The Fourth Sally or How Trurl Built a Femfatalatron

Stanislaw Lem, 1965

short_story

Quadrant Scores

Time Structure
LinearFractured
Pacing
Action-DrivenObservational
Threat Scale
IndividualSystemic
Protagonist Fate
VictoryAssimilation
Conflict Style
Western CombatKishōtenketsu
Price Type
PhysicalIdeological
Todorov's Stages
equilibrium
Description of the starting status quo.
disruption
The inciting incident or protocol failure.
recognition
When the protagonist realizes the disruption.
repair
The attempt to fix or survive it.
new equilibrium
The new, altered status quo.

Structural Analysis

1. Protocol Fiction Mapping (Summer of Protocols)#

  • Render a Rule:
  • Rehearse a Failure Mode:
  • Reveal a Human Insight:

2. Actantial Model (A.J. Greimas)#

  • Subject:
  • Object:
  • Sender (Destinator):
  • Receiver (Destinatee):
  • Helper:
  • Opponent:

3. Todorov's Equilibrium Model#

  • See YAML Frontmatter for stage breakdown.

4. The Freytag Pyramid#

  • Exposition:
  • Climax:

5. Propp's Morphology of the Folktale#

  • Applicable Narratemes:

6. Genette's Narrative Discourse#

  • Order / Duration / Focalization:

7. The Monomyth / Hero's Journey#

  • Subversions:

8. Dan Harmon's Story Circle#

  • The Take (The Price Paid):

9. Save the Cat! Beat Sheet#

  • Pacing Deviations:

10. Kishōtenketsu (Four-Act Structure)#

  • Applicability:

11. The Three-Act Structure#

  • Plot Points:

12. Lévi-Strauss's Binary Oppositions#

  • Primary Binary:
  • Secondary Binary:
  • The Mediator:

13. Cognitive Estrangement (Suvin / Shklovsky)#

  • The Familiar Concept:
  • The Estranging Mechanism:
  • The Cognitive Shift:

14. Bakhtin's Chronotope#

  • The Spatial Matrix:
  • The Temporal Flow:
  • The Point of Intersection:

15. Aristotelian Poetics#

  • Hamartia:
  • Peripeteia:
  • Anagnorisis:

16. Jungian Archetypal Analysis#

  • The Persona:
  • The Shadow:
  • The Anima/Animus:
  • The Trickster:

17. Genette's Transtextuality#

  • Intertextuality:
  • Paratextuality:
  • Metatextuality:

Characters7

TrurlConstructor and protagonist

A brilliant engineer who is unexpectedly recruited by an electroknight to cure Prince Pantagoon's lovesickness, ultimately resorting to a baby-bombardment strategy to force a royal marriage.

his lordship TrurlTrurl the highbornTrurl the illustrious constructorSir ConstructorYour ExcellencyYour Exalted PersonYour Resplendent GraceYour ConstructorshipYour Esteemed EffulgenceEarl of Otesgood foreigner
The ElectroknightRoyal emissary

An imposing robotic dignitary with jeweled eyes and radar antennas who arrives at Trurl's home in a pyramidal ship to recruit him on behalf of King Protuberon.

magnateimposing personageGrand Seneschal and Artifactotum to the Kingdignitary
King Protuberon AsteristicusSovereign ruler

The desperate father of Prince Pantagoon who hires Trurl to cure his son's lovesickness and later authorizes a bloodless war to secure the desired marriage.

His Royal Highnesssovereign ruler of the sister globes of Aphelion and PerihelionBeloved SovereignHis Majesty
Prince PantagoonCrown prince

The heir to the throne who is wasting away due to a politically impossible infatuation with Amarandina Cybernella, resisting all technological attempts to break his fixation.

heir to the throneHis MajestyYour son
Amarandina CybernellaObject of affection

The daughter of the enemy Emperor, whose hand in marriage is desperately desired by Prince Pantagoon.

only daughter of the ruler of the neighboring state of lbthe Emperor's daughter
The EmperorEnemy ruler

The father of Amarandina and ancient enemy of King Protuberon, who is ultimately forced to capitulate and agree to the marriage after his empire is bombarded with babies.

ruler of the neighboring state of lb
Dr. YentzicusReferenced academic

The creator of the oculo-oscular feel theory, which Trurl uses in the design of the femfatalatron.

creator of the famous oculo-oscular feel theory