Plot Points and Relationships and Meaning

Two hitmen shot at multiple times but not a single bullet hits them.

One argues that God saved them.  The other doesn't.

One decides to quit his job as a hitman.  The other doesn't.

These two scenes from Pulp Fiction contain a plot point based on a relationship.

In this instance it is the characters's relationship with God.

It turns, spins, changes the direction of the story.  Of the character's story.

"I'm a hitman."  turns to "I'm done being a hitman"  and  "I'm going to continue to be a hitman."

However, meaning is not created until the consequences of this plot point are shown.

Jules presumably lives.  Vincent we see gets shot and killed.  Jules forms a new relationship with God, a new bond, while Vincent retains his old relationship, his old bond with Marcellus Wallace.

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So we see that we need multiple plot points to create meaning.
And we need a relationship to use as the creation, engine, source of the plot points.

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Take Andy Dufresne relationship with the Prison staff in Shawshank Redemption.
Because of his banking background he goes from being a no name abused prisoner to the prince of the prison when he suggests to Haldey he can get around his tax problem.

This would be a plot point.

You can think of plot points like chemicals, bonding or splitting.

Now in order to create meaning, this new relationship with the prison staff needs to be tested.  This new bond.

Andy finds out who killed his wife.  Norton has the man who knows, killed.
This is a plot point that tests their relationship.
Meaning is created as we see that this relationship isn't as great as we thought.
If Warden Norton allowed Andy to try to get a new trial with this new information we would see that the bond is strong.

Red has some plot points too.  When he goes into the parole board meeting in the setup of the movie we see him say he's rehabilitated.  And we see them deny him freedom.  We see the red-parole board relationship.   We see there is no bond.
That's a plot point.

Now after Andy escapes, Red thinks about everything that has occurred and goes into the parole board meeting again.  This time he tries a different approach.
The parole board accepts his argument and gives him his freedom.  They have now bonded.  This is the second plot point that creates meaning.

Meaning is created when characters bond AND when characters split.

Notice how the midpoint of this movie has Andy "cheating", "trying to split" from his new bond with the prison staff.  Andy plays an opera over the loud speaker for his fellow inmates.  Andy's fellow inmates are the other relationship, the other element, the other bond, this story is testing.  Norton quickly attempts to reseal his bond with Andy.

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Notice how the characters goal of getting out of prison puts these plot points into context.  It helps to show where characters loyalties lie.  It gives meaning to the relationships.  It makes the relationship bonding/splitting make sense.