Literary Elements

Because your understanding of these elements is necessary for you to further build your reading and literary interpretation skills, you will be assessed frequently on their

application.

Literary Elements

• Setting

• Characterization

• Plot (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax,

Falling Action, Resolution)

• Conflict

• Point of View

• Mood

Setting

Lord of the Flies: deserted island, the future.

Setting is the time (year, season, era) and the place (general or main location even though other

sites may enter the story briefly).

The Catcher in the Rye: New York, 1940s

The Bean Trees: Kentucky/Arizona/Oklahoma, 1980s

“…it was so quiet and lonesome out, even though it was Saturday night. I didn’t see hardly anybody on the street. Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing the street with their arms around each other’s waists and all, or a bunch of hoodlumy-looking guys and their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn’t funny. New York’s terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed.” The Catcher in the Rye

Setting can help in the portrayal of a character.

Action is so closely related to setting that in some works of fiction, the plot is directed by it.

“The new man stands, looking a minute, to get the set-up of the day room. One side of the room younger patients, known as Acutes because the doctors figure them still sick enough to be fixed, practice arm wrestling and card tricks…Across the room from the Acutes are the culls of the Combine’s product, the Chronics. Not in the hospital, these to get fixed, but just to keep them from walking around the street giving the product a bad name.”

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Nurse Ratchet

Setting can establish

the atmosphere of

a work.

“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country.”

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe

A setting may be one of two types:

1. backdrop – not essential to

plot

2. integral – essential to plot

Writing Connection

Select a story idea from your

Writing Notebook. Decide on

a backdrop or an integral

setting. Justify your choice.

SETTING QUIZ

Identify the setting in the following passage.

“Crime and despair stalked the streets of east St. Louis, Illinois, one of the most impoverished cities in the United States. But when Jacqueline Joyner was born, her grandmother insisted that she be named

after Jacqueline Kennedy, America’s glamorous First Lady.”

~ Jackie Joyner-Kersee Olympic Athlete

“Crime and despair stalked the streets of

east St. Louis, Illinois, one of the most

impoverished cities in the United States.

But when Jacqueline Joyner was born,

Her grandmother insisted that she be

Named after Jacqueline Kennedy,

America’s glamorous First Lady.”

~ Jackie Joyner-Kersee Olympic Athlete

CharacterizationMethods an Author May Use

1. By directly stating that the character “was an old man…”

2. By using the character’s own words and actions

3. By the reaction of other characters to a character

4. By the character’s physical appearance

5. By the character’s own thoughts

CharacterThe people (or animals, things, etc. presented as

people) appearing in a literary work.

Types of Characters:

Round convincing, true to life.

Dynamic undergoes some type of change in story.

Flat stereotyped, shallow, often symbolic.

Static does not change in the course of the

story

Dimensions of Character

Character is the identity of an individual.

The total character has three areas:

1.Outer Person

2.Social Person

3.Inner Person

Outer Person

These are the physical

characteristics. This is

how the character looks,

his age, sex, weight,

height, clothing, posture,

etc.

Social Person

The social aspects of the

character are the general

and personal

relationships the

character has with other

characters. This may

include things like family

structure, friendships,

enemies, occupation,

financial standing, and

community reputation.

Inner Person

The inner person reveals

the emotional and moral

composition of the

character. Inner

Characteristics

include being honest,

happy, quick-tempered, or

wise.

Writing Connection

Brainstorm several characters for your

story (the one for which you have

already chosen a setting).

Brainstorm the outer, social, and inner

person characteristics for each of your

characters.

CHARACTERIZATION QUIZ

Identify each of the following

characteristics as Outer, Social, or

Inner.

1. Tall 7. Generous

2. Wise 8. Bald

3. Middle child of three 9. Student

4. Spoiled 10. Red hair

5. Stout 11. Wealthy

6. Mother 12. Jealous

Key

1. Outer 7. Inner

2. Inner 8. Outer

3. Social 9. Social

4. Inner 10. Outer

5. Outer 11. Social

6. Social 12. Inner

PlotThe plot is the plan of

the events in a story, or

the sum of all the

action in a story.

