Introduction to Philippine Literature PDF

An Introduction to the study of Litera ture Essence and Significance of Literature Reporter: Lucky Brylle C. Minoza Essence and Significance of Literature 1. Litera comes from the Latin word which means letter. Deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man. Literature i...

An Introduction to the study of Litera ture Essence and Significance of Literature Reporter: Lucky Brylle C. Minoza Essence and Significance of Literature 1. Litera comes from the Latin word which means letter. Deals with ideas, thoughts and emotions of man. Literature is the story of man (Kahayon, 1998). Literature comes from French phrase “belles - letters” means beautiful writing (Baritugo,2004) 2. Literature in it’s broadest sense, is everything that has ever been written. 3. The best way to understand human nature fully and to know a nation completely is to study literature (Garcia, 1993). Essence and Significance of Literature 4. We learn the innermost feelings and thoughts of people – most real part of themselves, thus we gain an understanding not only for others, but more importantly, of ourselves and of itself (Garcia, 1993). 5. Offers us an experience in which we would participate as we read and test what we read by our own experience. 6. Does not yield much unless we bring something of ourselves to it. 7. Literature is a faithful production of life, it is a product and commentary on life process. Essence and Significance of Literature 8. Literature illuminates life. 9. Literature is our life’s story including its struggle, ideas, failures, sacrifices and happiness (Ang, 2006). 10. Literature appeals to man’s higher nature and its need – emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and creative. Like all other forms of art, literature entertains and gives pleasure; it fires the imagination and arouses noble emotions and it enriches man by enabling him to reflect on life and by filling him with new ideas (Garcia, 1993). Essence and Significance of Literature 11. Literature is one of the Seven Arts ( music, dance, painting, sculpture, theatre, and architecture) literature is creative product of a creative work, the result of which is form and beauty (Nuggets, 2004). 12. Why do people read Literature? (Nuggets, 2004)  For information  For assesment  For higher and keeper pleasure  For cultural upliftment  For discovery of broader dimension in life. 13. The ability to judge of literature is based on the application of certain recognizible standards of good literature. Great literature is distinguishable of the following qualities (Garcia, 1993).  Artistry – quality which appeals to our sense of beauty.  Intellectual Value – a literary work stimulates thought enriches our mental life by making us realize fundamental truths about life and human nature.  Suggestiveness – the quality associated with the emotional power of literature, it should move us deeply and stir our creative imagination, giving and evoking vision above and beyond the plane of ordinary life and experience.  Spiritual Value – a good literature elevates the spirit by bringing out moral values which makes us better persons – this capacity to inspire is part of the spiritual value of literature.  Permanence – a great work of literature endures and it can be read again and again as each reading gives fresh delight and new insights and open new worlds of meaning and experience.  Universality – great literature is timeless and timely – forever relevant in terms of its theme and conditions. Essence and Significance of Literature 14. Literary text can be studied in several ways (Garcia, 1993). For its thematic value, for entertainment value, for the richness of its plot, for comparison with other works, for the ideas it contains, for its emotional power, for character analysis, as an appeal to move readers to action, for social reforms, for its representations of literary movements and techniques, for the author’s unique use of language (style) and most importantly for its reflection of life itself. Essence and Significance of Literature 15. All literature falls under 2 main division (Nuggets, 2004). PROSE POETRY Form Written in Written in stanza paragraph form or verse form Language Expressed in Expressed in ordinary metrical, language rhythmical and figurative language Appeal To the intellect To the emotion Aim To convince, Stir the inform, instruct, imagination and imitate and set an ideal of reflect how life should Essence and Significance of Literature 16. Prose a. Prose drama – consist of dialogues in prose, and is meant to be acted on stage. b. Essay – a short literary in composition which is expository in nature. The author shares some of his thoughts, feelings, experiences, or observations on some aspects of life that have interested on him. Example: Carmen Guerrero Nakpil’s “Where is the Patis?”. Essence and Significance of Literature c. Prose Fiction – something invented, imagines or feigned to be true. Novel – a long fictitious narrative with a complicated plot. It may have a main plot and one or more sub-plots that develop with the main plot. Characters and actions representative of the real life of past or present times are portrayed in a plot. It is made up of characters. Example: Without Seeing The Dawn by Stevan Javellana. Essence and Significance of Literature Short Story - a fictitious narrative compressed into one unit of time, place and action. It deals with a single character interest, a single emotion or series of emotions called forth by a single situation. It is distinguished from the novel by its compression. Example: Dead Stars by Paz Marquez – Benitez. d. Biography and Autobiography  Biography – a story of a certain person’s life written by another who knows him (the former) well. Ex: Cayetano Arellano by Socorro O. Alberto  Autobiography - a written account of man’s life written by himself. Ex: A Woman with No Face by Ms. Pilar Pilapil Essence and Significance of Literature e. Letter a written message which displays aspects of – an author’s psychological make-up not immediately apparent in his more public writings. It is a prose from which by the force of its style and the importance of its statement becomes an object of interest in its own right. f. Diary a daily written record or account of the writer’s – own experience, thoughts, activities or observations. g. Journal – a magazine or periodical especially of a serious or learned nature. Essence and Significance of Literature h. Other Prose Forms: 8.1 Historical Prose – a prose from dealing with historical events. 8.2 Scientific Prose – a prose from that deals with the subject science. 8.3 Satrical Prose – a prose form that ridicules the vices and follies of men. 8.4 Current Publications – books, magazines or newspapers that are commonly known or accepted or in general usage at the time specified or, if unspecified, at the present time. 8.5 Literary Criticism – the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of literary works; it does not mean “finding fault with”. 