Literary Terms

Literary Elements, part 1 : 

Literary Elements, part 1 Plot, character, and Setting

Plot: More than just “what happens” : 

A roller coaster designer plans how riders will react to each hill, turn, and loop. Plot is how the author guides the reader’s reaction to the text, how the author presents ideas for the reader. The author guides readers’ reactions via: Arrangement of events Cause & Effect Character interaction Conflict Plot: More than just “what happens”

Plot - like a game...The game provides the framework, but each time it is played, each player has a different experience. : 

Plot - like a game...The game provides the framework, but each time it is played, each player has a different experience. Exposition – reveals facts and setup, introduces characters Crisis – peak in action; moment of tension or importance Climax – point of greatest tension or importance Resolution – outcome, consequences (deus ex machina-- "god from the machine.“) In some ancient Greek drama, an apparently insoluble crisis was solved by the intervention of a god, often brought on stage by an elaborate piece of equipment. This was literally a deus ex machina. Stages of plot

Plot contains conflict! : 

Plot contains conflict! Conflict Protagonist – main character Antagonist – opposing character or force; anyone or anything that causes conflict Not “good guy vs. bad guy”—sometimes the protagonist can be the “bad guy”

Authors build plot with Flashback & Foreshadowing : 

Authors build plot with Flashback & Foreshadowing Flashback Examines situation occurring before the time of story Substitutes for formal in-depth explanation Interruption in storyline Can help build suspense Foreshadowing Hint or bit of evidence about what is to happen Helps create suspense Deepens character development

WHAT YOU CAN LEAVE OUT OF STORIESwhen you write... : 

WHAT YOU CAN LEAVE OUT OF STORIESwhen you write... 1. CLICHES!!! (if you’ve heard it before or it’s “an expression,” don’t use it!) 2. any explanations or background  embed this information with flashback/foreshadowing. 3. what characters do when they’re not in the scene 4. elapsed time  Orient the reader to the new time, but don't have the clock ticking in the background. 5. long descriptions  write concisely! 6. traveling how characters get from one place to another, unless the travel is important .

Character : 

Character Character (n): the fictional representation of a person.

Character Development & Types : 

Character Development & Types Characters can be developed through the character's actions, speech, and appearance. Characters can also be developed by the comments of other characters and of the author. Certain types of characters appear in many stories. The protagonist is the central character (person, animal, or personified object) in the plot's conflict. The antagonist is the force in conflict with the protagonist. This force may be society, nature, or fate, as well as another person. It can also be the protagonist's own self, if he or she has an internal conflict.

Character Foil / Stock Character : 

Character Foil / Stock Character A character foil ...is a character whose traits are opposite of those of the principal character. The foil therefore highlights the traits of the protagonist. The foil is usually a minor character, although if there are two protagonists, they may be foils of each other. A stereotype/stock character ...is a character who possesses expected traits of a group rather than being an individual. They are easily predictable.

Flat vs. Round characters : 

Flat vs. Round characters A flat character is not fully developed; readers know only one side of the character. A round character is fully-developed, with many traits--bad and good--shown in the story. Readers may feel they know the character so well that he/she has become a real person.

Flat vs. Round cont’d : 

Flat vs. Round cont’d flat round Character development is a continuum with perfectly flat characters at one end and very round ones at the other. Every character lies somewhere on this continuum. Round characters are usually considered an indication of literary quality. However, characters in folktales are almost always flat, and flatness is appropriate for minor characters in modern literature for children. A character foil is often flat, even if the protagonist is round.

Static vs. Dynamic Characters The amount of change in a character over the course of the story affects its quality: : 

Static vs. Dynamic Characters The amount of change in a character over the course of the story affects its quality: A static character is one who does not change during the course of the story. A dynamic character is one who changes significantly through the events of the story. This change is internal and may be sudden, but the events of the plot should make it seem inevitable.

Static vs. Dynamic Characters cont’d : 

Static vs. Dynamic Characters cont’d very static very dynamic There is also a continuum of character change in a story, with very static characters at one end, and very dynamic ones at the other. Every character lies somewhere on this continuum. Dynamism in the protagonist is usually considered an indication of quality, but many characters, especially in stories for younger children, have only the mild amount of change which can be expected from growing and maturing from day to day. A character may thus be round and dynamic round and static flat and static A flat character cannot usually be dynamic, because readers do not know enough about the flat character to notice a change.

Setting When and where a story takes place : 

Setting When and where a story takes place Real or imaginary, concrete or symbolic, a moment or an eternity, setting is the dramatic backdrop for a story. As the place of fiction, setting is generally a physical locale that shapes a story's mood, its emotional aura or quality.

Setting is important because... : 

Setting is important because... setting reveals prevailing atmosphere or mood setting shows internal and external conflicts setting highlights potential contrasts between characters or ideas setting can determine the fate of the protagonist setting reflects character and often embodies theme. If the time or place setting of the story changes, consider how the changes alter the outcome of the story.

Slide 16: 

If Victor Frankenstein does all of his experiments in "a solitary chamber, or rather a cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a staircase" we might conclude that there is something anti-social, isolated, and stale, maybe even unnatural, about his project and his way of learning.

Roles of Setting: : 

Roles of Setting: as a mirror to reflect what is going on inside the characters as a mold to shape the characters into who they are

Setting may also act... : 

Setting may also act... as a challenge providing a test for the character to reveal his or her true self as an alien setting that creates a sense of exile and loss

Slide 19: 

The setting may be an escape which allows more whimsical and fantastic parts of the character to be expressed. An external force may enter the setting and change it, causing conflict for the characters. The setting itself may be an antagonist

Slide 20: 

Two settings may also come into conflict with each other, causing conflict in the characters who must live in them and perhaps have to choose between them.

Slide 21: 

"Every story would be another story, and unrecognizable if it took up its characters and plot and happened somewhere else... Fiction depends for its life on place. Place is the crossroads of circumstance, the proving ground of, What happened? Who's here? Who's coming?..." --Eudora Welty

Types of Setting : 

Types of Setting Physical Setting Geographical Setting Cultural Setting Historical Setting

Physical Setting : 

Physical Setting Physical Setting: Time of day Season Weather / Temperature Type of room/building Indoors/Outdoors Objects Colors Imagery—5 senses A note about time: Clock time: this can be used to provide suspense or create certain moods or feelings—time is also an important literary symbol. Seasonal time: the seasons or a span of time associated with a particular activity may be important as a symbol.

Geographical Setting : 

Geographical Setting Location, including country (Japan, Mexico, Scotland) region (north/south, upper/lower end) state/ city neighborhood street floor/level (basement, attic etc...) urban / rural / suburban

Cultural Setting: the values, ideals, and attitudes of a place : 

Cultural Setting: the values, ideals, and attitudes of a place The nonphysical, cultural environment includes influences such as education, social standing, economic class, and religious belief. These may be revealed by physical properties in the scene or through the characters' dialogue, thoughts, statements, and behaviors.

Historical Setting : 

Historical Setting Time period, year, reign of a leader, President, role of government, major recent events, transportation, crop yield, epidemics, wars, natural disasters, etc... can establish a psychological or sociological understanding of behaviors and attitudes.

End of part 1: Plot, Character, Setting : 

End of part 1: Plot, Character, Setting