A. Tone (by Benny)
Tone = Author’s attitude or stance toward the action, characters, narrator, subject, and even readers of the story.
Type1. toward Actions or Events
HOW the story is. (E.g. hilarious, sad, thrill, or scary)
Example: The Story of an Hour (P.6-8): The story is ironic and sympathetic.
Type2. toward Characters or Narrator
How the author FEELS about a character or narrator. (E.g. like, hate, trust, admire, hostile towards, sentimental about, etc.)
Example: The Necklace (P.46-52): We can feel the main character, Mme. Loisel, pretentious, and demanding.
Type3. toward Subject Matter
How the author FEELS about an IDEA or CONCEPT.
(Feelings: bitter about, indifferent to, outraged about, shocked by, scornful of, etc)
(Ideas and concepts: marriage, family, society condition, war, death, love)
Examples: The Grass-Eaters (P.167-170): The author attitude to his life is matter-the-factly, apathetic, and detached.
B. Theme (by Alex)
Theme- in literature, it is an idea in a story, controlling idea of the story or its central insight.
Types:
1. Author’s thoughts about a topic
2. Author’s view of human nature
The title usually points to what the writer is saying.
Examples:
The title of the story of the “Grass-Eaters” shows that the author is going to talk about poor people.
The reasons of poverty and their miserable life are the theme.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Plot
Plot:
Plot is a series of events and thoughts arranged to reveal their dramatic and emotional significance. Plot is not just a sequence of chronological events. Rather, plot implies that there is a meaningful relationship among the events. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot: (the examples from “The Necklace”.)
Introduction (or Exposition)- The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
Ex: Where and When? In the late nineteenth-century in Paris.
Who? Mme.Loisel
Rising Action- This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax.)
Ex: One day she and her husband were invited to a high hierarchy ball, but she lacks of a necklace to match her fancy dress. After that, she borrows an expansive necklace from her friend, Mme.Forestier
Climax- This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
Ex: she danced with intoxication, so she lost the necklace.
Falling action- The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement.)
Ex: After that, she started to earn as much money as she can, to repay the debt for the diamond necklace. Because of the necklace, her appearance has changed dramatically from charming girl to normal old women.
Denouement (or Resolution)- This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
Ex: Finally, she knew the truth that the necklace she wore in the ball was paste.
Plot is a series of events and thoughts arranged to reveal their dramatic and emotional significance. Plot is not just a sequence of chronological events. Rather, plot implies that there is a meaningful relationship among the events. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot: (the examples from “The Necklace”.)
Introduction (or Exposition)- The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
Ex: Where and When? In the late nineteenth-century in Paris.
Who? Mme.Loisel
Rising Action- This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax.)
Ex: One day she and her husband were invited to a high hierarchy ball, but she lacks of a necklace to match her fancy dress. After that, she borrows an expansive necklace from her friend, Mme.Forestier
Climax- This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
Ex: she danced with intoxication, so she lost the necklace.
Falling action- The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement.)
Ex: After that, she started to earn as much money as she can, to repay the debt for the diamond necklace. Because of the necklace, her appearance has changed dramatically from charming girl to normal old women.
Denouement (or Resolution)- This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
Ex: Finally, she knew the truth that the necklace she wore in the ball was paste.
Point of View
Definition: Point of view is a literary term that refers to the perspective from which a story is told.
Purpose: To show how the point of view shapes a theme.
Types of Point of View:
1. Objective Point of View
The writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue. The narrator never tell anything about what the characters think or feel.
2. Third Person Point of View
The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but let us know exactly how the characters feel and inner thoughts.
3. First Person Point of View
In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that the narrator might not be reliable.
4. Omniscient and Limited Omniscient Points of View
A narrator, who knows everything about all the characters, is all knowing, or omniscient.
Important to Remember: The narrator is a device, and point of view is a technique that an author uses to influence the way a reader perceives what is happening in the story. Example: In the story "The Grass-Eaters," narrator is the first person who participates in the story. e.g. "I was a tutor to a spherical boy"
Study Guide prepared by : Moises & Wei
Purpose: To show how the point of view shapes a theme.
Types of Point of View:
1. Objective Point of View
The writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue. The narrator never tell anything about what the characters think or feel.
2. Third Person Point of View
The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but let us know exactly how the characters feel and inner thoughts.
3. First Person Point of View
In the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realize that the narrator might not be reliable.
