CUBE: Approach to Literary Analysis Characterization Setting Theme Plot Point of View...
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Transcript of CUBE: Approach to Literary Analysis Characterization Setting Theme Plot Point of View...
CUBE: Approach to Literary Analysis
Characterization
Setting
Them
e
Plot
Point of View
Tone/Attitude/Effect
Setting: The time, location, and atmosphere of a story.
• Historical time period• Geographic location:– Topography, scenery, stage set
• Cultural backdrop/social context:– Way of life, talking and behaving, gender
roles, traditions, customs, beliefs, values, laws, etc.
• Artificial Environment: – cities, towns, villages, neighborhoods,
houses, etc.• Props: – clothing, furniture, tools, technology, etc
Setting
Setting: The time, location, and atmosphere of a story
• Setting establishes mood and atmosphere. Setting conveys not only an accurate picture of the time and place, but also the emotional content and attitudes of the characters and society in which they live.
• Setting can be used to create the conflict in the story: Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society
• Archetypal settings have some universal aspect that is associated by most people with a particular human experience.
Characterization/Character
• Character: An individual in a story or play.
• Characterization: The process by with the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Characterization
Character
• Static or Dynamic– Static: Changes little over the course of a
story.– Dynamic: Changes in some important way
as a result of the story’s action.• Flat or Round– Flat: Has only one or two personality traits– Round: Has many dimensions to his/her
personality – complex, three-dimensional
Archetypal characters embody a certain kind of universal human experience.
Characterization:
• Direct: The writer tells us what the character is like, i.e. beautiful, generous, sneaky, etc.
• Indirect: The writer reveals character from:– Dialogue – what they say.– Actions – what they do.– Interior monologue – what they think– Other character’s dialogue – what is said about
them– Associations – with whom they are in relationship– Status – what they have, wear, live, where they
are, etc.
PlotThe sequence of events in a
story
• Plot focuses on a central conflict or problem faced by the main character.
• The actions that the characters take to resolve the conflict build toward a climax.
• The conflict is resolved and the story ends.
• Cause and effect invariably drive plot.
PLOT
PlotA plot typically develops in five stages:
• Exposition– Introduces the setting, the background, the
characters, and generally the conflict(s).• Rising action
– The conflict develops and build toward a climax.• Climax
– Point of maximum interest or tension. Usually a turning point in the story.
• Falling action– Shows the results of the important action that
happened at the climax. Leads to the final resolution of the conflict.
• Resolution/Denouement– The conflicts of the story are resolved.
Denouement in French means “unraveling.”
Diagram of PlotDiagram of Plot
Inciting incident/Opening situation
Exposition
Ris
ing
Act
ion
Climax
Falling
Action
Denouement
Resolution
Special Techniques of PlotSpecial Techniques of Plot
Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story
Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about something that happened in the past
1. Exposition• This usually occurs at the beginning of a short
story. Here the characters are introduced. We also learn about the setting of the story. Most importantly, we are introduced to the main conflict (main problem).
2. Rising Action
• This part of the story begins to develop the conflict(s). A building of interest or suspense occurs.
3. Climax• This is the turning point of the story.
Usually the main character comes face to face with a conflict. The main character will change in some way.
4. Falling Action• All loose ends
of the plot are tied up. The conflict(s) and climax are taken care of.
ImageryImagery is words or phrases
that appeal to one or more of the five senses. Writers
use imagery to describe how their subjects look,
sound, feel, taste, and smell.
Theme: The central, underlying, and
controlling idea of a literary work.
• The message about life or human nature that a writer wants the reader to understand
• A perception about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader.
• Usually not stated directly (explicitly), but must be inferred (implicitly).
• May imply how a person should live but should not be confused with a moral.
• Can be stated in one or more complete sentences, but not in a single word.
Theme
How Do I find the Theme?
Ask the following questions:• How has the main character changed?• What lessons has he/she learned?• What is the central conflict in the work?• What is the subject(s) of the work?• What does the author say about the
subject?• Can this idea be supported entirely by
evidence from the work itself?• Are all the author’s choices of plot,
character, conflict, and tone controlled by this idea?
Point of View: The vantage point from which
the writer tells a story.
• Refers to the method of narration used to tell the story.
• The Narrator of a story is the character or voice that relates the story’s events to the reader.
Point of View
Point of ViewThere are two basic types of point of view:
• Participant point of view (first person)– One of the characters (major or minor) tells the story
using first person pronouns. (I, me, my, our, we, etc).
– The reader only knows what the narrator knows.• Nonparticipant Point of View (third person)
– Third-person limited• Unknown narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings
of only ONE character, or of a few of the characters using third-person pronouns (he, him, she, her, they, them, etc)
– Third-person omniscient• An ALL-KNOWING narrator who can enter the minds of all
the characters relates the story using third-person pronouns.
– Objective Narrator• The narrator does not enter a single mind, but instead
records what can be seen and heard. Allows the reader to observe dialogue and external action.
Tone/Attitude/Effect:The narrator’s attitude toward the subject,
which is revealed by the words he/she chooses.
Tone can be discovered by looking at the author’s use of:
• Diction– Word choice: abstract/concrete; connotative/denotative, etc
• Imagery– Vivid descriptions or figures of speech that appeal to the five
senses (taste, touch, sight, sound, smell).• Details
– Facts the author has chosen to share with the reader.• Language
– The overall use of language, such as formal, clinical, jargon, etc.
• Sentence structure– The grammatical structure, sentence length, and organization
of a writer’s sentences.
Tone/Attitude/Effect
Tone/Attitude/EffectTo misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning.
Watch for:• Symbols
– Something which is itself and also stands for/represents something else
• Allusions– References to a well-known person, place, event, literary
work, or work of art.• Motifs
– An often-repeated idea or theme in literature.• Irony
– A discrepancy between appearances and reality. May be situational, dramatic, or verbal.
• Satire– Ridicules the shortcomings of people/institutions of a
society in an attempt to bring about change.