Literary Elements

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Literary Elements

• Short Story Unit

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Key difference between short stories and novels

• Novels usually contain more characters (longer
  time and space to develop)
• Novels contain several sub-plots, while short
  stories usually focus on one plot line.

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Characterization

• Process by which writer reveals the personality
  of a character
• Telling the reader directly
• Describing looks and dress
• Hear character speak
• Revealing characters thoughts

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Protagonist

• The main character, sets plot in motion
• Example
• Things Fall Apart- Okonkwo
• Hamlet Hamlet

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Antagonist

• Character or force that opposes/blocks the
  protagonist (main character)
• Example
• Things Fall Apart- Mr. Smith, The white man
• Hamlet Claudius

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Direct Characterization

• Writer tells the reader directly what a character
  is like
• Example Things Fall Apart
• Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy
  handOkonkwo was ruled by one passion-to hate
  everything that was gentleness and idleness.

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Indirect Characterization

• Reader has to use own judgment put clues
  together to figure out what a character is like.
• Example Things Fall Apart
• Unoka Unoka was never happy when it came to
  wars. And so he changed the subject and talked
  about music.
• (implying that he is weak, tender hearted)

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Dynamic Characters

• Changes in some way as a result of the storys
  action
• Example Things Fall Apart
• Nwoye He was meek and mild wanted to please his
  father. However, he later hated his father and
  became a leader in the white church

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Static Characters

• Does not change in course of story
• Example Things Fall Apart
• Okonkwo Mean, angry throughout entire storyled
  to his downfall.

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Flat Characters

• A character with only 1or 2 personality traits
• Example Hamlet
• Ophelia submissive, respectful
• Polonius sneaky, foolish

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Round Characters

• Have more dimensions to their personalities-comple
  x, solid, and multifaceted
• Example Hamlet
• Hamlet depressed, angered, smart, loyal,
  remorseful

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Point of View

• The vantage point from which a writer tells a
  story.
• Three types
• Omniscient
• First person
• Third person

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Omniscient Point of View

• The person telling the story knows everything
  thats going to happen.
• Outside of story
• Can tell us what is happening and what characters
  are feeling
• Example Things Fall Apart

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1st person narrator

• The narrator is a character in the story.
• Uses I to tell of his experiences
• Can only hear and see what narrator sees
• Example The Great Gatsby
• Story is told through Nicks eyes

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3rd person narrator

• The person telling the story is not a character
  in the story, but can only tell the story from
  one characters point of view.
• Uses he, she, they etc, throughout the story.
• Example Hamlet
• Told through Hamlets view, but Hamlet is not
  the one telling the story.

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Rising Action

• All action leading up to the climax of the story.
• Example Hamlet
• Hamlets father dieing, Hamlet seeking to avenge,
  killing Polonius, changing the directions in the
  letter, the duel between Laertes and Hamlet,
  poisoning the queen

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Climax

• Point of greatest emotional intensity, or
  suspense in a plot when the outcome of the
  conflict becomes known
• Things Fall Apart Okonkwo killing himself
• Hamlet Hamlet dieing

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Falling Action

• Action following the climax
• Things Fall Apart The Kotma looking for
  Okonkwo, cutting down Okonkwos body
• Hamlet Fortinbras breaking into the castle to
  see the end of the chaos

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Resolution

• When all the problems, mysteries and conflicts
  unravel and are explained
• Things Fall Apart The Commissioner explaining
  his plan to write a book and the little
  importance Okonkwos tragedy will have in it.
• Hamlet Horatio vowing to tell the story of
  Hamlets tragedy.

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Themes

• Central idea or insight of a work of literature
• Not the subject of the work

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Themes from Things Fall Apart

• The Struggle between change and tradition
• Interpretation of Masculinity
• Language as sign of culture difference

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Themes from Hamlet

• The impossibility of certainty
• Loyalty
• Revenge can not result in peace
• Nation as dead/prison

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Mood

• Overall emotion created
• Things Fall Apart Sad, Tragedy
• Hamlet Depressed, suspense
• The Canterbury Tales humor
• Frankenstein suspense

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Setting

• Time and place of a story
• Often linked to mood
• Often changes throughout story
• Example
• Things Fall Apart Nigeria, late 1800s
• Hamlet Denmark, Elsinore, night, dark

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Irony

• A contrast between
• what is said and what is meant
• what is expected and what really happens
• what appears to be true and what really is true

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Examples of Irony

• Okonkwo mocking womanly actions, but then
  commiting the ultmate act of weakness killing
  himself.
• The clan allowing the white man/culture to
  dominate, then not helping the one person who
  tried to hold on to their culture (take down
  Okonkwos body) because it violates the rules of
  their culture.

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Diction

• Writers/Speakers choice of words
• Influenced by audience
• Determines effect writer is trying to produce
• Example The language describing a snow flake in
  a science article is different that what would be
  described by a poet.

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Imagery

• Language that appeals to the senses
• Sight, sound, taste, smell, hearing
• Things Fall Apart The drums were still beating,
  persistent and unchanging. Their sound was no
  longer a separate thing from the living village.
  It was like the pulsation of its heart.

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Allegory

• A story in which characters, settings and events
  stand for abstract or moral concepts

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Symbolism

• The use of symbols to suggest ideas, emotions,
  moods and meaning
• Common Symbols heart (love), dove (peace),
  skull and cross bones (danger)

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Symbols in Things Fall Apart

• Locusts
• Fire
• Drums
• Yams

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Dialogue

• Conversation between two or more people
• Hamlet
• Barnardo Whos there?
• Francisco No Answer me! Halt and identify
  yourself!
• Barnardo Long live the king!

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Allusion

• A reference to a statement person, place or event
  known from literature, history, religion, myth,
  politics or another field of knowledge
• Example Hamlet describing his father (A3)
• the curls of the sun god Hyperion the forehead
  of kingly Jove, an eye like that of Mars, a
  bearing like the herald Mercury.

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Motif

• A word, character, object, image, metaphor, or
  idea that recurs in a work, or several works.

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Motifs from Things Fall Apart

• Chi
• Animal Imagery
• Eguwegu

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Motifs from Hamlet

• Incest
• Ears and hearing
• Poison

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Atmosphere

• Mood or feeling created through details and
  images
• Things Fall Apart The night was very quiet.
  Darkness held a vague terror for these people,
  even the bravest among themDangerous animals
  became more sinister and uncanny in the dark. A
  snake was never called by its name at night,
  because it would hear.

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Atmosphere, example cont.

• Hamlet Its midnight andapproaches him in the
  dark
• Example The train was hot and crowded. The
  exhaust from the engines filled the cars meant
  for lower class passengers. Smells of food and
  body odor mixed together, as people tried not to
  stick to the seats

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Hyperbole

• Uses extreme exaggeration to express a strong
  sentiment or create comic effect.
• Example sweating to death!
• Ive told you a million times!
• If I had a dollar every time you said that, I
  would be a billionaire.

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• The End!!!