Elements of Fiction.ppt.................

Editor's Notes

• #9: Stories don't always directly tell us their time period Sometimes we must figure it out from “clues” / descriptions in the story such as the style of clothing worn, the activities done, or the technology used by the characters. Also includes circumstances of the story, such as weather conditions, social class, etc
• #10: Stories can have more than one setting
• #11: Characters can be classified in different ways: MAJOR and MINOR ROUND and FLAT round - complex character DYNAMIC and STATIC PROTAGONIST and ANTAGONIST
• #12: In fiction, major characters are central to the plot and are generally complex and three-dimensional, while minor characters are generally flat, stereotypical and not of central importance to the plot. Less time is devoted to developing minor than major characters and they tend to fade into the background of the story. minor characters are two-dimensional and once their purpose is served, generally fade into the background. Major characters, on the other hand, are figures you often expect to encounter again and again until the conflict is resolved. Another example of a flat character could be seen in the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the character of Filch. Filch is obsessed with catching students and with his cat. The readers do not learn anything else about Filch so he remains a one-dimensional or flat character. Flat characters are unimportant characters when it comes to the rest of the story, however, they may play crucial or partial roles in plot points. The opposite of the flat character would be the round character. A round character is a character who is complex. He or she is typically referred to as three-dimensional and is most often a leading character in the story. An example of a round character would be Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Hermione is a complex character and a character who grows emotionally and mentally throughout the story as her personality changes.
• #13: Another example of a flat character could be seen in the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the character of Filch. Filch is obsessed with catching students and with his cat. The readers do not learn anything else about Filch so he remains a one-dimensional or flat character. Flat characters are unimportant characters when it comes to the rest of the story, however, they may play crucial or partial roles in plot points. The opposite of the flat character would be the round character. A round character is a character who is complex. He or she is typically referred to as three-dimensional and is most often a leading character in the story. An example of a round character would be Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Hermione is a complex character and a character who grows emotionally and mentally throughout the story as her personality changes.
• #14: A static character, in this vocabulary, is one that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end as he or she was at the beginning. A dynamic character, in contrast, is one that does undergo an important change in the course of the story. Static Character Examples Sherlock Holmes is one of the most prominent static characters in literature. He maintains his wit, confidence and quirky personality while dealing with adventures and compelling cases. Likewise, in Mark Twain's famous stories about Tom Sawyer, Tom's personality didn't change throughout the plot. Instead, the tales were largely about the trials and experiences related to his adventures. The villainous character Hannibal Lecter also remained relatively static over the course of a suspense book series by Thomas Harris. From the initial books in the series, Lecter was an intelligent, but deranged serial killer. Dynamic Characters A dynamic character is often easier to build a compelling story around. Dynamic character might go through a major life transition, have a coming-of-age experience, pull through trials and tribulations, mature, have a change of heart or develop more likeable qualities -- or take a turn for the worse. A common misconception is that a dynamic character has an electric, charismatic personality. In fact, the term "dynamic" doesn't define the character's qualities, but rather refers to how those qualities change over time. Dynamic Character Examples Dynamic characters are often easier to spot than static ones. A clear example of a dynamic character is Ebenezer Scrooge. His evolution was dramatic as he went from a miserly scrooge to a generous giver after encounters with three ghosts. And in the famous J. K. Rowling "Harry Potter" fantasy book series, the title character undergoes a major transformation from being a regular kid to a powerful young wizard who must battle the evil Lord Voldemort.
• #15: Protagonist - the main character in a drama. Technically, there can only be one protagonist in a drama, though writers often use the word in reference to two or more central characters. Antagonist - the main character's chief opponent. Amanda Waller vs Suicice Squad
• #17: It is the author's arrangement of events in the story. It has a beginning, middle, and end. More specifically, it follows the Freytag pyramid. Gustav Freytag - German novelist and playwright Exposition - the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Rising action - the series of crises and conflicts that lead to the climax Climax/ Turning Point - the most intense moment - either mentally or in action, the reader wonders what will happen next: will the conflict be resolved or not? Falling Action - the events and complications begin to resolve themselves Denouement/ Resolution- untangling of events in the story can be chronological, non-linear flashback (The Odyssey, Godfather II, 5 people you meet in heaven), foreshadowing (Back to the future, fight club), conflict
• #22: external: physical - between a character and nature or the physical world social - between the characters or between the character and his or her society
• #24: the angle or perspective from which the story is told (who tells the story?) usually first person or third person
• #25: omniscient - the narrator has the power to show the readers what is happening in the minds of the characters, their thoughts and feelings (da vinci code, little women by louisa may alcott, lotr, anna karenina by leo tolstoy, hansel and gretel) limited omniscient - the narrator shows us the inside the mind of one character. Jane Austen's famous Pride and Prejudice is told entirely from the point of view of protagonist Elizabeth Bennett. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series unfolds its secrets through Harry himself who, like the reader, is new to the world of magic and wizardry. objective point of view - the story is told as if from a camera that follows the characters. Only what is said and done is recorded. often referred to as Dramatic point of view, because the story is narrated by the author as if he is a mere spectator of events. Objective point of view contains no references to thoughts or feelings; it only reports what can be seen and heard. One way to imagine this POV would be to think of the narrator as a roving movie camera. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
• #26: central idea or central message of the story. Usually contains some insight into the human condition - telling something about human and life. verbal irony - the contrast between what is said and what is meant dramatic irony - character thinks to be true and what we readers know to be true. Sometimes as we read we are placed int he position of knowing more than what one character knows. Because we know something the character does not, we read to discover how the character will react when he or she learns the truth of the situation SITUATIONAL IRONY - the contrast between what happens and what was expected to happen SYMBOLISM - represents an idea, concept, quality larger than itself journey - life water - cleanliness and renewal lion - courage red rose - love