Lesson 2 (Part 1) - Literary Elements PDF

Lesson 2 literary ELEMENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND DEVICES Hum 116 - 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Learning Objectives 1 identify literary elements present in a literary work; 2 demonstrate a deep understanding of various elements and their functions through a conce...

Lesson 2 literary ELEMENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND DEVICES Hum 116 - 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Learning Objectives 1 identify literary elements present in a literary work; 2 demonstrate a deep understanding of various elements and their functions through a concept map; 3 synthesize the different literary elements commonly used in 21st century literary works. literary elements? What are these?  literary elements refer to the components of a literary work (character, setting, plot, conflict, theme, point of view).  CHARACTERS Characters are the doers of the actions. They most often take human form but, on occasion, a story can employ animals, fantastical creatures, and even inanimate objects as characters. Some characters are dynamic and change over the course of a story, while others are static and do not grow or change as a result of the action of the story.  CHARACTERS ⮚ Protagonist: is the story’s main character. The story’s plot centers around this character and they are usually sympathetic and likable for the reader, that is, they are most often the ‘hero’ of the story. ⮚ Antagonist: is the bad guy or girl of the piece. Most of the action of the plot is borne of the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist.  CHARACTERS ⮚ Flat Character: are one-dimensional characters that are purely functional in the story. They are more a sketch than a detailed portrait and they help move the action along by serving a simple purpose. ⮚ Rounded Character: Unlike flat characters, rounded characters are more complex and drawn in more detail by the writer.  CONFLICT It is the central struggle that motivates the characters and leads to a work's climax. Generally, conflict occurs between the protagonist, or hero, and the antagonist, or villain. More importantly, conflict gives a story purpose and motivates a story's plot.  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Character(s) It is commonly rendered as the traditional “protagonist vs. antagonist” setup, where these two central characters will usually have diametrically opposing goals. Example:  Character vs. Character Power struggles – In many instances, conflicts arise due to issues of power. For example, one person or group desires control over another, leading the other to fight back against injustice. Revenge – A protagonist feels as if they have been personally wronged by another character and vows revenge, setting up a complication that needs to be resolved when the two finally come face-to-face. Love triangles – Two characters find themselves in love with the same person, leading to an unwanted rivalry  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Society It is an external conflict that occurs in literature when the protagonist is placed in opposition in society, government or cultural/societal norms of some kind. Example: The Devil Wears Prada: The Hunger Games To Kill a Mockingbird Vendetta  Character vs. Society is when the protagonist battles against societal norms or institutions that conflict with their values or goals. In this conflict, the protagonist might feel like an outsider or reject what they see as a corrupt system that does more harm than good.  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Nature It occurs when a character faces resistance from a natural force such as weather, wilderness and natural disasters. It also talks about conflict which usually centers on a character’s survival. Example: Moby Dick: Ahab, the captain of the Pequod, launches a voyage in search of a white whale that previously took his leg. The crew faces many natural challenges on this ill-fated journey, including storms, harsh waters, and the titular whale Moby Dick.  Character vs. Nature is when the protagonist struggles to survive in harsh environmental conditions such as extreme weather, natural disasters, or wildlife attacks. This conflict often highlights our vulnerability to the planet and our need to respect it.  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Technology It explores the problems that arise when technology exceeds its intended uses. Example: Frankenstein: A scientist brings to life a creature made out of spare human parts. This ‘monster’ quickly becomes sentient and exceeds his creator’s wildest expectations, leading to Dr. Frankenstein’s demise on the tundra. Subtitling her book “The Modern Prometheus,” Mary Shelly likened her hero to the mythic Greek figure who stole fire from Zeus, putting a fine point on the idea of humans  Character vs. Technology is when the protagonist confronts machines or systems that surpass human understanding or control. Often used in science fiction stories, this conflict questions how far humans should go with technological advancements and whether we risk losing ourselves along the way.  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Supernatural It presents the struggle in storytelling in which the protagonist is working against Dracula supernatural forces such as angels, demons, gods, goddesses, and spirits. Example: Ghostbusters: Three disgraced scientists (and a guy they find on Craigslist) set up shop as supernatural pest controllers, ridding  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Fate It includes a conflict dealing with God or the gods and their prophecies — where protagonists desperately try to assert their free will. Example: Oedipus Rex: Boy meets oracle. Oracle tells the boy he will marry his mother and kill his father. In an effort to defy the prophecy, the boy kills a stranger (who turns out to be his birth father) and marries a woman (who turns out to be his birth mother). Boy plucks his eyes out in a fit of frustration.  CONFLICT ⮚ Character vs. Self It is a conflict that occurs within the character’s mind. Example: The Lion King The Hunger Games: Kind-hearted teen Katniss Everdeen is drafted as a contestant in a deadly reality show staged by a totalitarian government. As per the rules of the game, in the end, there can be only one — to survive, it seems that Katniss must overcome Identify the type of conflict used in the following literary pieces. Man vs Man Man vs Self Man vs Nature Man vs Supernatural Man vs Technology Man vs Man Man vs Society  literary elements SETTING It is defined simply as the time and location in which the story takes place. The setting is also the background against which the action happens. THEME It is the central message of an artistic expression in the story. Some examples of themes are: Love, Identity, War, Family, Friendship and Government/Politics.  literary elements PLOT It is defined as the chronological orders or sequence of events that occur from the first line to the last. In other words, the plot is what happens in a story.  plot PLOT It is defined as the chronological orders or sequence of events that occur from the first line to the last. In other words, the plot is what happens in a story.  CLIMAX RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION plot EXPOSITION ENDING  plot ⮚ Beginning/Exposition: This is the very beginning of a story. During the exposition, authors usually introduce the major characters and settings to the reader. ⮚ Conflict: Just like in real life, the conflict of a story is the problem that the main characters have to tackle. There are two types of conflict that you'll see in a plot. The major conflict is the overarching problem that characters face. Minor conflicts, on the other hand, are the smaller obstacles characters have to overcome to resolve the major conflict.  plot ⮚ Rising Action: Rising action is literally everything that happens in a story that leads up to the climax of the plot. Usually this involves facing and conquering minor conflicts, which is what keeps the plot moving forward. ⮚ Climax: The climax of the plot is the part of the story where the characters finally have to face and solve the major conflict. This is the "peak" of the plot where all the tension of the rising action finally comes to a head. ⮚ Falling Action: Falling action is everything that happens after the book's climax but before the resolution. ⮚ Resolution/Denouement: This is the conclusion and in which all conflicts were  mood The mood of a piece of literature is defined as the emotion or feeling that readers get from reading the words on a page. So if you've ever read something that's made you feel tense, scared, or even happy...you've experienced mood firsthand!  literary elements POINT OF VIEW Point of view is the position of the narrator in relationship to the plot of a piece of literature. It is the perspective from which the story is told. Literature can be written from one of four points of view. ⮚ First person: This is told by one of the characters of the story from their perspective. You can easily identify first-person points of view by looking for first-person pronouns, like "I," "you," and "my." ⮚ Second person: it is an angle where narrator uses second person pronouns, like "you" and "your.". ⮚ Third person limited: it is an angle where the narrator or the author exists outside of the events, narrating the story’s perspective using third-person pronouns such as he, they, them, their.