Hitchcock cares little about the minor springs of plot—what he calls the "MacGuffin," the gimmick—because he is dealing with more inclusive rhythms. "To me, the narrator, they're of no importance." And this narrative sense, Hitchcock asserts …, is the most important part of his directional method. (pp. 22-3)

Hitchcock's films frequently approach the problem of detachment and involvement through separate but complementary treatments that night almost be called "genres." In "comedies" like The Lady Vanishes, North by Northwest, or Torn Curtain, the central characters are a romantic couple, with whom the audience automatically sympathizes. They serve as audience surrogates in a series of adventures that turn out happily. The axe is never far away from the neck in these comedies, but all conflict is finally dissipated by the end of the film, frequently by near fairy-tale or romance means….

Hitchcock manipulates our desire to sympathize and identify...