Tragedy Writing - Donnie Darko as an Illustration of the Tragic Mode

Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and Patrick Swayze is an edgy,complex, psychological thriller about a suburban American teen dealing with the pressures of modern life and psychosis inducing anti-depressants. As well as being a masterpiece of modern cinema, Donnie Darko is also an excellent example of modern tragedy, as defined by Northrop Frye's Modal theory.
<Tab/>Firstly, the movie takes place in the month of October, a subtle (though not necessarily intentional) link to the Modal theory in which Tragedy is connected to autumn. …