An introduction to litearetue

TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgementUnit Four: The five basic elements of plot structure 20 Unit Five: Main theme and view point of a short story 25 Unit Eight: Language and literature; dict

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Dr Tran Cong Luan, the Principle

of Tay Do University and my vice dean, M.A Nguyen Thi Diem Thuy the faculty of

of English Linguistics and Literature to give me the great opportunity to compose this material.

I especially thanks and gratitude to my committee for their continued support and encouragement: Dr Nguyen Buu Huan, Dr Thai Cong Dan, for their highly comments and advice.

I also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to my teaching staff, especially M.A Dang Thi Bao Dung, M.A Huynh Thi My Duyen, who assisted me in this course preparation.

My completion of this project could not have been accomplished without the support

of my dear students who studied the English courses III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII Their encouragement inspired me to complete this course package.

TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgement

Unit Four: The five basic elements of plot structure 20

Unit Five: Main theme and view point of a short story 25

Unit Eight: Language and literature; diction; form and content 33

Unit Twelve: A movie review; a short story review and a book review 53

B SELECTED WORKS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 57

Part I: PROSE

The day always belongs to the sun by Tran Thanh Ha

Part II : VERSE

Lines written in early spring by William Wordsworth 104

B ALLEGORY

C MODERN STORIES

All summer in a day by Ray Bradbury 172

Common symbols in literature

When students read or write a short story or a novel They need to the ability ofinterpretation; they create a text which has their own world Thus, this material is for theirinterpretative text as well as applying to their reading strategies of the original text

To develop your understanding a text, you need to have strategies for reading andinterpretation

Some stories in this course may be easy to read, others may be hard Some will immediatelyprovoke a reaction; others will take more thought and discussion This course is designed tohelp you develop effective strategies for reading a literary work

Objective:

Literature is the art of writing, it requires the creative readers with effective strategies forreading and interpreting and analyzing Students leaning literature are expected to expresstheir comprehension though literary analysis and interpretation This material aims to second-year students with a general knowledge about basic techniques for literary comprehensionrelated to four skill interactions

What is literature?

“When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind

has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.”

- James Earl Jones

Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material Broadly speaking,

“literature” is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific

works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination,including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction

Why do we read literature?

Literature represents a language or a people: culture and tradition But, literature is moreimportant than just a historical or cultural artifact Literature introduces us to new worlds ofexperience We learn about books and literature; we enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of

says and how he/she says it We may interpret the author’s message In academic circles, thisdecoding of the text is often carried out through the use of literary theory, using amythological, sociological, psychological, historical, or other approach.

Whatever critical paradigm we use to discuss and analyze literature, there is still an artisticquality to the works Literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is universal, and

it affects us Even when it is ugly, literature is beautiful

This course Introduction to literature is designed for third year student majoring in English

of Literature and Linguistics Faculty at Tay Do University It is expected that all the teachersfeel free to select texts that are suitable for their teaching situation, reject other andsupplement when necessary

Aims of the course

 to introduce students to the art of short story writing;

 to foster an understanding of various subgenres of the short story, through guidedreading and interpretive commentary; and

 to encourage and guide students’ own experiments with the form through practicalwriting exercises

Course content overview

 This course will begin with a consideration of what makes a short story - apart from itslength - a distinct genre, introducing the elements which combine to produce the short

story’s unique effect

 Each week will focus on a particular short story (with reference to others) by one of the

genre’s key exponents, to illustrate developments and variations in the genre The story

will also be used to demonstrate a technical aspect of short story writing

 Students will discover how writers achieve certain effects and be encouraged toappropriate and experiment with these techniques in their own original writing

 In this material, each unit contains a brief theory of the story’ structure Many discussionquestions from the selected works will be focused and analyzed The informationaccompanying the text aims to help student to understand the text and can be used in avariety or circumstances such as individual preparation, group presentation or classdiscussion

I hope you will take courage in your skills as a reader, realizing that the meaning of a text isnot fixed in advance, but something that happens as you read, reflect, and discuss Discussingwhat you read can be an adventure as you explore meanings.

Drama: Drama is the theatrical dialogue performed on stage, it consists of 5 acts Tragedy,

comedy and melodrama are the sub types of drama e.g William Shakespeare, an Elizabethandramatist composed the plays Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear that are famous because

of its combination of tragedy and comedy Problem play, farce, fantasy, monologue andcomedy of manners are some kinds of drama

Tragedy: It is a story of the major character that faces bad luck Tragedy, elements of horrors

and struggle usually concludes with the death of a person The Iliad and The Odyssey byHomer are the two famous Greek tragedies

Comedy: The lead character overcomes the conflicts and overall look of the comedy is full of

laughter and the issues are handled very lightly The elements used in the comedy areromanticism, exaggeration, surprises and a comic view of life

Melodrama: Melodrama is a blend of two nouns - ‘melody’ and ‘drama’ It is a musical play

most popular by 1840 Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of the most popular plays describingcruelty of labor life It has happy ending like comedy

Tragicomedy: The play that begins with serious mode but has a happy ending is tragicomedy.

Prose Literature: History, journalism, philosophy, fiction and fantasy writings, scientific

writings, children’s literature authors and writers are included in Prose Literature

Myth: Myths are the fairy tales with lots of adventure, magic and it lacks scientific proof.

Nursery rhymes, songs and lullabies are forms of myths that strike the interest of children

Creative and nature myth are stories of the stars and moon Magic tales are wonderful tales ofquests and fantasy Hero myths are ideal heroes of adventure.

