MacGuffin, sometimes spelled McGuffin, is a term used by screenwriters for something that gets the plot rolling but doesn’t have significance itself. This occurs almost always in thrillers, but it’s also present in most genres. Today, we are going to dig into the definition, purpose, and some examples of a MacGuffin.
Definition
The MacGuffin is an object, event, or character that sets the plot in motion but is insignificant to the story. You can change it for another without changing the plot. The MacGuffin is whatever is most desired in the story. Maybe it’s what the hero seeks to find or the villain wants to have. It could just be that one wants to stop the other from getting it. The villain wants to destroy it so the heroes can’t use it to beat him. Or, the hero wants to find it and keep it safe so the villain can’t use it to take over the world. Who wants it and why isn’t important, the point is that the whole story revolves around who can get to it first.
Usually, the story doesn’t even include what the MacGuffin does. In the beginning of the story, the audience is told it’s super important, the characters see it as super important, and that’s all that matters. The story is all about getting to it. The plot is about racing against time and the opponent, not what the MacGuffin does. So, while it is important to get everyone moving in the story, the MacGuffin itself doesn’t matter. It’s just a coveted goal.
Purpose
The point of a MacGuffin is to make the hero take action and start the story. Beyond that, it is there to keep the protagonist motivated, build tension around what happens if the opponent wins, and keep the action flowing. It creates a ticking clock, which is why MacGuffins are almost always used in thrillers. Everyone is scurrying around with no time to make any real plans. They have to move fast and win the race.
Examples
I always think that concepts are easier to understand when examples are involved. Below is a list of several MacGuffins used in stories today.
- Indiana Jones—Indiana’s always chasing some artifact (doesn’t matter which) so the bad guys don’t get it.
- Taken—A retired CIA agent’s daughter is taken, and he must race against the clock to get her back. The daughter is completely interchangeable with another person. Hence, Taken 2 where the ex-wife is the one taken.
- The Sword Of Shannara—Shea must get the magical sword, the only weapon (which could have been a gun or axe or anything) that can defeat the Warlock Lord who seeks to destroy the world.
- The Lord of the Rings—Everyone wants the One Ring, but in the end the ring’s fate is to be destroyed, not used. It could have been anything.
- Titanic—The story starts out trying to find the missing Heart of the Ocean necklace, and in the end we see Rose drop it into the ocean. Yet, the real story is about the love between Jack and Rose, not the necklace.
- Captain America: The First Avenger—Our hero must get the Tesseract (or enter any weapon here) to stop the villain from destroying the world.
- Saving Private Ryan—They literally could have picked any soldier to save, and this movie would be the same.
As you can see, each MacGuffin is changeable. They aren’t used in the end to do anything. It’s just stuff two opposing sides fight over. It moves the story into motion, but doesn’t directly impact it.
Final Thoughts
MacGuffins are not bad things. They are popular for a reason. They work. Now, you can definitely use them wrong, making them seem irrelevant. You don’t want to mention the MacGuffin at the beginning and then drop it from the whole story. You can still make the reader care about the MacGuffin even though it isn’t central to the plot. Private Ryan could have been anyone, but we still get attached to his backstory and character. The Tesseract could have been any weapon, but it becomes something more central to saving the world in the later movies. Make the MacGuffins useful even if they aren’t key to how the plot plays out.
Thanks for reading!
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