English Class: The Rule of 3 and Magic Helper

Hi, and welcome to this video lesson on stylistic elements in literature. Today we’re going to be talking about the Rule of 3 and the Magic Helper. First, the Rule of 3. The Rule of 3 is based on the idea that things that come in 3s are more entertaining, are funnier, and just more effective than any other number.

Research shows that the reader can better absorb ideas within literature if they’re grouped into 3s. For example, many children’s stories group characters into groups of 3. There are stories about the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the Three Blind Mice.

Authors will often use the number 3 within the story where a character has to complete 3 tasks or complete an action 3 times. Now for the Magic Helper. The Magic Helper is often a character that’s introduced that will allow one of the main characters to achieve a very difficult or even impossible task.

The main character may receive aid from a fairy godmother, a genie, or just a person with a special skill or power who makes a previously difficult or impossible task doable. Sometimes the helper was a former mentor or character like Obi-Wan Kenobi for Luke Skywalker.

The helper is usually with the character during all the challenges in the story. Examples of this are found in the stories of Hercules and Cinderella. Stylistic elements like foreshadowing, flashback, and symbolism are used far more frequently than the Magic Helper or the Rule of 3

However, that being said, these 2 elements are still very important when doing fictional storytelling. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching this video lesson, and until next time, happy studying.