4. Omniscient and Limited Omniscient Points of View
A narrator, who knows everything about all the characters, is all knowing, or omniscient.
Important to Remember: The narrator is a device, and point of view is a technique that an author uses to influence the way a reader perceives what is happening in the story. Example: In the story "The Grass-Eaters," narrator is the first person who participates in the story. e.g. "I was a tutor to a spherical boy"
Study Guide prepared by : Moises & Wei
Symbolism
Identification:
Symbolism is a way to indirectly express in a literary work by symbol. A symbol is a physical object or an event that is used to represents something invisible or abstract, such as an idea, a value, or an emotion.
Key elements:
Universal symbols: embody universally recognizable meanings wherever used.
Such as: light to symbolize knowledge, a skull to symbolize death.
Invested symbols: given the symbolic meaning by the way an author uses them in a literary work.
Examples:
Universal symbols:
In “Story of an Hour”, after Mrs Mallord knows her husband’s death, she locks herself in the bedroom. She sees a view of new spring life. The smell of rain is delicious, a distant song is singing, and countless sparrows are twittering. Those objects symbolize a new life full of hope.
In “The Street-Sweeping Show”, the mayor has a limousine, his house has two stairs with a bath tub, and he has a servant. All of this symbols indicate his life is much more luxury than ordinary people at that time.
Invested symbols:
In “The Egg,”the egg symbolizes “hope” and “the father”. From the character of an egg, it can hatch a chicken, so it indicates hope in it. In addition, its shell is fragile. This characteristic is similar with the father, easy to break down.
In “Swaddling Clothes”, newspaper is used as swaddling clothes. It is a symbol of something that is cheap or valueless, unimportant, and disrespectable.
Symbolism is a way to indirectly express in a literary work by symbol. A symbol is a physical object or an event that is used to represents something invisible or abstract, such as an idea, a value, or an emotion.
Key elements:
Universal symbols: embody universally recognizable meanings wherever used.
Such as: light to symbolize knowledge, a skull to symbolize death.
Invested symbols: given the symbolic meaning by the way an author uses them in a literary work.
Examples:
Universal symbols:
In “Story of an Hour”, after Mrs Mallord knows her husband’s death, she locks herself in the bedroom. She sees a view of new spring life. The smell of rain is delicious, a distant song is singing, and countless sparrows are twittering. Those objects symbolize a new life full of hope.
In “The Street-Sweeping Show”, the mayor has a limousine, his house has two stairs with a bath tub, and he has a servant. All of this symbols indicate his life is much more luxury than ordinary people at that time.
Invested symbols:
In “The Egg,”the egg symbolizes “hope” and “the father”. From the character of an egg, it can hatch a chicken, so it indicates hope in it. In addition, its shell is fragile. This characteristic is similar with the father, easy to break down.
In “Swaddling Clothes”, newspaper is used as swaddling clothes. It is a symbol of something that is cheap or valueless, unimportant, and disrespectable.
Character
Name: Doris &Tom
1 The definition of character: The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.
2 It includes two elements as below
(1)The person in a work of fiction
-----Protagonist: the central to the story with all major events
-----Antagonist: the opposer of the main character is called the antagonist.
(2) The characteristics of a person
------Outward appearance and behavior
------ Inner emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities
The two elements of Character are revealed by
(a) How a person is described
(b) What a person does, says, and thinks
(c) What others in the story say and think about person
(b) How others in the story react to the person
(e) The choices the person makes
(f) The changes the person undergoes
(g) Internal conflict
(h) External conflict
3 Examples from the text
Outward appearance:
“He was panting. From his bulging eyes, he seemed to spurt inner violence of an uncontrolled vitality which is his weakened body could hardly contain” “War” (75).
“She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as unhappy as though she had really fallen from her proper station, since with women there” “Necklace”(46).
Inner action:
“Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering” “The Story of An Hour”(8).
“…and she thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so feted” “The Necklace”(52).
1 The definition of character: The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.
2 It includes two elements as below
(1)The person in a work of fiction
-----Protagonist: the central to the story with all major events
-----Antagonist: the opposer of the main character is called the antagonist.
(2) The characteristics of a person
------Outward appearance and behavior
------ Inner emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities
The two elements of Character are revealed by
(a) How a person is described
(b) What a person does, says, and thinks
(c) What others in the story say and think about person
(b) How others in the story react to the person
(e) The choices the person makes
(f) The changes the person undergoes
(g) Internal conflict
(h) External conflict
3 Examples from the text
Outward appearance:
“He was panting. From his bulging eyes, he seemed to spurt inner violence of an uncontrolled vitality which is his weakened body could hardly contain” “War” (75).
