Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Voyage and Return
Anticipation Stage and Fall into the Other World
In this stage, Booker's heroine is either bored, naïve, or in some other state which leaves her "open to a shattering, new experience." That sounds like our Hulga. She is grumpy and unhappy, though we don't know enough about her to know exactly why. Still, she seems to live a very isolated life. It's hard to imagine her not wanting some excitement and change—especially since she's so well educated and so bored by her mother and Mrs. Freeman—so when Manley comes along, she can't help but fall for him.
Initial Fascination or Dream Stage
Booker says that in this stage the heroine might be "exhilarated" by the new world she's fallen into—but the character can tell it's only a dream, not a place where she can feel at home. Again, sounds like Hulga. She's interested in Manley, and seems excited to be hanging out with him, but she doesn't seem to quite comfortable. For evidence of her discomfort—and the dreamy take on reality—consider how Hulga lies about her age. Not something you do if you're comfortable or in a situation you think can last, right? The high point of the dream stage is when she lets Manley take off her leg, and enjoys it.
Frustration Stage
Part of Hulga's dream is for Manley to put her leg back on. But, he has other plans. He wants Hulga to drink, play cards, and have sex with him, though not necessarily in that order. None of his plans seem to include giving her back the leg, however. Nope. Not at all. Booker says that in this stage "the mood of adventure changes to one of frustration, difficulty and oppression." That sounds about right. For Hulga, the fun is quickly draining out of the game—she really wants her leg.
Nightmare Stage
In this stage, Manley puts Hulga's leg in his Bible case. Dun dun dun…. So now Hulga is stuck in a loft, alone and with no leg. This is totally a nightmare.
Thrilling Escape and Return
Booker says that in this stage, the heroine makes a "thrilling escape" from the "new world" and finds herself back where she began. We can only take this so far, though, because we don't see what happens to Hulga after she watches Manley run away. She is back where she began, though, insofar as Manley is gone. She is also arguably back where she began because she doesn't have her leg or her fake leg—she's back to the leglessness she encountered at age ten.
We can surmise that with Manley gone, the normal routine on the farm continues. The question to ask, Booker says, is whether the heroine has learned anything from the journey. We'd say, yes, Hulga has probably learned something, though it's impossible to say what. For a few possibilities, though, make your thrilling escape to the "What's Up With the Ending?" section.