Elements of Fiction. What are the ingredients of a great story?

Transcription

1 Elements of Fiction What are the ingredients of a great story? Kosbob 2009

2 What do you already know? 1. An idea about life that the story reveals is a a. theme b. character c. plot 2. The most suspenseful moment in a story is its a. point of view b. conflict c. climax 3. A story with an all-knowing narrator has point of view. a. omniscient b. vantage c. first-person 4. The series of events that make up a story is a. conflict b. plot c. theme

3 What do you already know? 1. The protagonist is the main character of the story. a. true b. false 2. External conflicts may be struggles between a. a person and another person c. a person and nature b. a person and a group d. all of the above 3. What is tone? a. the stylistic elements c. the diction of the author b. the author s attitude d. The mood of the story

4 clipart.com The Main Ingredients Fiction s main ingredients are Plot (Setting) Conflict Characters Point of View Theme

5 Plot Plot is the sequence of events in a story. Plot tells what happens. There is a natural pattern of how the plot happens in stories, and we call this pattern, the plot line. Good readers know what part of plot is happening at different times in the story.

6 Plot Line Climax: The turning point. The most intense moment (either mentally or in action.) Falling Action: all of the action which follows the Climax. Exposition: The start of the story. The way things are before the action starts. Resolution: The conclusion, all conflicts are resolved.

7 Setting The setting is where the story happens at, usually known as the Time and the Place. Setting can also include the atmosphere. Setting can include The geographical location (Sterling) The time period (1902, or 2400) The specific area or space (Sterling Middle School, the backyard) The atmosphere (cold, dark night or bright, sunny afternoon)

8 What Is Conflict? Conflict is a struggle or clash between opposing characters or opposing forces. Conflict is the driving force of a story. the problem that the characters must solve or overcome. Without conflict there is no plot.

9 Two Main Types of Conflict Two basic types of conflict are External Conflict Internal Conflict

10 Amanda Trimble External Conflict External conflict is a struggle between a character and some outside force another character, a group, or nature (can be supernatural, too).

11 Amanda Trimble Internal Conflicts Internal conflict is a struggle between opposing desires or emotions within a person. Internal conflicts may take place within a character s mind or heart.

12 Conflicts Person VS Person Person VS Nature Person VS Society Person VS Himself Person VS Supernatural

13 Characters Characters are the people (or animals and things presented as people) appearing in a literary work. We learn about characters by what they say, do, think, and how they act. Protagonist Antagonist

14 Point of View Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. In first-person point of view, one of the characters, using the personal pronoun I, is telling the story. I rapped on the cottage door and wondered why it was taking Granny so long to answer. Finally I heard a hoarse voice cry, Come in, Little Red.

15 Different Points of View In the Third-person point of view the narrator is distant from all of the characters, and uses their names or pronouns, instead of I or Me. Riding Hood rapped on the cottage door and wondered why it was taking Granny so long to answer. Finally, she heard a hoarse voice cry, Come in, Little Red. In an omniscient point of view, the narrator knows everything about the characters and their problems. As Little Red Riding Hood rapped on the cottage door, the Wolf finished tying Granny s wrists and shut her in the closet. The Wolf wriggled into Granny s nightgown, scrambled into bed, and cried out, Come in, Little Red.

16 Practice with The Most Dangerous Game Before Reading: Asses you views on topics found in the story. While Reading: Record the main events of the story on a plot line. After Reading: Reevaluate your views on the topics in the story.

17 Now, let s do a deeper reading! It isn t enough to simply identify the elements of a short story. You also need to be able to analyze these elements.

18 Characterization Characterization is how a writer reveals character. There are two types of characterization: direct and indirect. When an author uses direct characterization, he/she directly states a character s traits. Example: He was a tall man past middle age, for his hair was a vivid white; but his thick eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as black as the night from which Rainsford had come (Connell 44). ~ Zaroff No interpretation necessary!

19 Characterization Continued Sounds like Connell is indirectly describing General Zaroff as being vampire-like! Break here for practice with characterization

20 Theme Theme is an idea about life that the story reveals. Theme is the author s message. Usually the theme is not stated directly in the story. You have to figure it out. Theme is a complete sentence! There can many themes in a single story. When looking for themes, think of which things are repeated throughout the story. These must be important to the author. What is one theme of TMDG?

21 There is more! To analyze literature you will need to do more than just look at the main ingredients of,,,,, and. You will also need to interpret stylistic choices of the author.

22 3. Figurative Language Expressions, which put aside literal meanings in favor of imaginative connections, describing one thing in terms of another. Examples: metaphor, simile, personification, analogy, symbolism, allusion, and imagery It is called figurative language because you have to figure it out.

23 Types of Fig. Language Analogy: A comparison of an unfamiliar object or idea to a familiar one. Metaphor: direct comparison without like or as Simile: Comparison using like or as Hyperbole: a grand exaggeration Irony: something that happens that is the opposite of what is excepted. Symbolism: when one thing stands for or represents another.

24 Figurative Language Continued Figurative Language Challenge: Pick TWO of the following visuals. Write a sentence using figurative language that ties your chosen visual to The Most Dangerous Game

25 PICK TWO:

26 4. Tone The attitude an author takes toward his/her subject, audience, and characters. Established by careful selection (diction) and placement (syntax) of words, and by purposeful use of details and images. Tone is the hallmark of a writer s personality! Mood is the emotional effect that the story creates.

27 Tone vs. Mood Mary Poppins Trailer Watch the Mary Poppins Trailer. Write down two words to describe the tone two words to describe the mood. Scary Mary Poppins Trailer Watch this version of the trailer and write down two words to describe the tone and two words to describe the mood.

28 Tone Continued Think Fast: What is the primary tone of The Most Dangerous Game, in your opinion? Identify a text example and page number showing this tone.

29 6. Style Style is defined as the way in which an author chooses to write. Style is not what is said, but how it is said. Literary style may be described in a variety of ways, such as formal, conversational, journalistic, wordy, ornate, poetic, or dynamic.

30 6. Style Continued Elements of style include descriptive writing, word choice (diction), sentence length, tone, figurative language, dialogue, strong verbs, adjectives, difficult vocabulary, and point of view. Break here for practice with style! Complete style chart analysis of Richard Connell s style in TMDG.