LITERATURE STUDIES Grade Nine ELA

LITERARY FORMS Short Story -short piece of writing (<40 pages) -has only one central plot line -limited number of characters -one main theme -generally covers a limited time frame (<24 hours) -usually only one central conflict; although there may be other sub conflicts Literature Studies 1

-a longer piece of fiction -will have: -multiple characters NOVEL: -a longer piece of fiction -will have: -multiple characters -multiple settings -multiple plot lines (one central plus several sub-plots) -multiple themes Literature Studies 1

-evokes an emotional response. -may use metre and rhyme POETRY: -is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices -evokes an emotional response. -may use metre and rhyme -hard to define as it has many forms Literature Studies 1

-a piece of work intended for performance DRAMA: -a piece of work intended for performance -contains the elements of other literature but all knowledge/information is presented through dialogue -many will contain stage directions for the actors (or readers) of a drama -can vary in length from single monologues to full length plays Literature Studies 1

LITERARY GENRES -A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter Examples: science fiction, romance, horror, historical, western, action, etc. Literature Studies 1

LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING: the time and location in which a story takes place. For some stories the setting is very important. There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story: Place: geographical location: where is the story taking place? Time: when is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc.) Weather conditions: is it rainy, sunny, story, 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? Literature Studies 1

PLOT: -the sequence of events in a story -five essential parts of plot: Introduction (exposition): the beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed Rising action: the events of the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed Climax: the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next: will the conflict be resolved or not? Falling action: the events and complications begin to resolve Denouement: the final outcome or untangling of events in the story (Not all stories will have this. Some end at the climax.) Literature Studies 1

Consider climax as a three-fold phenomenon: 1 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 choice that will determine whether or not he/she gains his/her objective) **this is often seen as the point of the highest tension in a story—it’s the point of no return) Literature Studies 1

III. Conflict: -the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another -any form of opposition that faces the main character -there are two types of conflict: external-a struggle with a force outside one’s self internal-a struggle within one’s self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc. Literature Studies 1

There are four kinds of conflict: 1. Physical: Man v. Man Man v. Nature Man v. Supernatural Man v. Technology Classical: Man v. Circumstances (fate or the circumstances of life facing him/her) Social: Man v. Society (the leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people) Psychological: Man v. Himself (the leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his or her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.) Literature Studies 1

-there are two meanings: a. The person in a work of fiction Character: -there are two meanings: a. The person in a work of fiction -protagonist: the central/leading character -antagonist: he/she/it acts against the main character b. The characteristics of a person may be revealed 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 real people) Literature Studies 1

Characters are: 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; may also be described as “flat” Literature Studies 1

Point of View: the angle from which the story is told Innocent eye: told through the eyes of a child Stream of consciousness: the author makes it seem as though the reader were inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions First person: the protagonist (or a character who interacts closely with the protagonist) tells the story. It uses “I”, “me”, “my”. Omniscient: told from an outside perspective. The author moves from character to character, event to event. There are two types: Omniscient Limited: told in the third person (he, she, they, etc) but the author focuses on one character, the reader knows only what that person knows. Omniscient Objective: third person; the author follows characters around like a video camera recording all events but offering no analysis, interpretation, etc. The reader must interpret the events him or herself. Literature Studies 1

-the controlling idea or its central insight Theme: -the controlling idea or its central insight -the underlying meaning or main idea the author is trying to convey -may be the author’s thoughts on a topic or a view of human nature -the title of a short story is often a clue -use of figurative language helps emphasize theme (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, symbol, allusion, etc.) Literature Studies 1