A plot's structure is the way in which the story elements are arranged. Writers vary structure depending on the needs of the story. It shows the causal arrangement of events and actions within a story.

Plot Structure

Plot Components

Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts

Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crises in the story that lead to the climax

Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action

Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax

Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

Types of Linear PlotsPlots can be told in

Ab ovo – from the egg or ab initio (from the beginning or in chronological order)

Analepsis (Flashback - an interjected scene that takes the reader back in time)

In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition

Writing Connection

It’s a piece of cake!

Brainstorm a plot using a

plot line for the setting and

characters you have

previously brainstormed.

PLOTQUIZ

Label the plot line.

ConflictConflict is the dramaticstruggle between twoforces in a story. Without conflict,there is no plot. (A story may have both internal and external conflict.

Person vs. Person(External)

This is a conflict orcontest between the protagonist and one or more other people.

Person vs. Nature(External)

This is a contest

between the

protagonist and

the environment.

Person vs. Society(External)

This is a struggle involving socialissues such asclass, race, or social order.

Person vs. Self

This is a conflict that centers

around an inner struggle

between the protagonist and

his or her feelings.

(Internal)

Writing Connection

Brainstorm the conflict or

conflicts that your characters

may face.

CONFLICTQUIZ

Identify the conflict(s) in the following excerpt. Explain your choice.

Chandra shares a bedroom with her

older sister Thuma who has hung a

gauzy red curtain from the middle of

the ceiling to divide the room into

two sides. Whenever Chandra wants to

see herself, she has to push through

that thin curtain and cross into her

sister’s territory.

Point of View: Who is telling the story?

First PersonThe story is told from the point of

view of one of the characters.

“I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine’s father over the top of the Standard Oil sign. I’m not lying. He got stuck up there. About nineteen people congregated during the time it took for Norman Strick to walk up to the Courthouse and blow the whistle for the volunteer fire department.”

The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver

Second PersonSecond person refers to the person spoken

to directly and is recognized by the singular

and plural you. It directly addresses the

reader.

Examples of 2nd person writing would be

“choose your own adventure” books, many

computer games, cook books,

and how-to manuals.

Third Person

In third person both the speaker and

the person spoken to are unidentified.

Third person is recognized by the use

of such indefinite singular pronouns

as it, he, she, her, his, and him, and

indefinite plural pronouns like they,

them, and their. Third person may be

limited or omniscient.

Third Person Omniscient The author (or narrator) is telling

the story.

“The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon. Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead. All around him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat.”

The Lord of the Flies - William Golding

“In his black suit he stood in the dark glass where the lilies leaned so palely from their waisted cutglass vase. He looked down at the guttered candlestub. He pressed his thumbprint in the warm wax pooled on the oak veneer. Lastly he looked at the face so caved and drawn among the folds of funeral cloth, the yellowed moustache, the eyelids paper thin. That was not sleeping. That was not sleeping.

All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy

Third Person Limited A character in the story

is telling the story.

Scene: A person “cuts” into a long line of

waiting people. As the author, how

would you express the character’s

feelings in third person omniscient point of

view?

Writing Connection

Choose a point of view and write

a first paragraph for your story.

Explain why you chose that point

of view.

POINT OF VIEW QUIZ

Using the numbers 1, 2, and 3, assign person to each of the following:

a. ____ yourself j. ____ theirb. ____ she k. ____ minec. ____ I l. ____ you’red. ____ they m. ____ hise. ____ you n. ____ oursf. ____ her o. ____ himselfg. ____ we p. ____ theyh. ____ themselves q. ____ ourselvesi. ____myself r. ____ he

Scene One: A car runs out of gas on a

lonely road.

Scene Two: There is a 75% off sale at Best Buy.

As the author, how would you express the character’s feelings in 1st Person and 3rd person omniscient?