Short story: The small commercial fiction, true or imaginary, smaller than a novel is known

as short story Short stories are well grouped into easy beginning, concrete theme, somedialogs and ends with resolution They are oral and short-lived which have gossip, joke,fable, myth, parable, hearsay and legend

Novel: Novel can be based on comic, crime, detective, adventurous, romantic or political

story divided into many parts The major kinds of novels are:

Allegory: The symbolical story revolves around two meanings What the writer says directly

is totally different than the conveyed meanings at the end Political and Historical allegoryare two forms of Allegory

Comedy: Satire is very common form in comedy novels and tries to focus on the facts of the

society and their desires

Epistolary: The collection of letters or mails is the epistolary novels.

Feminist: These types of novels are written by women writers around the world to describe

the place of women in a male dominated society

Gothic: Gothic fiction is the combination of both horror and romance Melodrama and

parody were grouped in the Gothic literature in its early stages

Ironic: Ironical novels are known for excessive use of narrative technique It is satire on the

contemporary society about cultural, social and political issues

Realism: The realistic novels are based on the truths of ordinary society and their problems It

focuses on the plot, structure and the characters of the novel

Romance: Love and relationship topics are handled optimistically in the romantic novels It

Narration: In narrative style, writer becomes the third person who narrates whole story

around the characters

Naturalism: Naturalism is based on the theory of Darwin.

Picaresque: It is opposite to romance novels as it involves ideals, themes and principles that

refuse the so-called prejudices of the society

Psychological: It’s the psychological prospective of mind with a resolution.

Satire: Satirical novels criticize the contemporary society.

Stream of Consciousness: It is the stream of consciousness is all about the thought coming up

in the minds of the readers A novel also constitutes categories on social and political aspectslike proletarian, psychological, protest novel, government, didactic, materialist novel,allegorical novel, novel of engagement, naturalistic novel, Marxist novel and etc

Folk Tale: Folk Tales are traditional stories that have been creating interest since ancient

times The children and old persons like religious story, magic and superstition as well

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in the tranquility Greek

poetry is found in free verse and we have rhymes in the Persian poem Are you wonderinghow to write a poem, here are the followings forms of poem?

Sonnet: Sonnet is the short poem of 14 lines grouped into Shakespearean and Italian sonnets.

Ballad: The poems that are on the subject matter of love and sung by the poet or group of

singers as telling readers a story

Elegy: This type of poem is the lamenting of the death of a person or his near one Elegy

Written in Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray is one of the famous poems marked as sadpoems of the ages

Ode: Ode is the formal and long poem serious in nature.

Allegory: Allegory is the famous form of poetry and is loved by the readers because of its

two symbolical meanings One is the literal meaning and another is the deep meaning

Epic and mock epic: Epics are the narrative poems that convey moral and culture of that

period The Odyssey and Iliad are one of the largest philosophical epics written by SamuelButler Rape of the Lock is the great mock epic focusing on the minor incident of cutting of acurl

Lyric: It has Greek origin that gives a melody of imagery It is the direct appeal of a poet to

the readers about any incident or historical events Lyrics are most of the times similar to ode

or sonnets in the form

B Nonfiction literature

Nonfiction Literature is opposite to fiction as it is informative and comprises the interestingfacts with analysis and illustrations Main types of Non- fiction literature:

Autobiography and Biography: An autobiography is the story of the author’s own life.

‘Family Life at the White House’ by Bill Clinton is focused on his life and achievements

Essay: Generally the authors’ point of view about any particular topic in a detailed way is an

essay Essay has simple way of narrating the main subject; therefore they are descriptive,lengthy, subject oriented and comparative

Literary criticism: It is the critical study of a piece of literature Here critics apply different

theories, evaluation, discussion and explanation to the text or an essay to give totaljudgments

Travel literature: It is the narration of any tour or foreign journey with the description of the

events, dates, places, sights and author’s views

Diary:Diaries are the incidents recorded by the author without any means of publishing them.

Journal: Journal is one of types of diaries that records infinite information They are of

following types:

Personal: It is for personal analysis In this journal one can write his goal, daily thoughts,

events and situations

Academic: It is for students who do research or dissertation on particular subjects.

Creative: Creative journals are the imaginative writing of a story, poem or narrative.

Trade: Trade journals are used by industrial purposes where they dictate practical

information

Dialectical: This journal is use by students to write on double column notebook They can

write facts, experiments, and observation on the left side and right side can be a series ofthoughts and response with an end

Newspaper: It is a collection of daily or weekly news of politics, sports, leisure, fashion,

movies and business

Magazine: Magazines can be the current affairs or opinions well collected covering various

content

Frame Narrative: The psychoanalysis of human mind is present in a frame narrative Here

we find another story within the main story Some of the popular narratives are Pegasus,Wuthering Heights, The Flying Horse, The Three Pigs, A Time to keep and the Tasha TudorBook of Holidays

Outdoor literature: Outdoor literature is the literature of adventure that gives whole

exploration of an event Exciting moments of life such as horse riding, fishing, trekking can

be a part of literature

Unit Two: How to read a short story and a poem

Objectives

After learning unit two, students will be able to how to read a short story and how to read a poem

A HOW TO READ A SHORT STORY

Before you read

- Look at the story’s title What might this story be about?

