Breaking and Entering: The Man in the Hole

The Man in the Hole is a story about the most fundamental human conflict – the struggle to get out from where we are and move forward.

This is by no means a new story. It appears to have originated in Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1950s.

My favorite version, unsurprisingly to readers of this column, is from The West Wing. Here’s Aaron Sorkin’s version:

Sorkin might have just been concerned that the scene would run too long or he might have distilled the story to its essence. His lean version, with just three people walking by versus five, actually has more impact. It adheres to storytelling principle of The Rule of Threes and therefore, that is all our brains need see the pattern and grasp the meaning.

What is brilliant about Sorkin’s take is that it expresses a universal message, like the AA story but in less words. His Man in the Hole is failed by a doctor, representing science, facts, and all human knowledge. The Priest conveys all religion, the notion of faith, and the belief in a larger power; the things we cannot see. The friend illustrates that people who know you, who care about you, and who have experienced struggles of their own, are the best source of help. The use of the parable makes perfect sense, as the character, Leo, played by the talented John Spencer, is a recovering alcoholic. Clearly deliberate choices, a hallmark of strong writing.

You can watch it here:

Kurt Vonnegut the author of Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, tells The Man in the Hole anecdote to illustrate the three fundamental Shapes of Story. According to Vonnegut, “But it needn’t be about a man and it needn’t be about somebody getting into a hole.”

Four and half enlightening and entertaining minutes of highly recommended watching:

His examples underscore why we love these simple shapes: they are universal and timeless because they are about conflict, struggle, and success.

Cinderella is a perfect choice. While this might call to mind visions of the animated childhood classic, Walt Disney did not invent this story, although its wildly successful release in 1950 is largely credited with saving the studio financially.

Cinderella can trace its roots back to 7 BCE, when Greeks told the story of a poor slave girl, a wealthy king, and a shapely sandal. Variations have been told over the centuries and around the world, and across numerous cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

History buffs can dig into the fascinating variations here, but at its core, each version centers on a poor, neglected, overlooked and overworked young girl, often motherless, but sweet and kind, a rich and noble gentleman, and yes, very often a shoe! Plus a little bit of magical help. This classic rags-to-riches tale with a very happily ever after, where the good are rewarded for persisting through their struggles, and the wicked get their comeuppance, is nearly everyone’s dream come true at some moment in their lives.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo indeed!

We’re all familiar with the concept of Three-Act structure, articulated by Aristotle, who contributed to almost every field of human knowledge in existence during his lifetime, more than 2300 years ago.

In modern times, this has been reduced to a pithy but accurate formula:

First Act – Get your hero up a tree. 

Second Act – Throw rocks at him. 

Third Act – Get him down.

This adage on the essence of narrative structure – whether comedic or dramatic – has been in circulation for over 125 years, and attributed to everyone from George M. Cohan the playwright, actor, producer, lyricist, and composer acclaimed as “the father of American musical comedy,” to prolific film and television director, writer, and producer Steven Spielberg. Answer is: According to the great folks at Quote Investigator – no one knows who said it first, but it definitely wasn’t those guys.

The Man in the Hole or the Tree and the Rocks, while one hero goes down and one heads up, are the same principle. It’s all about conflict. Conflict makes story. Without conflict – obstacles that stand in the way of the hero achieving their goal – you would have a very, very short story, going from FADE IN to FADE OUT in mere minutes.

Conflict is Essential

Conflict drives the narrative. It advances the plot.

The More the Better

Strong stories have strong conflicts on multiple levels – external conflict and internal conflict. Conflict must escalate to maintain our attention.

Why Conflict?

Conflict keeps us engaged and eager to discover the answer to the most compelling question ever: “What will happen next?”

Why?

Wanting to know what will happen next creates suspense and tension. That keeps us watching until the end – every storyteller’s goal.

Conflict Creates Change

Conflict is not easy to overcome in real life, nor should it be in stories, a reflection of real life without the boring parts. Significant conflict forces characters to grow and change – character arc.

Depth

Conflict reveals characters’ strengths and weaknesses, making them multidimensional and relatable.

Theme

The change the hero undergoes over the course of the story – from what they believe and are capable of at the beginning to the person they have evolved to be in the end – illustrates the message of the movie.

Memorable

The reason we love story is when it resonates with us – it evokes our emotions. There is meaning and that meaning means something to us. All great stories convey something significant. That’s why humans began listening to them when the first stories were told about great hunts and conquering fierce beasts. There was something of value to be learned – something that might someday be key to our survival, and beyond that need, our happiness. Of course, humans remember them; they were and are vital.

Everything Old is New Again

There are endless discussions as to whether there are any new stories. Does it really matter? There are stories that have been retold for hundreds of years or even centuries, with variations existing in different cultures.

If stories all take the same shape, and have all been told countless times since long before you were born, then what makes your story special? The uniqueness comes from your point of view on life, your themes, your spin. You.

I think I’ve made my point in three. Here’s the takeaway:

Reimagine a classic, capture the essence of its appeal – the conflict – and create a new hit that only you could have written.

Sure, you’ll struggle! You will try on ideas and some will fail. Try and fall short, and try again. There’s a reason writing is rewriting. Be deliberate. Be distinctive. And distill. You and your script will be better for the struggles. You may even get a bit of magical help, whether from a moment of sudden insight, advice from a professional, or a helping hand from a friend. But in the end, I sincerely wish you your very own version of a happily ever after.