Together, they forge their own space hidden away from the crowds and discuss the legitimacy of their Christian practices. Craig responds, “I’m not,” rejecting the Christian to be with Raina.ī Story – Craig finds her, hiding.

A stereotypical Christian asks him if he is “lost”. With her, he is sweet and fun.Ĭhoosing Act Two – After being separated from Raina for a moment, Craig goes looking for her. His quest for Purity isn’t going well, except when he is with Raina. Then, he meets Raina.ĭebate – Can he, a human, be Pure? Craig succumbs to peer pressure when chided about reading his Bible, he runs when Raina’s friends try to make him smoke pot and doesn’t join the masses in singing to Jesus like he is supposed to. He burns every distraction to prove he is a loyal follower. And only God can let you into Heaven.Ĭatalyst – A teenage Craig commits his life to God by burning all his drawings. He feels he is already trapped in Hell and the only way out is Heaven. His authorities even convince him that drawing, his only escape, is sinful too. He is sexually abused by his babysitter and fails to protect his brother from the same abuse. Set-up – Craig’s world is full of bullies, overbearing parents, condemning teachers and shame. Thus, rebellion and non-conformity leads to damnation. Their father yells, “Don’t question your parent’s authority!” Otherwise you get put into the “cubby hole” – a child’s version of Hell. Theme Stated – Craig and his younger brother complain and question why they have to share a bed. Shadows from the window form bars across the bed sheets. Opening Image – A pure white bed against a dark background. PREMISE: Blankets is a rite of passage about Craig Thompson, a Christian teenager, who struggles with fitting his individuality into the constraints of a religious doctrine as he falls in love and matures into an adult. For an explanation of each “beat” please refer to Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet on my website it should open up in a new tab - please tell me if it doesn’t. Spoiler Warning! Below is the plot structure of Blankets using Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet as the basis for the breakdown (see my review of Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat, an excellent storytelling resource).

The love story between Craig and Raina is used like the love stories in the majority of films and novels: as a subplot and the vessel for the theme (Individuality). The main plot is a rite of passage story about a young boy losing his faith in Christianity as he matures into an adult. There is a love story in Blankets, but it is not the primary focus. People are surprised when I tell them that Blankets is not a love story.

Novel blankets