- Use and develop your background knowledge about this subject If the title is “TheLesson,” (by Toni Cade Bambara) ask yourself what kind of lessons there are, whatlessons you have learned, and so on

- Establish a purpose for reading this story “Because my teacher told me to” is oneobvious purpose, but not a very useful one Try to come up with your own question,one based perhaps on the title or an idea your teacher recently discussed in class Howabout, “Why do we always have to learn the hard way?” if the story is titled “TheLesson”? Of course, you should also be sure you know what your teacher expects you

to do and learn from this story; this will help you determine what is important whileyou read the story

- Orient yourself Flip through the story to see how long it is Take a look at theopening sentences of different paragraphs, and skim through the opening paragraph;this will give you a sense of where the story is set, how difficult the language is, andhow long you should need to read the story

When you read

- Identify the main characters By “main” I mean those characters that make the storyhappen or to whom important things happen Get to know what they are like byasking such questions as “What does this character want more than anything else-and

why?”

- Identify the plot or the situation The plot is what happens: The sniper from one armytries to shoot the sniper from the other army (“The Sniper”) Some writers prefer toput their characters in a situation: a famous hunter is abandoned on an uncharted

- Pay attention to the setting Setting refers not only to where the story takes place, butwhen it happens It also includes details like tone and mood What does the storysound like: a sad violin playing all by itself or a whole band charging down the road?Does the story have a lonely feeling - or a scary feeling, as if any minute somethingwill happen?

- Consider the story’s point of view Think about why the author chose to tell the storythrough this person’s point of view instead of a different character; why in the pastinstead of the present; in the first instead of the third person

- Pay attention to the author’s use of time Some short story writers will make ten yearspass by simply beginning the next paragraph, “Ten years later ” Look for any wordsthat signal time passed Sometimes writers will also use extra space betweenparagraphs to signal the passing of time

- Find the crucial moment Every short story has some conflict, some tension orelement of suspense in it Eventually something has to give This is the moment whenthe character or the story suddenly changes direction A character, for example, feels

or acts differently than before

- Remember why you are reading this story Go back to the question you asked whenyou began reading this story Double check your teacher’s assignment, too Thesewill help you to read more closely and better evaluate which details are importantwhen you read You might also find your original purpose is no longer a good one;what is the question you are now trying to answer as you read the story?

After you read

- Read first to understand then to analyze When you finish the story, check to be sureyou understand what happened Ask: WHO did WHAT to WHOM? If you cananswer these questions correctly, move on to the next level: WHY? Why, forexample, did the character in the story lie?

- Return to the title Go back to the title and think about how it relates to the story nowthat you have read it What does the title refer to? Does the title have more than onepossible meaning?

B HOW TO READ A POEM

Poems can be read many ways The following steps describe one approach Of course not allpoems require close study and all should be read first for pleasure

Before you read

- Look at the poem’s title: What might this poem be about?

- Read the poem straight through without stopping to analyze it (aloud, if possible)

- This will help you get a sense of how it sounds, how it works, what it might be about

- Start with what you know If the poem is difficult, distinguish between what you doand do not understand If permissible, underline the parts you do not immediatelyunderstand

- Check for understanding: Write a quick “first-impression” of the poem by answeringthe questions, “What do you notice about this poem so far?”

When you read

- “What is this poem about?”

- Look for patterns Watch for repeated, interesting, or even unfamiliar use of language,imagery, sound, color, or arrangement Ask, “What is the poet trying to show throughthis pattern?”

- Look for changes in tone, focus, narrator, structure, voice, patterns Ask: “What haschanged and what does the change mean?”

- Identify the narrator Ask: Who is speaking in the poem? What do you know aboutthem?

- Check for new understanding Re-read the poem (aloud, if you can) from start tofinish, underlining (again) those portions you do not yet understand Explain thepoem to yourself or someone else

- Find the crucial moments The pivotal moment might be as small as the word but or

yet Such words often act like hinges within a poem to swing the poem in a whole

new direction Also pay attention to breaks between stanzas or between lines

- Consider form and function Now is a good time to look at some of the poet’s morecritical choices Did the poet use a specific form, such as the sonnet?

- How did this particular form -e.g., a sonnet -allow them to express their ideas? Didthe poet use other specific poetic devices which you should learn so you can betterunderstand the poem? Examples might include: enjambment, assonance, alliteration,symbols, metaphors, or allusions Other examples might include unusual use of

capitalization, punctuation (or lack of any), or typography Ask “How is the poet

using punctuation in the poem?”

After you read

- Check for improved understanding Read the poem through again, aloud if possible.Return to the title and ask yourself what the poem is about and how the poem relates

to the title

- What is the main message of this poem?

Unit Three: How to analyze a literature work

The way the readers approach reading a novel is very important While reading you must beable to see relationships, perceive the development of character, theme, symbols, and be able

to detect multiple meanings You can reject or accept, like or dislike the literary work,

depending on the effect it has on you It is okay to do so You shouldn’t jump to a final

judgment too soon, whether it is about the character, the theme, or other elements.Remember: People and situations are not always as they appear at first Be objective becauseyour emotional reaction can sometimes cause unsound perception and interpretation Keepthis question in mind - “Can I justify my judgments based on evidence from the work

itself?”

A The world of the writer

When someone writes something, he or she does so in a context This context includes thewriter’s feelings, beliefs, past experiences, goals, needs, and physical environment

Unit Three: How to analyze a literature work

The way the readers approach reading a novel is very important While reading you must beable to see relationships, perceive the development of character, theme, symbols, and be able

to detect multiple meanings You can reject or accept, like or dislike the literary work,

depending on the effect it has on you It is okay to do so You shouldn’t jump to a final

judgment too soon, whether it is about the character, the theme, or other elements.Remember: People and situations are not always as they appear at first Be objective becauseyour emotional reaction can sometimes cause unsound perception and interpretation Keepthis question in mind - “Can I justify my judgments based on evidence from the work

itself?”

