Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Text Analysis Session Two

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Agenda Repair Work An Introduction to story, plot, character, and characterization Group Work: analysing plot Group presentations and discussions

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Repair work Questions and comments from students

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture An Introduction to story and plot Story/ fabula/ the level of the told = the chronological sequence of events and actions Plot/ sjuzhet/ discourse/ the level of the telling = the events and actions as ordered or designed towards acheiving particular artistic and emotional effects

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture A famous example of plot: Julius Caesar’s message to the Roman senate describing his recent victory in the Battle of Zela (47 BC). Veni, vidi, vici (He came, he saw, he conquered) Story = The Battle of Zela Plot/ sjuzhet/ discourse/ the level of the telling = Caesar’s telling, rendering, and ordering of that chronological sequence of events

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture The story / plot model Story (future) Plot (end) He came He saw He conquered Story (past) Plot (beginning) Plot (middle)

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Four levels of design in plot Order: beginning, middle, and end Chronology Anachrony: flashback (analepsis), flash forward (prolepsis) Ellipsis: Gaps, omissions, absences Duration: the time of the telling and the time of the told Frequency: the number of times an event is told

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Another way of discussing plot Rising action Exposition – an initial situation of stasis in the life of the hero Complication – something unsettling happens in the hero´s life. A conflict between the protagonist and antagonist develops. Climax – the high point of the hero´s fortunes Falling action Crisis – the turning point of the hero’s fortunes Catastrophe/ denoument – mysteries, conflicts, misunderstandings are cleared away.

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Plot and ”I Spy”: storyline 1 Rising action Exposition – ? Complication – happiness unsetteled at school: the other boys begin mocking him for not smoking. Climax – (After descending the stairs in order to steal a smoke,) Charlie eventually puts a cigarette in his mouth, looks around for matches Falling action Crisis – but someone suddenly enters the shop Catastrophe/ denoument – and after some time Charlie goes back to his room without having smoked a cigarette.

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Plot and ”I Spy”: storyline 2 Rising action Exposition – Charlie loves his mother, who is always present, but not his father, who is mostly absent Complication – his father suddenly becomes present and Charlie discovers that his father is ”very like himself” Climax – and that he would llike to tell him that he loves him Falling action Crisis – but Charlie can’t since his father is absent again. Catastrophe/ denoument – Charlie is alone in the house with his mother

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture An Introduction to character and characterisation Character = a represented person Protagonist, hero, heroine, antagonist, villain, foil Two aspects of character: inner and outer Characterisation = how a person is represented Showing (the dramatic method) Telling (the intrusive method)

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Story, Plot, Character, Characterisation and Theme Plot and characterisation are ways of designing a theme in order to pursuade your readers about it. What does Greene want to pursuade us about? Why does his plot have two storylines? And what do they have in common? Failure – is Green suggesting that we’re doomed to fail in our relations with other people and ourselves?

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Jack London, ”The Law of Life” Map out the events according to the story / plot model What the point in rendering and ordering the events and actions in theis manner?

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Jeanete Winterson, ”The 24-Hour Dog” Map out the events according to the story / plot model What the point in rendering and ordering the events and actions in theis manner?