1.  Community or Individual: Which is more important?

2.  Oral tradition=the sharing of stories, cultures, and ideas by word of mouth  Most originated before reading and writing began  Handed down from generation to generation  Used to communicate shared beliefs and explain the world

3.  Theme: a central idea, message, or insight that is revealed within a story  Examples: Love, Romance, Peace, War, Good vs. Evil  Universal theme: an idea repeated across many cultures and throughout many time periods Moral: a lesson about life that is taught by a story Heroes and Heroines: characters or people whose virtues and deeds are celebrated in stories from oral tradition

4.  Storytelling: requires the talents and personality of the teller (narrator) to bring the narrative to life; uses some common techniques:  Hyperbole: using exaggeration or overstatement, either for comic effect or to express heightened emotion.  Personification: giving human characteristics to nonhuman subjects, such as animals or elements of nature.  Allusion: referring to a well known person, place, event, literary work, or other work of art

5.  Myths: tales that express the actions of gods, goddesses, and the heroes who interact with them; every culture has it’s own mythology (collection of myths); often attempt to explain the causes of natural phenomena.  Legends: traditional stories based on real life events; as stories are told and retold, facts often become fiction.  Folk Tales: stories about ordinary people; reveal the traditions and values of a culture and teach a lesson.

6.  Tall Tales: types of folk tales that often use hyperbole (deliberate overstatement) for comic effect; often focus on central hero that performs impossible feats.  Fables: brief stories featuring animals that speak and act like humans; often end with a moral that is directly stated.  Epics: long narrative poems important to the history of a nation or culture. Tell of a larger than life hero that goes on a dangerous journey or quest.

7.  A cause is an event, action, or feeling that produces a result. That result is called an effect. In some literary works, multiple causes result in a single effect. In others, a single cause results in multiple effects. Effects can also become causes for events that follow. This linking of causes and effects propels the action in a narrative forward.  As you read, ask questions to analyze cause and effect relationships (What happened? Why? What will happen as a result of this?)

8.  Since time began, people have created myths, stories that explain natural occurrences and express beliefs about right and wrong.  Every culture has its own collection of myths or mythology. Myths explore universal themes and explain the world in human terms.

9.  A comparison tells how one or more things are alike  A contrast tells how two or more things are different

10.  Tone: the tone of a literary work is the author’s attitude toward the subject  Often, tone is closely linked to theme.