A The world of the writer

When someone writes something, he or she does so in a context This context includes thewriter’s feelings, beliefs, past experiences, goals, needs, and physical environment

Unit Three: How to analyze a literature work

The way the readers approach reading a novel is very important While reading you must beable to see relationships, perceive the development of character, theme, symbols, and be able

to detect multiple meanings You can reject or accept, like or dislike the literary work,

depending on the effect it has on you It is okay to do so You shouldn’t jump to a final

judgment too soon, whether it is about the character, the theme, or other elements.Remember: People and situations are not always as they appear at first Be objective becauseyour emotional reaction can sometimes cause unsound perception and interpretation Keepthis question in mind - “Can I justify my judgments based on evidence from the work

itself?”

A The world of the writer

When someone writes something, he or she does so in a context This context includes thewriter’s feelings, beliefs, past experiences, goals, needs, and physical environment

B The world of the text (the world of the characters)

The text develops its own context-call it a world The characters often have their ownperspectives to support their ideas The meaning which the text has for the reader emerges

from the interaction of the reader’s world with the world of the text However, the meaning

does not reside in the text or in the author’s intentions The meaning happens as the text is

read and reflected upon

C The world of the reader

When one reads, one reads in the context of his or her own world What the readerencounters is not the world of the author; the reader encounters the world of the text

Unit Four: Five basic elements of plot structure

Objectives

After learning unit four, students will be able to how a short story structure, and the basic parts of a short story that make up it.

Basic elements of plot structure

There are five basic elements of plot structure that make up a novel A successful novel mustcontain all of these elements in the right order

Climax/Crisis

Rising action/ Complication Falling action

ExpositionDenouement/ Resolution

There are five essential parts of plot:

A Plot and types of plot

The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence ofevents in a story or play The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning,middle, and end The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting A

literary term, a plot is all the events in a story particularly rendered toward the achievement

of some particular artistic or emotional effect or general theme An intricate, complicatedplot is known as an imbroglio, but even the simplest statements of plot can have multipleinferences, such as with songs the ballad tradition Basically a plot is the story line or the way

a story is written

PROGRESSIVE PLOTS: have a central climax followed by denouement Charlotte’s Web

and A Wrinkle in Time are examples.

EPISODICALLY PLOTS: have one incident or short episode linked to another by a

common character or unifying theme (maybe through chapters) Used by authors to explore

B Plot structure

1 Exposition: the beginning

Every novel must have a beginning The start, or exposition, is where the characters andsetting are established During this part of the novel, the conflict or main problem is alsointroduced This usually takes place within the first three chapters of a novel Exposition isthe beginning of the plot that concerned with introducing characters and setting Thebeginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed, it can be the setting ofthe story

Exposition is the beginning of the plot that concerned with introducing characters and setting.These elements may be largely presented at the beginning of the story, or may occur as a sort

of incidental description throughout Moreover, exposition may be handled in a variety ofways - perhaps a character or a set of characters explain the elements of the plot throughdialogue or thought, media such as newspaper clippings, and diaries In the case of film, ananalogous usage of television, discovered video tape, or documentary may be used

2 Rising Action(s)

This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story isrevealed (events between the introduction and climax) After the characters and mainproblem have been established, the main problem or conflict is dealt with by some kind ofaction In this part of the book, the main character is in crisis This is the place for tensionand excitement The complication can arise through a character’s conflict with society,nature, fate, or a number of themes In this part of the novel the main character is aware aconflict has arisen and takes some kind of step to battle this crisis The awareness and initialencounter with the conflict or main problem takes place in the first third of the novel RisingAction is the central part of a story during which various problems arise, leading up to theclimax

2.1 Conflict is the “problem” in a story which triggers the action.

Conflict is essential to plot Without conflict there is no plot It is the opposition of forceswhich ties one incident to another and makes the plot move Conflict is not merely limited toopen arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character Within ashort story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant strugglewith many minor ones

There are two types of conflict:

a) External - A struggle with a force outside one’s self.

b) Internal - A struggle within one’s self; a person must make some decision, overcome

pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc

There are five kinds of conflict:

- Man vs Man (physical)

The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature,

or animals

- Man vs Circumstances (classical)

The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her

- Man vs Society (social)

The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people

- Man vs Himself/Herself (psychological)

The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right orwrong, physical limitations, choices, etc

- Man vs God or (unknown force that is beyond human understanding.),

The leading character struggles with ironic fate, nature of death

3 Climax: the highest point

The climax is the high point of the story, where a culmination of events creates the peak ofthe conflict The climax usually features the most conflict and struggle, and usually revealsany secrets or missing points in the story Alternatively, an anti-climax may occur, in which

an expectedly difficult event is revealed to be incredibly easy or of paltry importance

Critics may also label the falling action as an anti-climax, or anti-climactic Moreover, theclimax is the highest point of the story It is the main event or danger that the hero faces This

is the darkest moment, the worst challenge the hero must oppose At this point it looks as ifthe hero will fail, and will never get what he wants

The turning point may be either physical or emotional In a romance, the girl may turn thehopeful lover down, in an action novel; the hero may be surrounded by enemies with nochance of escape

The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not? The climax isthe highest point of the story, where a culmination of events creates the peak of the conflict.The climax usually features the most conflict and struggle, and usually reveals any secrets or

difficult event is revealed to be incredibly easy or of paltry importance Critics may also labelthe falling action as an anti-climax, or anti-climactic.

