Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Overview of the Novel Narrative Elements Characters How to Study the Novel S. WILSON – ENG4C – SPRING 2016

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Overview of the Novel Novel is a memoire of Kate Morrison’s life “Coming-of-Age” story: Growing up Takes place in the past and present Focuses on importance of family Examines how we deal with tragedy Divided into four parts

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements All novels – and all stories – have Narrative Elements, which are components that drive a story forward and help the reader connect to it. Narrative Elements include: Plot Conflict Characters Setting Theme Point-of-View Readers make meaning by analyzing elements within a story to create “bigger ideas” that make us connect the novel to other texts, ourselves, and the world

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements Plot PLOT: The sequence of events that make up a story. It is divided into five separate parts: 1.Exposition 2.Rising Action 3.Climax 4.Falling Action 5.Resolution While reading, it is important to keep the events organized to see how they are all connected.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements Conflict CONFLICT: The issue that character(s) are attempting to overcome. This moves the plot forward. Conflict is typically divided into four categories: 1.Character vs. Character 2.Character vs. Society 3.Character vs. Self 4.Character vs. Nature/Supernatural A novel may have several conflicts within it, and the conflicts are not always resolved.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements Characters CHARACTER: Any person with a role in a story. Characters are developed in a novel to connect with the reader through different techniques. Characters can be grouped: 1.Main / Supporting / Minor 2.Protagonist/Antagonist 3.Round / Flat 4.Static / Dynamic In Crow Lake, Kate Morrison is the main character, while her siblings and their families are supporting characters.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements Theme THEME: The topics or main ideas that are dealt with in a story. Themes help readers make connections between big ideas and our own understanding of the text and world. Common themes include good vs. evil, blind ambition, death, tragedy, growing up, and forgiveness. Crow Lake focuses on family, tragedy, and forgiveness as themes. While reading the novel, we need to consider these themes, how they are developed, and what the novel is attempting to teach us about them.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Narrative Elements Point-of-View POINT-OF-VIEW: The perspective from which the story is told, or from whose eyes we see the story develop. The two most common methods include: First-Person: The story is narrated by someone who is also a character, and readers see their viewpoint. Third-Person: The narrator is someone who “sees all”, so the perspective can change from one character to another. All of Crow Lake is told from Kate’s perspective, so we see the story through her filter. We experience her bias.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Characters Crow Lake is told by Kate Morrison, the middle child in a family of four children. The family is the focus of the story. LukeMattKateBo Eldest brother Hard worker Extremely quiet Going to college Relationship with Sally McLean 19 at beginning of story Idolized by Kate Extremely smart Interested in biology Spends time at the ponds Gets involved with Pye family 17 at beginning of story Narrates the story Very close with Matt In a relationship with Daniel Crane as an adult Struggles to maintain her family connections 7 at beginning of story Youngest child We know the least about her, though we see her siblings struggle to raise her Only a year-and-a- half at the beginning of the story

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Characters There are many supporting characters who have important roles in the development of the plot and conflicts. Morrison Family LukeMattBoKate Aunt Annie Pye Family McLean Family Community Members: Teachers, Doctor, Reverend, etc. Daniel Marie LaurieCalvin Simon Sally

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL Characters One of the challenges of Crow Lake is that the setting switches from the past (when the siblings are children) to the present (when they are adults). Readers experience the growth of the children through Kate’s eyes and then see them, (through her “blurred vision”) as adults. As you read, keep track of the four children. A good strategy is using a graphic organizer or sticky notes to create an annotated text.

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL How to Study the Novel As we read the novel, our goals are the following: Build an understanding of Narrative Elements as they apply to the novel Understand other elements such as Literary Techniques Build connections between characters and their experiences with our own experiences to make meaning Extend the themes to try and find lessons that we might learn from the story Using a novel/text in an essay/review

Crow Lake AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL The prologue, (yes, you have to read the prologue) and the first two chapters serve some important purposes: 1.Provide us with a backstory. Kate’s great- grandmother connects her and Matt. 2.Gives us details about the Morrison family. We learn quite a bit about the four children very early on. Keep track of the information. 3.We are very quickly introduced to the first major conflict, and it is what propels the story forward. How To Study the Novel The First Chapters