Subplots can be secondary stories, which do not always intersect.
The term subargument is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). However, we can understand the meaning of the notion if we analyze its components.
Accessory or complementary history
Returning to the idea of a subplot , it is an accessory or complementary story that enriches the central argument . Each work can have several subplots.
The presence of subplots in a fictional story can considerably enrich the main plot. For the receiver, the experience becomes much more engaging, deeper, and takes them on a more varied journey. But it not only improves the reading or viewing of the content, but also allows more suspense to be generated in some of the plots while the others unfold, preventing some of them from losing their shine.
The art of knowing when to create a break in one subplot to shift focus to another can make the difference between an engaging story and a boring one. While this requires a certain degree of natural talent, practice can help us find balance in our works.
Some examples
Suppose that the plot of a film revolves around Rafael and Ana , two young people who begin a romantic relationship, then go through various conflicts that separate them and finally get back together and get married. The film also presents two subplots : one focused on the friendship between Juan and his neighbor and the other on the conflictive bond between Ana and her father .
When a story has many characters, resorting to subplots is ideal to avoid overloading the scenes. Although the meetings of the characters are usually attractive to the public, individual stories or stories that happen to only some of them are also necessary in order to get to know them better, see how they solve their problems, what they feel, what they think about others, etc. In fact, creators who master this resource can dispense with contact between all the characters without this affecting the unity of the work.
Supporting Reasoning
It is important to mention that the concept of subargument can also refer to the reasoning used to demonstrate or justify what is expressed. Thus arguments defend or refute a thesis (an idea). A subargument, in this way, serves to strengthen the main argument .
Someone may argue that country X is a good place to live. Their argument is that, according to various investigations, the quality of life in that nation is very high. As subarguments, he mentions that public services are excellent, that unemployment is low and that education is first class.
In this framework, a sub-argument arises from careful research prior to the moment of discussion and prepares the issuer with greater solidity to defend his position. Having this resource is invaluable to convince the interlocutor. The opposite is impulsiveness, the completely spontaneous emission of ideas, without having worked on or contrasted them before the moment of communication. Of course, neither of the two extremes guarantees a particular degree of truthfulness of the message, but simply enhances the chances of persuading the recipient.
In works with many characters, subplots serve to get to know them better.
Etymology
The prefix sub- refers to that which is “below” . It can also refer to what is subordinate or secondary to another element. In a cinematographic or literary work, on the other hand, the plot is the plot or succession of events that form the main story of the film or book.
Note that the term subplot is also used to refer to the same concept. This depends in part on the area and Spanish-speaking region, but both can be used synonymously.