However, the climax isn’t always the most important scene in a story In many stories, it is the last sentence, with no successive falling action or resolution.

4 Falling action: winding down

Following the climax, the novel begins to slowly wind down Falling action, one of the twofinal story elements, shows the result of the actions or decisions the hero has made Thiseventually leads to the final part of the novel, the crisis resolution The falling action is thepart of a story following the climax This part of the story shows the result of the climax, andits effects on the characters, setting, and proceeding events

The events and complications begin to resolve themselves The reader knows what hashappened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax anddenouement) The falling action is the part of a story following the climax This part of thestory shows the result of the climax, and its effects on the characters, setting, and proceedingevents

5 Resolution: the end (dénouement)

The resolution, also often called denouement, which is French for “to untie” or “unraveling”,

is the conclusion of the story Here, the conflicts are resolve, all loose ends are tied up, andthe story concludes with either a happy or sad ending Structure” includes all the elements in

a story The final objective is to see the story as a whole and to become aware of how the

parts are put together to produce a unified effect Denouement- This is the final outcome or

untangling of events in the story

Be aware that not all stories have a resolution It is helpful to consider climax as a three-fold

phenomenon: 1) the main character receives new information 2) accepts this information

(realizes it but does not necessarily agree with it) 3) acts on this information (makes a choicethat will determine whether or not he/she gains his objective)

At the beginning of the story…

In the middle of the story…

At the end of the story…

Unit Five: Main theme and point of view Objectives

After learning unit five, students will be able to realize a short story’s main theme and its point of view.

A Main theme

Theme is the main message in the story It is closely related to main idea, but theme usually

is more global in scope Virtually all fiction, and some non-fiction, including novels, shortstories, fables, drama, poems, speeches, and essays have themes Theme contributes anexpectation that the reader will learn from the trials and tribulations related throughcharacterization, plot, setting, and point of view

The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight It is the author’sunderlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey The theme may be the author’sthoughts about a topic or view of human nature

The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use variousfigures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor,hyperbole, or irony

Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:

- Things are not always as they appear to be

- Love is blind

- Believe in yourself

- People are afraid of change

- Don’t judge a book by its cover

- One good turn deserves another

- Diamond cuts diamond

So, the theme is the backbone of the story, and should form an unbroken link from thebeginning to the end or it is the main idea that weaves the story together, the why, theunderlying ideas of what happens in the piece of literature, often a statement about society orhuman nature

An event in a person’s life

The most important thing about a short story plot is that it should be about and event in aperson’s life The reader is drawn into a story by identifying with the central character, and it

is this identification which should hold his attention all the way through A finished story

may well have a general meaning, such as: ‘love will find a way’ or: ‘appearances can bedeceptive’, but it is not practical to set out with the intention of creating a story to illustratesuch a message If you are developing a story, and not sure where it should be going, aconsideration of the opening, or the proposed ending should reveal the theme and help youpull it together.

A unifying theme

But it is also important that a plot should have a unifying theme - a purpose, to hold ittogether.If the plot is what happens in the story, the theme is what it means, what it is about;not in a general sense, but in terms of the specific struggle in which the central character isengaged Without a theme a plot becomes episodic - A happens, then B happens, then Chappens, etc without a sense of purpose or direction

The opening paragraphs of the story should establish a situation which is unstable, whichcontains within it the necessity for change, and the ending should show the results of thatchange, and the achievement of some form of stability The nature of the initial instabilityshould be mirrored in the finally achieved stability, and the connection between them is yourtheme So you should be able to see the opening of your story reflected in its ending, and theending reflected in the opening If you cannot then the story hasn’t yet gelled, and won’t yetwork.In some cases you may not be able to define your theme in words, it may be just afeeling, and the story may well be an attempt to capture that feeling There is nothing wrongwith this, in fact it may be the way the best stories are conceived, but even if you can’t definethe theme you must have a sense of what it is It must be there as the raison d’être of thestory, giving it direction and holding it together

- Explicit theme is when the writer states the theme openly and clearly.

- Implicit themes are implied themes Best friends can do no wrong Friendship is

reciprocal

- Multiple and secondary themes: Since a story speaks to us on our own individual

level of varying experiences, many individual themes will be obtained from a goodpiece of literature

B Point of view

Point of view, or P.O.V., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.

If the narrator refers to him or herself as I or me, you’ll know the story is being told from

a first person POV First person narrators are characters inside the story, and will providemost of the narrative First person is the most intimate point of view, because you experiencethe story from only one person’s point of view This has its advantages and disadvantages.Since you are hearing the story through only one person’s point of view, you will not knowabout any events this character does not know of and you will not experience anything thischaracter does not personally experience

Example: My heart pounded as the growling dog, saliva dripping from it black tongue,

viciously stalked towards me You are subject to the world view of this character If he or she

is self-centered, mentally unstable, scared to death of dogs or thinks everyone is out to gethim, you will experience the story the way he experiences it This is great for mysteries orthrillers where you don’t want the reader to know everything In this way the reader is kept insuspense The author cannot include anything not witnessed or heard by the narrator.Everything is seen and understood from their view of the way things are

“I felt like I was getting drowned with shame and disgrace.”

- Second Person (You Are)

If the narrator speaks directly to the reader as you, the story is in the second person POV.Second person POV is used more rarely in literature Second person is told from theperspective of “you” This is not commonly used, except in instructional writings

Example: Your heart pounded as the growling dog, saliva dripping from its black tongue,

stalked towards you When you give someone directions, you normally use second person

“Sometimes you cannot clearly discern between anger and frustration.”

