This is one of those literary devices that can really ruin the element of surprise once you get used to spotting it. Based on a writing philosophy observed and often practiced by Russian author Anton Chekhov, the law of “Chekhov’s Gun” states that a storyteller should never introduce a gun in Act One of the story unless it is guaranteed to go off in Act Three. The gun, he was known to infer, is a promise made to an audience—and promises should always be kept.
Of course, the terms “gun” and “go off,” while sometimes literal, are often figurative of other elements placed within a story. For instance, the woman screaming “Save the clock tower,” and waving pamphlets in Marty and Jennifer’s faces at the beginning of Back to the Future is already setting up the climactic scene with the lightning strike. Edna Mode’s passionate insistence that capes are, in fact, a dangerous and unnecessary addition to a superhero outfit in The Incredibles comes full circle when the villain Syndrome meets his hilarious end. Paul’s healing of the dead bird in Paul introduces the existence of this particular ability, thus paving the way for him to heal Graeme later.
While many have come to lobby “Chekhov’s Gun” as a foreshadowing device, it’s really more about making sure every element within your story is relevant. If you make a big deal out of a gun being present in your story in Act One, it’s going to be very off-putting for your audience if it’s just never mentioned again after that—as well as a waste of detail, and ultimately “fluff” that should just be cut. In other words, things that appear to mean nothing in the long run within a story should always mean something, and that is the true foundation of “Chekhov’s Gun.”
However, this fact could also be used to a storyteller’s advantage: while Chekhov spoke of a promise that should be kept, there are times where it’s necessary to play with an audience’s expectations. Mysteries, for example, need to be full of red herrings if a storyteller wants to keep their audience guessing. And what better way to set up a red herring than to introduce a concept / object / offhand comment that has absolutely nothing to do with anything?
Similarly, the philosophy of “Chekhov’s Gun” could be used to an advantage within the realms of humor and satire. One need look no further than The Cornetto Trilogy to see a brilliant and almost constant usage of “Chekhov’s Gun” to generate comedy. But oftentimes, even the direct acknowledgement of “Chekhov’s Gun” can lead to a hilarious breaking of the fourth wall. Just ask the characters in Archer.
Night Owls, what are some of your favorite examples of “Chekhov’s Gun” being applied in fictional stories?
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chekhovs-gun
