Whatever the values that you and I struggle to realize, we know that reality doesn’t always oblige. Our dreams may not materialize, or may be devoured by their nightmare opposites. Given this narrative context for values, we shouldn’t be surprised if a particular archetypal plotline tends to revolve around a particular value. But the fit between plot type and value isn’t a one-to-one mapping. For example, desire for justice confronted with an unsolved crime becomes a quest narrative. But justice confronted by a corrupt legal system may prompt a “dragon-slaying” storyline.