- Third Person (She/He Is)

If the narrator refers to all characters in the story as he or she, and knows their thoughts andsees their actions even when they’re alone, the story is in the third person POV Variations onthird person POV are below

“Mr Stewart is a principled man He acts by the book and never lets you

deceive him easily.”

Unit Six: Setting & characters Objectives

After learning unit six, students will be able to know a short story’s setting and the

characters in a short story that make up it.

A Setting

Every story takes place at same point or points in space and in time It is incumbent upon thewriter of fiction to “place” his story in space and time, as early as possible in his narrative, sothat you will begin making the proper associations with the setting The setting also presents

a share of technical difficulties, but most novelists embrace them gladly

The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting For some stories thesetting is very important, while for others it is not There are several aspects of a story’ssetting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may bepresent in a story):

- place - geographical location Where is the action of the story taking place?

- time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc.)

- weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

- social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story

contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs,etc of a particular place)?

- mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it

bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

B Characters

There are two meanings for the word character:

- The person in a work of fiction.

- The characteristics of a person.

Most simply a character is one of the persons who appear in the play In another sense of theterm, the treatment of the character is the basic part of the playwright’s work Conventions ofthe period and the author’s personal vision will affect the treatment of character

Most plays contain major characters and minor characters

a) Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist

- The protagonist is the main character of the story He or she may be good, bad, or a

combination of both In any case, s/he is the character at the story’s heart and istypically (though not always) the character who changes the most from the beginning

to the end of the story or novel

- The antagonist is any character in conflict with the protagonist He or she may be a

villain, but may also be a good, kind, loving, caring individual It is not thecharacter’s goodness or lack of it that defines the antagonist: it is his or herrelationship to and interaction with the protagonist

- A round character is a major character (main character) in a work of fiction that

encounters conflict and is changed by it Round characters tend to be more fullydeveloped and described than flat, or static, characters If you think of the charactersyou most love in fiction, they probably seem as real to you as people you know in reallife This is a good sign that they are round characters A writer employs a number oftools or elements to develop a character, making him or her round, includingdescription and dialogue A character’s responses to conflict and his or her internaldialogue are also revelatory

- A flat character is a minor character in a work of fiction that does not undergo

substantial change or growth in the course of a story Also referred to as dimensional characters” or “static characters,” flat characters play a supporting role tothe main character that as a rule should be round Though we don’t generally strive towrite flat characters, they are often necessary in a story, along with round characters

“two-Example, Mr Collins in Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice A flat character, he serves a vital

role in the story of how Elizabeth and Darcy get together, and he provides comedy, but hischaracter stays essentially unchanged (In fact, that’s part of what makes him funny.)

They pretty much just appear to allow definition for the main characters There can be asmany rounded characters as you feel comfortable Hamlet has Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius,

Ofelia, Hamlet, Laertes, Horatio and plenty more They all think they are the main

characters, they all think the story’s about them.

b) The Characteristics of a Person - In order for a story to seem real to the reader its

characters must seem real Characterization is the information the author gives the readerabout the characters themselves The author may reveal a character in several ways:

- his/her physical appearance

- what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams

- what he/she does or does not do

- what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble realpeople Character is the mental, emotional, and social qualities to distinguish one entity fromanother (people, animals, spirits, automatons, pieces of furniture, and other animatedobjects)

- Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.

- Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by

the end of the story

- Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are

emphasized e.g brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc

Unit Seven: Style, mood & tone Objectives

After learning this unit, students will be able to know a short story’s style, mood and tone

Any literary written is concerned with (a) statements, (B) feelings (A) He makes hisstatement in a certain way (B)

(1) He arouses certain feelings I his audience about his statement (A) intentionally, (B)unintentionally

(2) He reveals certain feelings of his own (A) intentionally (unless he is deliberatelyimpersonal), (B) unintentionally

(3) He arouses certain feelings in his audience about himself and his feelings (A)intentionally, (B) unintentionally

In short, a writer may be doing seven different things at once; four of them, consciously.Literature is complicated

B Mood

The atmosphere or emotional condition created by within the setting Mood refers to thegeneral sense or feeling which the reader is supposed to get from the text and is notnecessarily referring to the characters’ state of mind

C Tone

Tone tells us the author feels about his or her subject Words express the writer’s attitude

toward his or her work, subject, and readers Without vocal inflection to help convey tone,

the writer must choose words with great care We often describe a writer’s tone but are notaware of how we discovered the tone It sort of creeps into our consciousness, tone can beserious, humorous, satirical, passionate, sensitive, zealous, indifferent, caring, caustic

- Humor is an important tone in children’s literature Types of humor include:

exaggeration, incongruent, surprise, absurd, parody, ridicule, slapstick, situational,defiant, violent, verbal

- Unexpected humor: The cow jumping over the moon, the dish running away with

the spoon, the barber shaving a pig

- Parody is a device that retains the original form but changes the words and the tone

for humorous effect “An hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops, is a parody for

“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This device is usually for older

readers, since readers must have previous knowledge of the original writing

- Variety of tone: even though tone should relate to the story it needs to vary

according to the situation Tone varies from person to person to create people asindividuals and group to group to create different social groups Tone also changes tochange the pace, create character-conflict, fit the theme, add pleasure

- Condescending tone is when the author looks down upon the reader or treats them as

though they are unintelligent or immature A retelling of what seems to be obvious orexplanation that steals the opportunity for the reader to be awed, or to gain admirationfrom self-discovery Can be moralizing, didactic, sentimental, or cynical none ofwhich are appropriate for children

Unit Eight: Language & literature; diction; form & content Objectives

After learning this unit, students will be able to know some features in a short story such as langue and literature.

