How to Read a Fiction

Fiction vs. Nonfiction The distinction addresses whether a text discusses the world of the imagination (fiction) or the real world (nonfiction). Fiction: poems, stories, drams, novels Nonfiction: newspaper stories, editorials, personal accounts, journal articles, textbooks, legal documents

Elements of Fiction Character Plot Setting Point of View Style, Tone and Language Theme Symbolism, Allegory and Image

Character Character development is the key element in a story's creation, and in most pieces of fiction a close identification with the characters is crucial to understanding the story. The story's protagonist is the central agent in generating its plot, and this individual can embody the story's theme. Characters can be either round or flat, depending on their level of development and the extent to which they change. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/fiction/elements.asp?e=1

protagonist: A story’s main character (see also antagonist) antagonist: The character or force in conflict with the protagonist round character: A complex, fully developed character, often prone to change flat character: A one-dimensional character, typically not central to the story characterization: The process by which an author presents and develops a fictional character

Plot Plot refers to the series of events that give a story its meaning and effect. In most stories, these events arise out of conflict experienced by the main character.

Conflict Two types of conflict are possible: External and Internal.   External conflict could be man against nature (people in a small lifeboat on a rough ocean) or man against man. Internal conflict, such as jealousy, loss of identity, or overconfidence, might not seem as exciting as external, remember that real life has far more internal than external conflict.

In some stories, the author structures the entire plot chronologically, with the first event followed by the second, third, and so on, like beads on a string. However, many other stories are told with flashback techniques in which plot events from earlier times interrupt the story's "current" events.

Setting Setting is the story’s time and place. While setting includes simple attributes such as climate or wall décor, it can also include complex dimensions such as the historical moment the story occupies or its social context. setting is also one of the primary ways that a fiction writer establishes mood social context: The significant cultural issues affecting a story’s setting or authorship mood: The underlying feeling or atmosphere produced by a story

Point of View First Person Narrator Protagonist Observer   Third Person Narrator Omniscient Dramatic

First Person In the First Person point of view, the story is told by a character within the story, a character using the first person pronoun, I. If the narrator is the main character, the point of view is first person protagonist. If the narrator is a secondary character, the point of view is first person observer.

Third Person In the Third Person point of view, the story is not told by a character but by an “invisible author,” using the third person pronoun (he, she, or it) to tell the story. If the third person narrator gives us the thoughts of characters (He wondered where he’d lost his baseball glove), then he is a third person omniscient (all knowing) narrator. If the third person narrator only gives us information which could be recorded by a camera and microphone (no thoughts), then he is a third person dramatic narrator.

Style, Tone and Language Style in fiction refers to the language conventions used to construct the story. A fiction writer can manipulate diction, sentence structure, phrasing, dialogue, and other aspects of language to create style.

Theme Theme is the meaning or concept we are left with after reading a piece of fiction. Theme is an answer to the question, "What did you learn from this?"

Symbolism A symbol is something which means something else. Frequently it’s a tangible physical thing which symbolizes something intangible. The basic point of a story or a poem rarely depends solely on understanding a symbol. However important or interesting they might be, symbols are usually “frosting,” things which add interest or depth. Over-interpret : find symbols that really aren’t there

Double-entry Journal

What is it? We can use a double-entry journal to help us study concepts or vocabulary, express opinions, justify an opinion using text, and understand or respond to the text we are reading. The double-entry journal is a two-column journal. In the left column, we write a piece of information from the text, such as a quotation or a concept, which we want to expand upon, understand better, or question. In the right column, we relate to or analyze the information that is written in the left column.