Foreshadowing, genres, and theme Oh my!

An organizational device used to create expectation or to set up an explanation of later developments Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing: What is it? The author drops little hints in the book about what is going to happen in the future Used to help the reader make predictions Builds dramatic tension by building anticipation Creates suspense Can be very subtle Such as a bad event being foreshadowed by a cloudy day Can be very obvious Two very stupid lovers saying they’d rather die than live without the other Sometimes can only be seen after finishing the piece of literature

Foreshadowing: How is it used? Created in the setting Think about a bright field versus a dark and stormy cliff Created in the character’s words and actions Think about flashbacks These can usually give a character his or her motivation Created in the symbols used Think about the symbol for death on a pirate flag

Foreshadowing: Red Herrings Foreshadowing does NOT have to be honest The author could make something obvious in order to mislead you A Red Herring is a false clue that an author uses to mislead the reader Often found in detective or mystery stories Help to build suspense Pretty Little Liars is FULL of Red Herrings to confuse the viewer

Foreshadowing: Examples The Lion King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRVRxvNYR7Y Finding Nemo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGu18iqJt-w Romeo and Juliet Romeo says, “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead – Strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think! – And breathed such life with kisses in my lips.” Juliet does find Romeo dead – He foreshadows his own death

A category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique, or content Genre

Genre: What is it? Basically, answers the question, “What kind of writing is this?” Comes from the French word meaning “type” or “kind” 3 broad categories of genre Fiction Non-fiction Poetry A piece of literature can be considered cross-genre This just means it has characteristics of more than one genre

Genre: Non-Fiction Piece of literature is based on fact None of this story is made up or imaginary Many different types of Non-Fiction writing Autobiography Biography Diary Essay Newspaper Article Speech Technical Documents

Genre: Poetry Characterized by its literary techniques, such as rhyme and rhythm Usually written in short lines which often rhyme Don’t always need to rhyme Called Free Verse poetry when there is no rhyme scheme Oftentimes used to… Tell a story Capture feelings and emotions Create strong imagery

Genre: fiction Content that’s created by the imagination Content is at least partially made up, not all of it’s fact Some of the content could still be fact Usually told in prose Opposite of poetry Language used by everyday speakers Three main types of Fiction Short Stories Novels Drama

Genre: Drama The genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage; to be performed by actors on stage or television Main Types Tragedy Deals with humans as victims of destiny Usually end with death (sometimes for most of the characters) Comedy Any play that consistently features humor and light-hearted events Usually end in marriages Satire Form of comedy aimed at current events in exaggerated manner

A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work; stated or implied; clues may be found in the prominent and/or recurring ideas in the piece Theme

Theme: What is it? What it is Central idea of a piece of literature Expressed in a single word (usually big ideas like Prejudice or Power) Takes into the account the big idea of the story Does not ignore entire sections of the story How to find it Look at the major conflict of the story Look at what changes the major characters go through Look at the title of the piece

Theme: thematic statements Answer the big questions What is the author trying to say about this idea? How does this theme fit into the context of the novel? Sentence length Examples Theme: Revenge Thematic Statement: The theme of revenge is seen in Medea as Jason’s initial betrayal fuels the action of the play.