: Define the "plant and payoff" technique. Introduce the "Julie sets" example from Tootsie as a masterclass in using character dialogue to create structural irony.
In screenwriting, a "plant" is a piece of information given early in a story that takes on new significance later—the "payoff." Julie’s dialogue serves as one of the most effective examples of this technique. WALS Julie sets 264-268
: Analyze pages 264-268 (or the relevant section) regarding how a screenwriter establishes a character’s values. Julie doesn't just speak; she "sets" a trap for a protagonist who lacks genuine empathy. : Define the "plant and payoff" technique
: Later, Michael (as himself) meets Julie at a party. Thinking he has the "key" to her heart, he uses her exact line back to her. Instead of the romantic connection he expects, Julie hurls her drink in his face. : Analyze pages 264-268 (or the relevant section)
: During a quiet, intimate conversation with Dorothy (Michael in disguise), Julie expresses her frustration with the games men play. She "sets" the stage by claiming she wishes men would just be honest. She even provides a specific "big line" as an example: "I find you very attractive and I'd really like to go to bed with you."