A Language and literature

Language and literature are inextricably connected, in the sense that language is the basicraw material or medium, through which literature is produced, whether they are novels orpoems, plays or folktales, etc Language has been defined as a system of communication byspoken or written words, which is used by the people of a particular country or area It is asystem for the expression of thoughts, feelings, etc., by the use of spoken words orconventional symbols Literature, whether oral or written, expresses people’s thoughts,feelings, views, culture, etc Thus, literature cannot exist outside language, since language isthe medium of expression; people can only use language to construct poems, stories, plays,etc

In other words, literature involves the manipulation of language for creative purposes

Another way of looking at the relationship between language and literature is this: whilelanguage is a method of communication, literature is the content being communicated.Language has been described as a set of gestures and words and phrases with meaningbehind them; literature is the manipulation and use of those gestures and words and phrasesfor creative purposes It is pertinent to say that language enables literature In literature,language is meticulously crafted Broadly speaking, ‘literature’ is used to describe anythingfrom creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonlyused to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction,and nonfiction Literature, in all its forms, cannot exist outside language

While it is undeniable that literature is the manipulation of language for creative purposes, itmust be noted that the usefulness or otherwise of literature to the human society dependslargely on how the writer uses language Like a house whose structure and value depend onthe quality of materials used by the builder as well as his or her expertise in the use of thesematerials, the value of a work of literature also depends on the writer’s choice of language aswell as his or her ability to use language creatively and in a manner that is beneficial to thehuman society

What can be deduced from the above paragraphs is that every work of literature is theproduct of a given language and that the aesthetic and moral value of a work of literaturecertainly depends on the use of language To produce a good work of literature, the writermust be able to manipulate language for the purpose of conveying a message that is bothmeaningful and useful to the audience.

B Diction

Diction is the author’s choice of words, taking into account correctness, clearness, andeffectiveness There are typically recognized to be four levels of diction: formal, informal,colloquial, and slang Diction will be effective only when the words you choose areappropriate for the audience and purpose, when they convey your message accurately andcomfortably The idea of comfort may seem out of place in connection with diction, but, infact, words can sometimes cause the reader to feel uncomfortable

Diction refers to both the choice and the order of words It has typically been split intovocabulary and syntax The basic question to ask about vocabulary is “Is it simple orcomplex?” The basic question to ask about syntax is “Is it ordinary or unusual?” Takentogether, these two elements make up diction When we speak of a “level of diction,” wemight be misleading, because it’s certainly possible to use “plain” language in a complicatedway, especially in poetry, and it’s equally possible to use complicated language in a simpleway It might help to think of diction as a web rather than a level: There’s typicallysomething deeper than a surface meaning to consider, so poetic diction is, by definition,complex

C Form & content

Form can refer to both broad and specific types of literature For example, form could refer towhether or not you are writing a novel, poetry, play, etc It can also refer to things withinthese categories Within poetry, for example, you have the haiku, the sonnet, free verse,blank verse, etc Even within sonnets you have Shakespearian and Petrarchan

Content is simply what is actually written At times, form can dictate content The sonnetform, for example, usually contains idealized romance or a deep non-romantic affection

Unit Nine: Basic elements of poetry Objectives

After learning this unit, students will be able to know the basic elements of a poem to read it easier.

Some basic elements of poetry

Poetry has always been one of the best means of expressing thoughts and feelings Thesweetness, melody and smoothness that we feel while going through poetry, cannot be found

in any other form of literature It exhibits a special kind of empathy that directly touches theheart and soul of people, mainly those who can understand the deep thought veiled behindsimple lines

A good poem always comprises of certain basic elements, which help it in achieving higherdegrees of perfection in expression In case you are interested in reading or writing poetry,familiarity with these basic elements will help you develop a better understanding of thismelodious form of literature There are several elements which make up a good poem Inbrief, they are described below

- Purpose: why was this poem written?

- Tone of voice: how does the language used create a certain mood or atmosphere when

reading it and what mood / emotion does it reflect of the narrative? The tone of a poem isroughly equivalent to the mood it creates in the reader Think of an actor reading a linesuch as “I could kill you.” He can read it in a few different ways: If he thinks the propertone is murderous anger, he might scream the line and cause the veins to bulge in hisneck He might assume the tone of cool power and murmur the line in a low, even voice.Perhaps he does not mean the words at all and laughs as he says them Much depends oninterpretation, of course, but the play will give the actor clues about the tone just as apoem gives its readers clues about how to feel about it The tone may be based on anumber of other conventions that the poem uses, such as meter or repetition If you find apoem exhilarating, maybe it’s because the meter mimics galloping If you find a poemdepressing, that may be because it contains shadowy imagery Tone is not in any waydivorced from the other elements of poetry; it is directly dependent on them

- Structure: is it one stanza? 2? 3? Why is it like that? Is it showing different stages of life,

day or an event?

- Context: history of the poem, when written, during when how does this reflect what the

poem is about?

- Content: analyze the poem from title to poet’s name at the bottom Is there any literary

devices used such as the title is a metaphor, etc

- Themes: is it about love, romance, racism, murder ? Can you identify in the poem

where the themes are more explicit?

- Language (figure of speeches) : is there use of similes, metaphors, personification,

caesura, colloquialisms, repetition, and use of three?

- Denotation is when you mean what you say, literally.