“She dressed plainly because she could not dress well, but she was as unhappy as though she had really fallen from her proper station, since with women there” “Necklace”(46).
Inner action:
“Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering” “The Story of An Hour”(8).
“…and she thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so feted” “The Necklace”(52).
Imagery
1. Definition: The collection of images used in a work of fiction in order to express feeling and states of mind; the mental pictures created by the author's words. Writers use images in various ways to bring the world of the story alive and to give it deeper meaning.
When you analyze a story's imagery, your primary purpose is to uncover the author's purpose in creating certain images and patterns of images and to reveal the connection between that purpose and a larger meaning of the story.
2. Key elements
Most images are created through words that appeal to reader's senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.
- Sight: "A hill of man, whirling a tree over his head."(167)
- Sound: "I am going to the l-a-t-r-i-n-e."(168)
- Taste: "A mound of green grass boiled with green peppers and salt."(169)
- Smell: "Stuffy and smoky second-class carriage."(74)
- Touch: "mother's hand continually stroked the bald patch that ran across the top of his head"(83).
3. Figurative language
Writers of fiction use common language in unique ways to go beyond physical description, and these words (known as 'figurative language') in fiction often carry suggestive or symbolic meaning in addition to their literal (primary, factual) meaning. Most figurative language is created through images: mental pictures that tap into readers’ past experiences and memories and, through association, allow them to imagine, visualize, and re-create physical scenes and sensations.
To give images rich associations or deeper meaning, a writer uses 'figures of speech' addition to imagery (a collection of images, which is mentioned above).
- simile : an explicit comparison between two things of a different kind or quality, usually introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Ex) "Heat snapped mirrors like the first brittle winter ice."
- metaphor : an implied comparison (not introduced by 'like' or 'as') between two things of a different kind of quality. Ex) "The house was an altar."
- personification : human or lifelike qualities given to something non-human or lifeless.
Ex) "the fire was clever"
- symbols: a writer sometimes creates concrete images as 'symbols' that stand for something abstract or invisible.
4. Vocabulary for discussing imagery
- delineate : to show by drawing or description; to portray
- depict: : to describe; to represent in words
- exemplify : to serve as an example of; to show by example
- express : to reveal; to represent by a sign or symbol
- illustrate : to make clear by using an example or comparison
- portray : to describe in words; to create a picture of
- present : to offer for consideration
- render : to represent in a verbal or artistic form
- reveal : to make known something that has been secret or hidden
- sketch : to make an outline of; to indicate briefly
When you analyze a story's imagery, your primary purpose is to uncover the author's purpose in creating certain images and patterns of images and to reveal the connection between that purpose and a larger meaning of the story.
2. Key elements
Most images are created through words that appeal to reader's senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.
- Sight: "A hill of man, whirling a tree over his head."(167)
- Sound: "I am going to the l-a-t-r-i-n-e."(168)
- Taste: "A mound of green grass boiled with green peppers and salt."(169)
- Smell: "Stuffy and smoky second-class carriage."(74)
- Touch: "mother's hand continually stroked the bald patch that ran across the top of his head"(83).
3. Figurative language
Writers of fiction use common language in unique ways to go beyond physical description, and these words (known as 'figurative language') in fiction often carry suggestive or symbolic meaning in addition to their literal (primary, factual) meaning. Most figurative language is created through images: mental pictures that tap into readers’ past experiences and memories and, through association, allow them to imagine, visualize, and re-create physical scenes and sensations.
To give images rich associations or deeper meaning, a writer uses 'figures of speech' addition to imagery (a collection of images, which is mentioned above).
- simile : an explicit comparison between two things of a different kind or quality, usually introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Ex) "Heat snapped mirrors like the first brittle winter ice."
- metaphor : an implied comparison (not introduced by 'like' or 'as') between two things of a different kind of quality. Ex) "The house was an altar."
- personification : human or lifelike qualities given to something non-human or lifeless.
Ex) "the fire was clever"
- symbols: a writer sometimes creates concrete images as 'symbols' that stand for something abstract or invisible.
