright, but one both fun and crucial to the comic.
Harry Potter does it a bit differently, showing us a day in the life of Vernon Dursley and how he takes notice of strange events that begin to unfold, suspecting it might have something to do with the dreadful Potters.
At the end of the chapter, the situation is ambiguously explained and baby Harry Potter is put on the doorstep of the Dursleys.
In both examples, the tragedy already happened. Poring Pelters hints strongly at Kethios' less-than-stellar childhood, touches upon the prejudice he suffers due to his family name and does a great job setting up future subplots and building an universe; Harry Potter lived through a terrible curse and became a legend, but was placed under the care of a muggle family, and although the abuse he endured would define his personality, it is Voldemort, and not Vernon, the villain of his story.
Poring Pelters also begins in medias res (albeit not one full of action), which is always a plus in my book. Should you want to read it, click here!Labels: media
Por Allec Ribeiro às [8:26 PM]