redemptive arc

redemptive arc (plural redemptive arcs)

1. (literature) Synonym of redemption arc (“story arc wherein an immoral character redeems themselves and makes right for their wrongdoings”).
   • 2022 September 29, Ben Kenigsberg, “‘The Justice of Bunny King’ Review: No Way Out”, in The New York Times‎:

     A grim social-realist drama from New Zealand that labors to twist its narrative into a redemptive arc, “The Justice of Bunny King” has an unsteady tone to match its ungainly title.

2. (by extension) Synonym of redemption arc (“series of actions or events by which a person makes right for their past failures, errors, or wrongdoings”).
   • 2022 February 23, Tamryn Spruill, “Women’s Basketball Players Get a New Lifeline, Close to Home”, in The New York Times‎:

     For Manis, the league is an opportunity to course-correct a career beleaguered by bumps and false starts. She is joined by women at various stages of their basketball careers, many focused on redemptive arcs of their own.