4. Vocabulary for discussing imagery
- delineate : to show by drawing or description; to portray
- depict: : to describe; to represent in words
- exemplify : to serve as an example of; to show by example
- express : to reveal; to represent by a sign or symbol
- illustrate : to make clear by using an example or comparison
- portray : to describe in words; to create a picture of
- present : to offer for consideration
- render : to represent in a verbal or artistic form
- reveal : to make known something that has been secret or hidden
- sketch : to make an outline of; to indicate briefly
Setting
Setting
~Definition~
It refers to the time, place, atmosphere, social environment and physical environment of a story. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.
~Aspect~
Place:
Where is the story taking place?
Details of geographical location, e.g. country/ city/ village; outdoor/ indoor.
Time:
When is the story taking place?
Details of the length of time, e.g. historical period, time of day, year, season.
Not only include actual clock time, but also through descriptions of light, darkness, and shadows.
Atmosphere (or mood):
What feeling is created throughout the story?
E.g. Bright & cheerful, or dark & frightening
Social environment:
What is the daily life of the character’s like?
Details of local color, e.g. manners, dress, customs, rules, moral codes of the society.
May also include socioeconomic status or class level.
Physical environment:
Details of the descriptions of object, e.g. clothing, nature, buildings, rooms, weather conditions, sounds, smells.
The physical details often indicate the emotional status of the characters or the relationship between characters.
~Examples~
Place: On the train, in Italy
Time: At night; during World War I
Mood: Gloomy
Social environment: During the War
Physical environment: Stuffy & smoky second-class carriage.
Place: Tokyo, Japan
Time: In the evening, during the Cherry Blossom Festival
Mood: Gloomy, depressed
Social environment: After World War II
Physical environment: Bloody Newspapers
~Definition~
It refers to the time, place, atmosphere, social environment and physical environment of a story. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.
~Aspect~
Place:
Where is the story taking place?
Details of geographical location, e.g. country/ city/ village; outdoor/ indoor.
Time:
When is the story taking place?
Details of the length of time, e.g. historical period, time of day, year, season.
Not only include actual clock time, but also through descriptions of light, darkness, and shadows.
Atmosphere (or mood):
What feeling is created throughout the story?
E.g. Bright & cheerful, or dark & frightening
Social environment:
What is the daily life of the character’s like?
Details of local color, e.g. manners, dress, customs, rules, moral codes of the society.
May also include socioeconomic status or class level.
Physical environment:
Details of the descriptions of object, e.g. clothing, nature, buildings, rooms, weather conditions, sounds, smells.
The physical details often indicate the emotional status of the characters or the relationship between characters.
~Examples~
Place: On the train, in Italy
Time: At night; during World War I
Mood: Gloomy
Social environment: During the War
Physical environment: Stuffy & smoky second-class carriage.
Place: Tokyo, Japan
Time: In the evening, during the Cherry Blossom Festival
Mood: Gloomy, depressed
Social environment: After World War II
Physical environment: Bloody Newspapers
IRONY
“IRONY”
Definition: Basically the irony represent the opposite what it is. It is a kind of direct opposition between reality and appearance. We can say about irony that, what we expect, it doesn’t happen. Like what the character says in the story, the situation is fairly unexpected. There are mainly four types of ironies:
Verbal Irony
Dramatic Irony
Situational Irony
Cosmic Irony
Verbal Irony occurs when the character in the story say something about other character but it is totally suggests the opposite. The verbal irony related to the spoken things only. e.g. The story “The Necklace” shows the verbal irony at one stage when the lady fight with her husband for a new dress to go to the party but she does have a dress for the party.
Dramatic Irony is what the character says about other and he/she doesn’t know the truth but the reader or audience know the truth. e.g. “The Lamb to the Slaughter” story ends with the dramatic irony because Mrs. Maloney offered the police man and detective to eat the lamb which is the only evidence of that case. Then they start eating lamb instead of doing investigation.
Situational Irony is totally depending upon the situation. If the best soccer team also win the coin flip in the game. e.g. In the story “War”, the fat man try to hide his emotions and said everybody that don’t cry and he also motivate people that you should proud to your children because they laid their life for their motherland. At the end, when a lady asked him, ”Then…is your son really dead?” the he start crying and tears comes out from his eyes.
Cosmic Irony is like a tragic circumstance. Like you saved money in your whole life to buy a car and you bought it, then after two days your car get crashed. e.g. In the story “The Necklace” the character borrowed a necklace and she didn’t know weather it is original or fake, when she lost it she bought a new expensive necklace and give back to her friend. At the end it gave her a lot of hardship for a long time
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