KEY

a. 2 j. 3 b. 3 k. 1c. 1 l. 2d. 3 m. 3e. 2 n. 1f. 3 o. 3g. 1 p. 3h. 3 q. 1i. 1 r. 3

Mood

Mood is the emotional

feeling in a piece of

writing.

Animals are another common

tool used by authors to set the

mood for an entire scene.

(Ex. The cow

stood quietly

and chewed

its cud.)

Remember the little train who

said: “I think I can, I think I

can, I think I can!” According

to the story, the little train

believed he could and

because of his determined

“mood,” he was successful.

I can!

To indicate mood, writers sometimes

give the readers clues in the types of

words used or the character’s actions.

In the story about the little train, the

author used dialogue (what the train

said) to indicate the character’s mood.

Frequently, the mood of an entire event will be

more important than the mood of a single

character. In this case, you will need another type of

clue to find the mood.

Weather is often a favorite device

of authors to indicate mood.

(Ex. It was a dark and stormy

night.)

Even when you cannot give it anexact name, remember thatawareness of mood is moreimportant than what it is called.

The author is obligated to establish the mood, while the reader isobliged to recognize the significanteffect that mood has on understanding the author’s intent.

Writing Connections

Imagine you are the author. What could you

have each character do to illustrate the indicated

mood?

To indicate a content (happy) mood:

A 3-year-old boy might ____________________

An adolescent girl might____________________

A grandparent might_______________________

MOOD

QUIZ

Nick snuggled under the blanket, holding sleep at bay so his thoughts could go back through their firstweek in the new town. The moving men had beenstill unloading the van when their neighbor cameacross the yard with his arms full of puppies. Justlike that, Nick had a new wiggly brown puppy named buster and a brand new best friend livingright next door named Brian. Tomorrow…………….

Buster’s stubby tail beat a steady tattoo on Nick’s pillows asslumber seeped in and dreamsreplaced memories.

Mood: __________________________

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lips

His teeth are clenched in hate

He pounds with cruel vengeance

His bat upon the plate.

- from “Casey At the Bat”

by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Mood: _________________________

As an author, what could you have each

character do to illustrate the indicated mood?

1. Mood: Impatient or Worried

Four-year-old girl__________________________

Father___________________________________

Mother __________________________________

2. Mood: Afraid or Scared

Five-year-old ____________________________

Grandparent _____________________________

Adolescent boy___________________________

ThemeA theme is an idea or message about life, society, or human nature, and it is often the hardest element to identify in a book. The writer may express insight about humanity or a world view.

In most short stories, the theme can be expressed in a single sentence.

In longer works of fiction, the central theme is often accompanied by a number of lesser, related themes, or there may be two or more central themes.

Identifying Theme

To identify the theme of a work of literature, you need to look under the

surface of the narrative.

The author reveals his or her ideas about the world through subtext

(dialogue and action between characters), subtle details, and events

not spoken about openly.

Themes are usually stated as

generalizations.

It’s important to ask yourself what

the author is trying to prove. You

do not need to agree with the

author!

Theme in Shrek

Don’t judge a book by its cover?

Love and accept yourself for who you are?

Accept and embrace others for who they are?

???

Symbolism

A symbol represents an idea, quality, or concept larger than itself.

A journey can symbolize life.

Darkness can represent evil or death.

Water may represent a new beginning.

A lion could be a symbol of courage.

Other Fiction ElementsAllusion: A reference to a person, place or

literary, a historical, artistic,

mythological source or event.

“It was in St. Louis, Missouri,

where they have that giant

McDonald’s thing towering over the

city…” (Bean Trees 15)

Antagonist: The character who opposes the protagonist.

Other Elements Continued

Foreshadowing: early clues about what will

happen later in a piece of

fiction.

Irony: a difference between what is

expected and reality.

Style: a writer’s individual and distinct

way of writing. The total of the

qualities that distinguish one

author’s writing from another’s.