8.6 Book Review – an article dealing with the contents, literary worth, etc. of a book especially a recently published book. Essence and Significance of Literature 17. Literary Genres a. Fiction c. Essay b. Poetry d. Drama 18. Fiction a. is an imaginative recreation and re-creation of life. b. Includes short stories and novels. c. Short story often reffered to as a “slice of life” is a fictitios narrative compressed into one unit of time, place and action; ot deals with a single character interest, single emotion called forth by a single situation. Ex: “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez - Benitez Essence and Significance of Literature d.Novel- A fictitious narrative with a complicated plot; it may have a main plot and one or more sub-plots that develop with the main plot; characters and actions representative of the real life of past or present times are portrayed in a plot; it is made up of characters. Example: “Dogeaters” by Jessica Hagedorn  Novel and short story differ from each other only in length and complexity, the novel is longer because of several complications and twists to its plot.  Fiction is a make believe world, the literary characters seem almost real and the situations are likewise similar to real life conditions and surroundings,  More often than not, people see themselves in the characters or relate them to real life people they know. Fiction Reporter : Rocel Shane Sombilon Elements of Fiction  Elements of Fiction 1. Characters - Are the representation of a human being; persons involved in a conflict.  Elements of Fiction Five ways of Revealing Literary Characters  What the character do along with the circumstances in which they do it?  How the characters are described  What the characters say and think?  What other characters say about them?  What the author says about them? Types of Characters a. Round Character - Is a dynamic character who recognize changes in the circumstances. - Is a fully develop character, with many traits – bad and good – shown in the story.  Types of Characters b. Flat Character - Also known as the stock or the stereotype character who does not grow and develop. - A flat character is not fully developed.  Types of Character Other types of Characters: a. Protagonist – hero/ heroine. b. Antagonist - a foil to the protagonist.  Types of Character Other types of Characters: c. Deuteroganist – second in importance. d. Fringe – one who is destroyed by his inner conflict. e. Typical or minor characters Elements of Fiction 2. Setting - The locale (place) or period (time) in which the action of a short story, play, novel or the motion picture takes place (also known as the background of the story).  Elements of Fiction 3. Conflict - The struggle or complication involving the characters, the opposition of persons or forces upon which the action depends in drama or fiction.  Types of Conflict a. Internal Conflict - Occurs when the protagonist struggles within himself or herself. - The protagonist is pulled by two courses of action or by differing emotions.  Types of Conflict b. Interpersonal Conflict - Pits the protagonist against someone else. - Person-against-person.  Types of Conflict c. External Conflict - Happens when the protagonist is in conflict with the values of his or her society.  Elements of Fiction 4. Plot - A casually related sequence of events; what happens as a result of the main conflict is presented in a structure format; the sequence of events which involves the character in conflict. - (Beginning, Middle, Ending).  Plot  Narrative Order - The sequence of events is called the narrative order.  Plot  Narrative Order Chronological the most common type of narrative order in children’s books.  Plot  Narrative Order Flashback occurs when the author narrate an event that took place before the current time of the story.  Plot  Narrative Order Time lapse occurs when the story skips a period of time that seems unusual compared to the rest of the plot. Pyramidal Structure of a Plot Climax Complication Denouement Exposition Resolution Pyramidal structure of a Exposition a. Plot (Beginning) - Introduces the time, place, setting, and the main characters. b. Complication (Rising action) - Unfolds the problem, and struggles that would be encountered by the main characters leading to the crisis. c. Climax (Result of the crisis) - Part where the problem or the conflict is the highest peak of interest; the highest point of the story for the reader, frequently, is the highest moment of interest and greatest emotion; also known as the crisis or the Pyramidal structure of a Plot d. Denouement - Is the untying of the entangled knots, or the part that shows a conflict or a problem is solved, leading to its downwards movements or end. e. Resolution (End) - Contains the last statement about the story. Qualities of the Plot a. Exciting - It should be more exciting than the everyday reality that surrounds us. b. Good Structure - The episodes must be arranged effectively, but the most important element of plot structure is tying all the incidents together, so that one leads naturally to another. Plot Devices a. Flashback - Something out of chronological order; to reveal information, to understand a character’s nature. b. Foreshadowing - A device to give a sign of something to come. Its purpose is to create suspense, to keep the readers guessing what will happen when. c. Suspense - This is the feeling of excitement or tension in the reader’s experiences as the action of the plot unfolds. Plot Devices d. Surprise Ending - This is an ending that catches the reader off guard with an unexpected turn of events. e. In Media Res - The technique of beginning a story in the middle of the action, with background information given later in flashbacks. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA  1. Plot- a term for the action of drama. The function of the plot is to give action a form that helps the audience understand the elements of the drama in relation to one another. The plot depend largely on the conflict of the characters. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA  2. Characters - as the conflict unfolds, so are the characters revealed. In many plays, the entire shape of the action derives form the character’s strengths and weaknesses thus, they create their own opportunities and problems.  Characters are revealed through their own words, their interaction with other characters, their expression of feelings, and their presence on stage expressed in movement and gesture. ELEMENTS OF DRAMA  3. Setting - refers to the time and place in which the action occurs. It also refers to the scenery and physical elements that appear on stage to vivify the author’s stage directions. Some plays make use of very elaborate settings, while others make use of simplified settings, even an empty stage in absurdist play.