W1-Intro to American Lit

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INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, M.A. & M.Sc.USSH-VNU-HCMC

Email: [email protected]

Mobile phone: 0919694811

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday afternoon (4-6 p.m)

Office of Educational Testing & Quality Assurance, Block C, DTH Campus
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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What is Literature ? - Brainstorming

Literature

FABLES

FOLK TALES,

LEGENDS,

MYTHS

FICTION & NON-FICTION

POEMS

NOVELS

PLAYS

SHORT STORIES

DRAMA


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COMPARE

FICTION

IMAGINATIVE WORK OF

PROSE

Short stories

Poetry

Historical fiction

Fables, tales, legends,myths

Drama

NON-FICTION

Biography

Diaries, memoirs

Journals, letters

Essays (personal,)

Critiques


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The attitudes we should have

Be open to accept differences

Avoid cultural stereotypes (positive ornegative), avoid all, no, always, never

Be slow in making judgements

Be ready to learn from miscommunication

(opportunity for culture learning)

Be sensitive, adaptive, ready to learn(education & observation)


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Course requirements

Punctuality/ attendance, group presentation

(20%)

Mid-term test (30%)

Final test (50%)


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Reference

1. Ng Trung Tanh, An Introductionto literary study

2. Le Huy Loc, A Course in American Literature, part II

3. Sybil Marcus,A World of fiction

4. British literature

5. Ng Trung Tanh, Readings in American Literature6. Great American stories

7. Websites (see in British literature


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Syllabus

Introduction, Elements of a story

1. The story of an hour

2. The Garden Party3. A Rose for Emily

4. Flight

5. The white Heron6. The killers


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Group presentation

Group 1: W2, Fri 14/12/2012 (The story of anhour)

Group 2: W4, Fri 28/12/2012 (The Garden

Party) Group 3: W6, Fri 11/1/2013 (A Rose for Emily)

Group 4: W8, Fri 25/1/2013 (Flight)

Group 5: W10, Fri 8/3/2013 (The white

Heron)

Group 6: W12, Fri 22/3/2013 (The killers)


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What do you pay attention to when

you read a story?

The topic

Characters

Plot Time

Place

Authors point of view, attitude,... Lesson from the story

Message the author wants to convey


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Concepts

1. PLOT: events that happen in a story

(beginning, middle, end)

2. CHARACTER: People or animals in the story

3. SETTING: place where the story happens &

time when the story takes place

4. THEME: authors message in a story, a lesson

learned by reading the story


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Other elements of a fiction

Point of view

Image, symbols

Style, tone & language


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Compare

Theme

What the author means to

address and reveal (directly

or indirectly) throughoutthe story

Authors attitude, viewpoint

The question he brought up

to the readers attention

Topic

Subject of a writers

discourse

Certain aspect of life

Specific area of human

experience

Eg: historical epoch,

educational projects, social

injustice,question of

humanity such as love,

death, truth, beauty,

compassion, courage,

dignity, hope,.


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The plot

Structure of action Arrangement of incidents in an effective order

Narrative of motivated action

Involves conflict or question which is finallyresolved

Meaningful situation in which all the events

contain a significant meaning

Engage readers in what happens, dramatize a

truth about human nature (induce readers to

speculate on it)


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Analysis of a plot

Stages:

Exposition (characters, events)

Complication/development (inciting moment:problem first appears and complication:

conflict develops )

Climax (a point of high interest, the intensity

reaches its peak) turning point/ crisis - climax

Conclusion/resolution (conflict is resolved,

question is answered) open plot or closed plot


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Conflict

Opposition between 2 or more beliefs, ideas

or interests

Arouse curiosity, interest in what & who

External (between 2 or more men or man &

external forces of nature, environment) or

internal (struggle with themselves)


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Exposition

Complication(rising)

CLIMAX

Resolution

4 phases/stages of a plot

falling


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Plot devices

Flashback: earlier event/time/situation

/context

Flashforward: depict what is going to occur

years after the current situation

Interpolated narrative

Foreshadowing


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Characters

Round: real, leading, hero, central, protagonist

Flat: supporting

Antagonist


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The story of an hour

Kate Chopin (1851-1904)

Author: born in Missouri (French & Irish

immigrants)

Grew up in a household dominated by many

generations of women

Deal with women searching for freedom from

male domination

Early feminist writer

Controversial themes: divorce, adultery,.


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Questions Setting, Characters: Mrs Marllard,

Josephine, Richard, Mr Mallard

Plot: 4 stages

- Exposition (beginning): news about the

husbands death- Complication (conflict begins & develops):

her feeling (sad-suddenly change her feeling

& thinking of freedom)

- Climax: feeling of triumph, victory-joy

- Ending: the joy kills her (or

sorrow/disappoinment?


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Topic


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Analysis of the plot


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Characters


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Setting

PLACE TIME


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Theme


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Thank you for your attention!

Questions ?

W1-Intro to American Lit

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