Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis - Analysis, The Story Of My Experiments | The Story of My Experiments with Truth - Summary & Themes - Novels PDF Download

Plot Type : Overcoming the Monster

Anticipation Stage and "Call"

Gandhi talks about his commitment to truth in the introduction, so we get a vague sense of what battles lie ahead. Then, we see his childhood and youth, where he has a dim understanding of how important religion and other ideals will be for him. But it isn't until the "call" comes for him to go to England that he starts maturing and undertaking serious self-development.

Dream Stage

In England, Gandhi isn't in danger. He comfortably studies religions, French, law, and more, trying to figure out what he believes. But his seriousness gives us an idea that conflict awaits.

Frustration Stage

Gandhi leads many civil disobedience struggles in South Africa and India. He has some successes and some losses, and while we're impressed with his power, we wonder where all this is going—is Gandhi going to get in trouble for doing all this?

Nightmare Stage

Undertaking Satyagraha action against the British government for the Rowlatt legislation, Gandhi sells banned literature and calls upon the country to fast.

But violence breaks out; he's made the "Himalayan miscalculation" of asking a country to conduct mass Satyagraha when the country wasn't spiritually prepared for it.

The Thrilling Escape From Death and Death of the Monster

Gandhi suspends Satyagraha, and peace is restored. The Himalayan miscalculation doesn't stop him from continuing public work, and indeed, he continues to fight for Indian independence through, for example, the Khadi movement.

He concludes with a farewell that promises he'll purify himself even more and become an even more effective leader.