The Elements of Fiction: A Tenth-Grade Survey

Character Characterization is how an author decides to reveal his character’s essence; characters are more often revealed through their actions, speech, and appearance. (name, thoughts and emotions are also character clues.) Also, other characters might offer insight to a particular character.

Character Types Protagonist- the central character in the plot’s conflict. (Person, animal, or personified object) Antagonist- the force in conflict with the protagonist. (Society, nature, fate, another person, self) Foil- A character whose traits are in direct contrast to those of the principal character. The foil often highlights the traits of the principal character. Stereotype- A character who possesses the expected traits of a group rather than being an individual.

Character Development Character development is showing the multitude of traits and behaviors that give the literary character the complexity of the human being. Flat- not fully developed; one sided Round - fully developed, with many traits (bad and good) flat ------------------------------------------------------- round continuum

The amount of change in a character over the course of a story is also part of his/her development. Static - one who does not experience a basic character change during the course of a story. Dynamic - one who experiences a basic change through the events of a story. The change is internal and may be sudden, but the plot should make it seem inevitable. very static -----------------------------------------dynamic continuum

Plot Plot is the sequence of events which involves the characters in conflict. Chronological - the events are told in the order they happen. Flashback - when the author narrates an event that took place before the current time of the story. Time lapse - the story skips a period of time that seems unusual when compared to the rest of the plot. INTERCHANGIBILITY

Elements of Plot Exposition - the opening of a story. Characters and setting are introduced. Oftentimes the primary conflict is hinted at. Rising Action - the plot progresses. This often entails the development of key characters, as well as plot complications (conflict thickens) Climax - the highest point of a story’s action (often includes further plot complications) Falling Action - Unraveling of plot and conflict(s) Resolution - Conflicts are resolved (most times) The End

Conflict A struggle between two opposing forces, oftentimes the protagonist versus an opposing force. There are many types of conflict in literature: internal (often leads to dynamism) interpersonal (person vs. person) vs. society vs. nature

Theme Theme is the author’s message. A theme should not be confused with a topic. A topic is expressed in one word or a short phrase, whereas a theme is a complete sentence. Love Love is madness. Sibling Rivalry Sibling rivalry creates tension in families. Topic Theme

More on Theme Explicit theme - one that is stated openly in a story. * In the end, Sadie realized that friends are a person’s most valuable possession. Implicit theme - one that is not directly stated, but which the reader can infer. * After reading Golding’s Lord of the Flies the reader can infer that human beings are inherently savage. Themes in literature can enlarge one’s understanding of life.

Style Diction is the author’s choice of words. Style is the effect created by the author’s choice of words. Standard written style - the style sounds natural, but when carefully analyzed it becomes clear that it is more formal than everyday speech. Phrases like “um,” “ya know,” and “like” are avoided. Conversational style - the language is more informal; it sounds more like the way people really talk. Dialect - words are written to appear the way they sound; dialect deviates from standard written English. Ornate - highly decorative or unusual language often used in science fiction, historical fiction, or traditional literature.

Point of View Point of view depends upon who the narrator is and how much he/she knows. First person - uses “I” - a character is telling the story Second person uses “you” - the narrator is speaking directly to the reader (more common in non-fiction) Third person uses “he,” “she,” or “it” - the narrator is telling about the characters. There are three third person points of view:

Limited omniscient - the reader is told the thoughts and feelings of only one character (sometimes, but rarely, of two or three characters). Omniscient = we are told everything about the story, including the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, and even information in the author’s mind that no character knows. Dramatic or objective: we are told only what happens and what is said; we do not know any thoughts or feelings of any characters - only what is said and done.

Tone and Mood Mood or sometimes referred to as atmosphere is the overwhelming sensory or psychological feeling created by an author’s diction. The blue morning crawled, leaving empty pockets of nothingness on the inevitable afternoon. Tone is the author’s attitude towards what he/she writes or the attitude that the reader gets from the author’s diction. The easiest tone to recognize is humor: humorous, mysterious, creepy, straightforward, matter-of-fact, exciting, boring. Etc..

Devices of Style Imagery - language that appeals to the senses Personification - giving human traits to animals, non-human beings, or inanimate objects Simile - compares two different items using the words “as,” “like,” or “than.” Metaphor - an implied comparison that states the resemblance between two things. Onomatopoeia - the use of words that sound like their meaning. Alliteration - the repetition of initial consonants

Allusion - an indirect reference to something outside the literary work. The reference may be something in literature, history, modern culture, or another area. Symbol - something (person, object, situation, or action) which operates on two levels: literal and symbolic. Motif - a recurring object or image in a piece or collection of art that often points towards a symbolic meaning.