I wouldn't say so. A MacGuffin is usually an object of some kind, or at least a tangible thing. There are variations for when a person fills this role; for example, by being a metaphysical embodiment of the thing being sought after, someone whose physical or spiritual qualities make them the object of everyone's conflict, or a token "important person" to be kidnapped and rescued. Tons of other variations occupy that trope's page as well; it's a big concept precisely for being so common.
edited 26th Feb '15 12:01:48 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"What would you call an unimportant but motivating plot point then?
You might want to broaden your search a bit to the Plot Device trope.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"But Plot Device still seems to refer to objects or characters, whereas I'm looking for something that rather describes a situation that advances the plot.
edited 26th Feb '15 12:07:16 PM by TheGuyWhoMakesThings
You might want to hop over to Trope Finder to see if you can get advice from a broader selection of tropers.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Thank you for the suggestion.
Some works do treat intangible things as tangible though like a thought could be treated as tangible and fought over the course of the plot and such.
First off, I'm new here, so hi. Forgive me if this is an obvious question.
I'm working on a short screenplay for a filmmaking class, and the plot revolves around a boy visited by an alien who happens to be his father. The alien wants to bring the boy back to their home planet for a reason that doesn't really matter in the overall plot; what matters more is the interaction between the alien, the boy, and the boy's earth-father. Would the reason for the alien wanting the son to come with him be considered a MacGuffin, or something else?