Elements of Literature

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Elements of Literature
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Types of Characters

• Protagonist the main character in the story
  (often the good guy)
• Antagonist The person or force that works
  against the protagonist (often the bad guy)

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Other Types of Characters

• Foil A character who serves as a contrast or
  challenge to the main character
• Dynamic (round) A character who encounters
  conflict and is changed by it. Dynamic characters
  tend to be more fully developed and described
  than flat, or static, characters. If you think of
  the characters you most love in fiction, they
  probably seem as real to you as people you know
  in real life.
• Static (flat) Minor characters in a work of
  fiction who do not undergo substantial change or
  growth in the course of a story. Also referred to
  as "two-dimensional characters" or "flat
  characters." They play a supporting role to the
  main character, who as a rule, should be round or
  complex.

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Feelings of Stories

• Mood the feeling a piece of literature creates
  IN THE READER! What mood you feel when you read
  a piece of literature. Think of your favorite
  book. How did you feel when you read it?
• Tone attitude or feeling of the literature from
  the characters, word choice, and/or style. The
  tone of the story affects the mood. For example,
  scary, funny, sad, suspenseful, romantic, etc.

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What creates Tone?

• Word Choice The authors word choice shows
  meaning and feeling. For example
• He's passed away - (sad)
• He's sleeping with the fishes or He kicked the
  bucket - (funny)
• He died - (depressing)
• He's gone to meet his Maker - (scary or
  suspenseful)
• Dialogue contributes to the Tone of the story.
  How do the characters speak to one another? Are
  they Angry? Funny? Nice? Hateful?

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Plot Line series of events in a story (in order)

• Exposition characters are introduced, setting
  is explained along with the background
• Rising Action various problems (conflicts)
  start to arise (see next slide for types)
• Climax turning point in the story when
  everything changes
• Falling Action action and dialogue after the
  climax that leads to the end
• Resolution problems are solved in the end

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CONFLICT - a problem or struggle between two
opposing forces
Person vs. Person a problem between characters
Person vs. Himself a problem within a characters own mind
Person vs. Society a problem between the character and school, the law, or some tradition
Person vs. Nature a problem between the character and an element of nature (blizzard, hurricane, a mountain climb, etc.)
Person vs. Fate (God) a problem or struggle that is well beyond the characters control
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Plots within a Plot

• Subplot Connected to the main plot by
  complicating it or supporting it. Sometimes two
  opening subplots will merge into the main plot.
  Example what TV show do you watch that has a
  story within a story?
• Parallel Episodes when two plots are happening
  at the same time but do not connect until the
  end. These parallel episodes do not effect the
  story until the end when they merge together.
  Can you think of an example?

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Irony

• Situational Irony when the opposite of what is
  expected to happen, happens. Example you wash
  your car and then it rains. You study for the
  test all night, but it is not the next day. ?
• Dramatic Irony when the audience is aware of
  something that the characters in the story are
  not aware of (this creates a suspenseful
  tone/mood. Example In the Hunger Games, Katniss
  kisses Peeta so he can receive the necessary
  ointment to heal him. The reader knows this but
  Peeta and those viewing the games do not.

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Flashback and Foreshadowing

• Flashback a transition to an earlier event that
  interrupts the normal plot line. This is used
  for the reader/audience to gain insight into
  characters using events in the past.
• Foreshadowing clues about what will happen
  later in the story

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Points of View

• First Person one of the characters is telling
  the story
• Third Person someone from the outside is
  telling the story 2 types
• Omniscient narrator knows the thoughts and
  feelings of more than one character
• Limited narrator knows the thoughts and
  feelings of only ONE character

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Theme what did you learn in the end?

• Theme is the message the author is getting across
  to the reader about life or human nature. What
  did you learn?
• Example What is the theme of the Hunger
  Games?obsession with fame, division of social
  classes, power of the people