IMPORTANT: This is a very rough and general deconstruction that is meant to simply illustrate that this story follows the pattern described on the main page.
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FADE IN: Context: Sunrise; New Day.
Loop: Fiddler on the roof.
Meeting the Hero: Tevye.
Inner Challenge: keeping Tradition; without our traditions our life would be as shaky as a fiddler on a roof.
Ordinary World: the house in the village; the village.
Characters in the Ordinary World: shots of people working; the matchmaker; the beggar; the rabbi etc.
Greater Antagonism: may God keep the Tzar away from us; the others in the village; they don't bother us [so far] and we don't bother them.
Developing Characters and Relationships: there was a time when he sold him a horse…
Meeting the Loyal Ally: Golde.
Ordinary World: the matchmaker has found a match.
Desire to Escape the Ordinary World: the daughters sing about the mismatch.
Outer Challenge: why did you make me a poor man? If I was a rich man.
Hero and Loyal Ally Relationship: you'll be late.
Foreshadow of the Greater Antagonism: the Constable stops to talk to Tevye.
Foreshadow of the Resolution: they evicted the Jews from a village.
Meeting the Mentor: Perchik.
Call to Adventure: all you do is talk; you must change.
Refusal: why should I break my head about the outside World.
Developing the Mentor: Perchik is going to change the world.
Deciding to Transform: come stay with us for the summer; you can teach my daughters.
Safe Haven: Perchik meets the family.
Pushed to the First Threshold: Golde asks Tevye to talk to Lazar Wolf; Tzeitel asks Motel to ask her father for her hand.
Resistance: Tevye ignores Golde, then agrees. Motel: He'll shout at me!
Developing the Ordinary World: the Sabbath.
Threshold Guardian: Lazar Wolf's housekeeper.
First Threshold:
Outer Cave: Tevye meets Lazar Wolf and agrees to the match.
Middle Cave: The celebration.
Inner Cave: The Constable informs Tevye of the coming Pogrom.
Foreshadow of Trial 3: Perchik and Hodel argue and dance.
Trial 1:
Outer Cave: Tevye tells Tzeitel about the marriage; Tzeitel disappointed.
Pulled to the Middle Cave: Tzeitel tells Tevye that she can't marry him; Papa don't force me please.
Inner Cave: Motel asks for Tzeitel's hand. Tevye agrees.
Celebrating the passing of Trial 1: Motel and Tzeitel sing.
Foreshadow of Trial 3: The Russian boys hassle Chava; Fyedka gives Chava a book.
Trial 2:
Outer Cave: Tevye convinces his wife of Tzeitel's match; the dream.
Developing the Greater Antagonism: the Constable is forced to initiate the pogrom.
Middle Cave: Motel and Tzeitel get married; Tevye and Lazar Wolf argue; Perchik asks Hodel to dance; so does everyone else.
Inner Cave: the Russians invade the barn; the town is burnt.
Midpoint: Intermission: "..it's been a while since Motel and Tzeitel were married…they are so happy they don't know they are miserable.."
Trial 3:
Outer Cave: Perchik asks Hodel to marry him.
Middle Cave: Perchik asks for Tevye's blessing but not his permission.
Inner Cave: Tevye convinces his wife of Hodel's match.
Seizing the Sword: Perchik incites a revolution and is arrested.
Near Death Experience: Tevye says goodbye to Hodel.
Reward: Motel gets a sewing machine.
Atonement with the Father: Tevye forbids Chava to marry Fyedka.
Apotheosis: Golda visits the Orthodox church.
Ultimate Boon: Chava and Fyedka were married.
Refusal: Tevye ignores Chava.
Magic Flight: all the Jews must sell their homes and leave within three days.
Saying goodbye to the Old Self: Yente says goodbye, as does Lazar Wolf; goodbye to the animals.
Rescue from Without: Chava and Fyedka are leaving too.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Tevye forgives Chava.
Master of Two Worlds: Tevye et al leave.
Freedom to Live: the fiddler follows.by Kal Bashir