Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Voyage and Return
Anticipation Stage and 'Fall' into the Other World
After Tommo and Toby escape their ship into the mountains of the Marquesas and have a bit of trouble, they seek refuge and food in a native village of friendly people.
Initial Fascination or Dream Stage
The Typee, to Tommo, are a strange and beautiful people. The women go around half-naked, adorned with flowers, and he's waited on hand and foot. Even if Tommo's leg won't quite heal, things still seem pretty peachy.
Frustration Stage
After Toby leaves for help and doesn't come back, Tommo begins to get bored and worried, realizing that the islanders are restricting his movements. He isn't allowed past certain points, and he senses the islanders are keeping things from him. It's only then that he realizes he's a captive.
Nightmare Stage
After a near-miss with a face tattoo that would mark him as a Typee forever, a glance at a preserved white man's head held in a sack, and a quick look at a freshly-cleaned human skeleton, Tommo decides that there's no time like the present to leave the pretty valley, no matter how nice everyone is to him. After all, he can't be sure how long their hospitality will hold out.
Thrilling Escape and Return
After news of a nearby boat hits the valley, Tommo decides to flee. Though he at last gets permission from the head chief, a lesser chief wants to keep him there and leads several warriors to prevent his escape. Once at the beach, a full-on fight scene breaks out. Tommo jumps in the rowboat to take him to the ship. The rowers must fend off angry islanders, and Tommo himself takes a defensive swipe at the lesser chief.
At last they get to the ship. A few months later, his leg is healed, and he's off the high seas, free at last (whew).