- Connotation is created when you mean something else, something that might be initially

hidden The connotative meaning of a word is based on implication, or shared emotionalassociation with a word

- Rhythm: This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the

syllables in the lines The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud.Listen for the sounds and the music made when we hear the lines spoken aloud How dothe words resonate with each other? How do the words flow when they are linked withone another? Does sound right? Do the words fit with each other? These are the thingsyou consider while studying the rhythm of the poem Rhythm: is a musical quality

produced by the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables Rhythm occurs in all

forms of language, both written and spoken, but is particularly important in poetry Themost obvious king of rhythm is the regular repetition of stressed and unstressed syllablesfound in some poetry This rhythm is often described as a pattern of stressed andunstressed syllables The rhythmic unit is often described as a foot; patterns of feet can beidentified and labeled A foot may be iambic, which follows a pattern ofunstressed/stressed syllables

- Meter: This is the basic structural make-up of the poem Do the syllables match with

each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure A poem is made up ofblocks of lines, which convey a single strand of thought Within those blocks, a structure

of syllables which follow the rhythm has to be included This is the meter or the metricalform of poetry Meter is the rhythm established by a poem, and it is usually dependentnot only on the number of syllables in a line but also on the way those syllables areaccented For example, read aloud: “The DOG went WALKing DOWN the ROAD andBARKED.” Because there are five iambs, or feet, this line follows the conventions of

syllables are conventionally labeled with a “/” mark and unstressed syllables with a “U”mark.

- Rhyme: A poem may or may not have a rhyme When you write poetry that has rhyme, it

means that the last words of the lines match with each other in some form Either the lastwords of the first and second lines would rhyme with each other or the first and the third,second and the fourth and so on Rhyme is basically similar sounding words like ‘cat’ and

‘hat’, ‘close’ and ‘shows’, ‘house’ and ‘mouse’ etc Free verse poetry, though, does not

follow this system Rhyme is also the basic definition of rhyme is two words that soundalike The vowel sound of two words is the same, but the initial consonant sound isdifferent Rhyme is perhaps the most recognizable convention of poetry, but its function

is often overlooked Rhyme helps to unify a poem; it also repeats a sound that links oneconcept to another, thus helping to determine the structure of a poem When twosubsequent lines rhyme, it is likely that they are thematically linked, or that the next set ofrhymed lines signifies a slight departure

- Symbolism: Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols A symbol can

stand for many things at one time and leads the reader out of a systematic and structuredmethod of looking at things Often a symbol used in the poem will be used to create such

an effect A symbol works two ways: It is something itself, and it also suggestssomething deeper It is crucial to distinguish a symbol from a metaphor: Metaphors arecomparisons between two seemingly dissimilar things; symbols associate two things, buttheir meaning is both literal and figurative A metaphor might read, “His life was an oaktree that had just lost its leaves”; a symbol might be the oak tree itself, which wouldevoke the cycle of death and rebirth through the loss and growth of leaves Some symbolshave widespread, commonly accepted values that most readers should recognize: Applepie suggests innocence or homespun values; ravens signify death; fruit is associated withsensuality Yet none of these associations is absolute, and all of them are reallydetermined by individual cultures and time (would a Chinese reader recognize that applepie suggests innocence?)

- Image: Think of an image as a picture or a sculpture, something concrete and

representational within a work of art Literal images appeal to our sense of realisticperception, like a nineteenth-century landscape painting that looks “just like aphotograph.” There are also figurative images that appeal to our imagination, like atwentieth-century modernist portrait that looks only vaguely like a person but that implies

a certain mood Most figures of speech cast up a picture in your mind These picturescreated or suggested by the poet are called ‘images’ To participate fully in the world of

poem, we must understand how the poet uses image to convey more than what is actuallysaid or literally meant.

Visual image and sound image

- Auditory imagery represents a sound.

- Kinesthetic imagery represents movement

- Olfactory imagery represents a smell.

- Gustatory imagery represents a taste.

- Tactile imagery represents touch.

- Imagery can be showcased in many forms, such as metaphors and similes.

Discussion questions:

1 Is it written in the point of view of someone else? Or is the point of view of the poet?

2 What is the poet’s point of view? Why? What effect does this point of view have onthe reader?

Unit Ten: Poetry types Objectives

After learning this unit, students will be able to distinguish some poetry types.

The list starts with easiest types that can be used for almost any reading age and goes on tothose appropriate for older students only Most examples have non space themes so childrenare free to start their poems using only their imagination

Simple, four line rhyme scheme

Mary had a little lamb Twinkle, twinkle little star

Its fleece was white as snow How I wonder what you are

And everywhere that Mary went Up above the world so high

The lamb was sure to go Like a diamond in the sky

The rain was like a little mouse, Rain, rain, go away

It pattered all around the house Little children want to playand then it went away So rain, rain, go away

1 CINQUAIN

A short poem consisting of five, usually unrhymed lines containing respectively two, four,six, eight and two syllables: A cinquain has five lines

Line 1 is one word (the title)

Line 2 is two words that describe the title

Line 3 is three words that tell the action

Line 4 is four words that express the feeling

Line 5 is one word that recalls the title

PopcornJumpy, bouncyWhite, yellow and bumpyJumbly, rumbly, hot and mushy

Popcorn

2 HAIKU

Japanese poem of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables:

The pond I used toSwim in has hardened now, but

It is mine year round

Andrea Baccigalupi (age 9)

In a blue cloud-clothAway from the too-rough fingers

Of the world

By Langston Hughes

MESSY ROOM

by Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!

His underwear is hanging on the lamp

His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp

His workbook is wedged in the window,His sweater’s been thrown on the floor

His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door