The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Three

"Now try to keep up. You wouldn't want to get lost," Hermione lectured as the foursome navigated the throngs of characters in the avenue sized hallway.

They'd spent some time lazing around in the garden. Hermione had done most of the talking with Katniss periodically laughing at how serious Hermione was taking her responsibility to orient Binny. Arya laughed at just about everything when she wasn't challenging the others to a duel of some sort.

"What would happen if I got lost?" Binny said.

"You can't get lost," Katniss responded snarkily.

Hermione took a breath. "Well, that's technically true."

"Deus ex machine," Arya recited.

"Dayus ex what?" Binny repeated.

"Deus ex machina." Hermione recited slowly so Binny could hear the pronunciation. "It means, God in the machine. It's something good authors avoiding putting in their books."

Binny nodded as she walked.

Hermione continued, "Of course this isn't true for every story, but in much of fiction the reader is engaged because the character in the book needs to overcome a particular obstacle. It can be small, or it can be large. Either way, the character needs to somehow get past the thing that's in their way in order to achieve their larger goal."

"So let's say the character is trying to cross a river to escape a bear and there's no bridge. If a raft were to suddenly appear out of nowhere to help the character cross the river, that would be an example of Deus Ex Machina. It's like the hand of God came down and placed the raft there to solve the character's problem."

"Authors are gods?" Binny asked.

"Well, they created us didn't they? But that's another matter entirely. Let me continue." Hermione redirected the conversation. "Now, imagine that several chapters earlier, before our hero was running from a bear, they had come upon a hard-luck-case that needed money to pursue their dreams of rafting on the river."

"And furthermore, let's say that our hero, even though they didn't have much money themselves gave some money to our wannabe rafter. Now later in the book when our hero is about to be eaten by a bear, not only does a raft appear, but it's helmed by the very person to whom they showed a kindness, we – and by we I'm referring to the reader in this case – we will know that this salvation from the bear is not a random invention from the author, but rather a direct result of the hero's kindness earlier in the book."

"But didn't the author invent that the hero took pity on the hard-luck-case as well? What's really the difference?" Binny asked.

"Yes, but in this case it doesn't feel to the reader like the hero just got the raft for nothing from the author, it feels like they earned it." Hermione said.

Despite Binny's nod of understanding, it was clear to the others from the look on her face, that she wasn't much closer to understanding the concept.

"It works in reverse too. If a knife appears in the first act, it better kill someone in the third act," Arya offered trying to be helpful.

"Thanks for your corollary." Hermione didn't seem thrilled with Arya's efforts to help with the explanation.

Binny wondered how many knives had appeared in the first act of Arya's book. "Ah. OK. I think I understand. It's got to feel believable."

"Five points for Gryffindor," Katniss snickered.

"You know I hate it when you say that." Hermione pursed her lips.