Introduction to Literary Elements

1
Introduction to Literary Elements

• Short Story Unit
• Literature Composition

2
Fiction

• Prose/narrative (story form writing) about
  imaginary people, places and events
• Something that is made up--- not factual
• Can seem realistic

3
Plot
Climax
Rising Action
Falling Action
Exposition
Resolution (Denouement)
Turning Point (Inciting Incident)
4
Foreshadowing

• The use of clues or hints by the author to
  prepare the reader for what will happen later
• Can use background information, mood music

5
Conflict

• Character vs. Character
• Character vs. Society
• Character vs. Self
• Character vs. Nature
• Character vs. Technology/Machine
• Character vs. Supernatural/Deity

6
Characterization

• What the character says
• What the character does
• What the character thinks/feels
• What other characters say think about him/her
• The characters physical appearance or
  environment

7
Dynamic Characters

• Those who transform or evolve in the story
  usually major characters

Static Characters

• Those who do NOT change or grow, but remain the
  same usually minor characters

8
Protagonist

• The character with whom the reader is meant to
  sympathize
• The character who grows or learns something
• Often the hero

9
Antagonist

• The character (or force) who stands in conflict
  with the protagonist
• Often the villain

10
Setting

• Time/When
• Place/Where
• Social Atmosphere (affected by historical
  era, social movements, and crises)

11
Tone

• The authors attitude toward
• his/her subject
• Emotion words are used to label
• this element in a story (e.g.
• angry, indifferent, excited, sad)

12
Mood / Atmosphere

• The readers emotional response to the
  characters and events of a story
• Often influenced by setting and tone
• Emotion words also used here

13
Symbols

• Concrete objects that suggest abstract ideas
• Something that stands for something else
• For example red roselove

14
Point of View Perspective

• First person narrator is a character in the
  story (I perspective) can be unreliable!
• Third person limited story is told through the
  thoughts feelings of ONE character - the reader
  may feel like she is looking over the shoulder
  of a character (S/heperspective)
• Third person omniscient narrator is NOT a
  character in the story story is told from a
  god-like perspective can relate knowledge about
  all characters at any time

15
Irony

• Situational when the opposite of what is
  expected occurs
• Verbal when a character says one thing but
  means another (the opposite)
• Dramatic when the audience/reader knows
  something that a character does not know

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Theme

• The universal truth revealed about life
• Must be stated in a complete sentence
• Avoids using clichés, giving advice or stating a
  rule