Glossary → General

MacGuffin

An object or goal that drives the plot but has little importance in itself. The characters care about it deeply, but the audience engagement comes from the chase, not the thing.
The briefcase in "Pulp Fiction" is a classic MacGuffin — we never learn what is inside, but everyone wants it.

Related Terms

Conflict
The struggle between opposing forces that drives the narrati...
 Protagonist
The main character of the story whose journey and choices dr...

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