LIT313D_LESSON 1_PART 4.pptx.pdf

Prepared by: Ms. Maybhel C. Hernandez, LPT LIT313D Literary Criticism LITERARY ELEMENTS Are aspects or characteristics of a whole text. They are not “used,” per se, by authors; we derive what they are from reading the tex...

Prepared by: Ms. Maybhel C. Hernandez, LPT LIT313D Literary Criticism LITERARY ELEMENTS Are aspects or characteristics of a whole text. They are not “used,” per se, by authors; we derive what they are from reading the text. Most literary elements can be derived from any and all texts; for example, every story has a theme, every story has a setting, every story has a conflict, every story is written from a particular point of view, etc. In order to be discussed legitimately, literary elements must be specifically identified  Allegory Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event.  Example Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is considered a classic allegory and a fundamental text in classical literature. In the story, Plato sets forth a narrative of people living in a cave who are only able to see objects as shadows. These shadows are reflected on the wall of the cave from the firelight, and therefore the inhabitants of the cave cannot see the objects directly. 2. Antagonist Counterpart to the main character and source of a story’s main conflict. The person may not be “bad” or “evil” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a significant way.  3. Characterization The author’s means of conveying to the reader a character’s personality, life history, values, physical attributes, etc. Also refers directly to a description thereof.  4. Climax The turning point in a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable, usually where something suddenly goes terribly wrong; the “dramatic high point” of a story  Example: William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet “And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now! Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio’s soul Is but a little way above our heads …” As soon as he killed Tybalt, Romeo says:  5. Conflict A struggle between opposing forces is the driving force of a story. The outcome of any story provides a resolution of the conflict(s); this is what keeps the reader reading. Conflicts can exist between individual characters, between groups of characters, between a character and society, etc., and can also be purely abstract (conflicting ideas). Internal Conflict Mind Vs. Body: One type of internal conflict that occurs in stories is mind versus body. It occurs when the protagonist or the main character fights against his bodily addiction. Mind Vs. Mind: The second internal conflict is mind versus mind which is the mental thinking conflict. It occurs when a person has desires but he also has to fulfill his responsibilities. Mind Vs. Reality: Some literary works present worlds that do not match with reality. External Conflict Conflict With Nature: It happens when a man comes into conflict with nature. Conflict With Another Person: This conflict happens with the thinking and subsequent actions of the people that do not match and create a conflict between them. Conflict With Society: It happens with the main protagonist comes into conflict with the social setup, norms, traditions, and conventions.  6. Context Facts and conditions surrounding a given situation. Difference Between Content and Context Content is a written text, while context is a place or situation. 7. Mood The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting. Here are some common examples of adjectives to describe mood: nervous peaceful resentful angry hopeful  8. Motif A recurring important idea or image. A motif differs from a theme in that it can be expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually must be expressed as a complete sentence. Example: Blood is an important motif in A Tale of Two Cities, appearing numerous times throughout the  Motif vs. Theme Motif and theme are linked in a literary work, but there is a difference between them. In a literary piece, a motif is a recurrent image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme, while a theme is a central idea or message.  Motif vs. Symbol Symbols are images, ideas, sounds, or words that represent something else, and help to understand an idea or a thing. Motifs, on the other hand, are images, ideas, sounds, or words that help to explain the central idea of a literary work – the theme.  How do You Identify a Motif in a Literary Piece? Check the repeated idea, object, thing, movement, perception, or even concept. See how many times it is being repeated. Check how it is connected to the characters, events, situations, and thematic ideas. 9. Plot Sequence of events in a story. Most literary essay tasks will instruct the writer to “avoid plot summary;” the term is therefore rarely useful for response or critical analysis. When discussing plot, it is generally more useful to consider its structure, rather than simply “what happens.” Example: For example, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens features one of the most well-known and satisfying plots of English literature. I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they 10. Point-of-view The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. May be third-person (no narrator; omniscient or limited) or first-person (narrated by a character in the story who either merely observes or directly participates). Point-of-view is a commonly misused term; it does not refer to the author’s (or characters’) feelings, opinions, For example, Gregory Maguire is well-known for his novels that re-tell famous stories using a different point of view. In his work Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, the story of Cinderella is told by one of the “ugly stepsisters” herself, rather than a removed fairy tale narrator. “In the lives of children, pumpkins turn into coaches, mice and rats turn into men. When we grow up, we realize it is far more common for men 11. Protagonist The main character in a story, the one with whom the reader is meant to identify. The person is not necessarily “good” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she is the person in whose plight the reader is most invested. 12. Setting The time and place where a story occurs. Setting is a literary device that allows the writer of a narrative to establish the time, location, and environment in which it takes place. This is an important element in a story, as the setting indicates to the reader when and where the action takes place. 13. Speaker The “voice” of a poem; not to be confused with the poet him/herself. Analogous to the narrator in prose fiction. In fact, it is the narrative voice that speaks of a writer’s feelings or situation. Example: The Road Not Taken (by Robert Frost) The speaker in Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” is a conflicted person, who does not tell anything 14. Theme The main idea or message conveyed by the piece. A theme is generally stated as a complete sentence; an idea expressed as a single word or fragmentary phrase is a motif. As a literary device, theme refers to the central, deeper meaning of a written work. Writers typically will convey the theme of their work and allow the reader to perceive and interpret it, Example: For example, William Shakespeare’s well-known tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, has been performed and read countless times and by countless people since its publication in 1597: Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night; Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine 15. Tone The apparent emotional state of the speaker/ narrator/ narrative voice is conveyed through the language of the piece. For example, in his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe utilizes tone as a literary device to convey the way the narrator feels about the old man and his eye. “His eye was like the eye of a vulture, the eye of one of those terrible birds that watch and wait while an animal dies, and then fall upon the dead body and pull it to pieces to eat it.” 16. Tragedy Where a story ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome that was essentially avoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character’s personality. Tragedy is really more of a dramatic genre than a literary element; a play can be referred to as a tragedy, but tragic events in a story are essentially part of the plot, rather than a literary device in themselves.