Literary Elements:
Characters: In
children’s literature, character is used to mean a person or personified animal
or object.
·
Character Development: collection of features
that bring the character to life, inner and outer qualities
·
Revelation of Character occurs through the
character’s thoughts, conversations, actions and behaviors; the author’s
narration; or the thoughts of other characters
·
Types of Characters:
o
Round Characters: Fully developed in the
story—central characters and protagonists
o
Flat Characters: Less important characters, but
essential to the action
o
Dynamic Characters: Changes in the course of the
action
o
Static Characters: No change in the course of
the story—flat characters, stereotypes and foils (a minor character whose
traits are in direct contrast to the main character)
·
Analysis of characterization:
o
Physical traits
o
Inner qualities
o
Revelation of the character
o
Relationship to other characters
o
Types of characters
·
Good Picture Books for Character Study:
o
Amazing Grace—Hoffman
o
My Great Aunt Arizona—Gloria Huston
·
Classroom Connection:
o
Character Cinquainography
o
Adjectives and Character Traits
o
Character Development Story Map
o
Character Diary Entries
Setting: the time
and place where the story occurs.
·
Characteristics of setting:
o
Time identified as past, present or future
o
Setting is developed through text or
illustrations
o
Setting provides details which reinforce the
plot and characterization
·
Author’s use of setting to enhance story:
o
When the story depends upon reader understanding,
envisioning, feeling and/or sensing a particular scene, an author often goes to
great lengths to describe clearly the setting.
o
An author may sometimes choose not to clearly
describe a setting, or make it too specific because to do so might limit the
universality of the conflict
·
Types of Settings:
o
Backdrop Setting: setting is of secondary
importance; story focus is likely to be on characters, character confrontation,
dialogue, action and the development of conflict
o
Time and place influence action, character
and/or theme. Characters behave in a given way because of time and place
·
Good Picture Books for Setting:
o
Gleam and Glow—Eve Bunting
o
Grandfather’s Journey—Allen Say
o
The Relatives Came—Cynthia Rylant
·
Classroom Connection:
o
Setting Comparison: Where I live vs. Story
setting
Plot: Sequence of
events showing characters in action. Sequence is chosen by the author as the
best way of telling the story.
·
Three Elements of Plot
o
Narrative Order: the way or the order in which
the writer chooses to unfold the story to the reader
§
Chronological: Events are related in the order
of their happening
§
Flashbacks: Writer disrupts normal time sequence
to recount some past event
o
Conflict: the struggles the protagonist of the
story faces
§
Person-against-self: Character typically faces
an internal conflict which pulls her/him toward two courses of action
§
Person-against-person: involves a struggle
between two or more characters
§
Person-against-society: involves a struggle
between a character, or characters and either social mores, cultural values or
sometimes the law
§
Person-against-nature: involves a conflict
between a character and some force or forces of nature
o
Pattern of Action: the pattern that the action
of the story takes place
§
Suspense: state of uncertainty about what events
will happen in the story—cliffhanger, foreshadowing, and sensationalism
§
Climax: peak and turning point of conflict,
point at which the reader knows the outcome of the action
§
Denouement: resolution or tying together of the
plot that gives the reader a sense of completeness at the end.
·
Good Picture Books for Plot
o
The Ugly Duckling
o
Harriet and the Promised Land
Point of View:
The side of the story the reader sees as revealed by the author through the
characters. Point of view is seen through the eyes and minds of characters as
the plot unfolds.
·
Types of Point of View
o
First Person
§
Story told through first-person narrator “I”
whose actions and feelings influence story
§
This character is limited in perspective because
she/he cannot tell what another character thinks unless told by the other
character
o
Objective Point of View
§
Author lets actions speak for themselves
§
Author describes only the characters’ actions;
the reader is left to infer characters’ thoughts and feelings
o
Omniscient Point of View
§
Story is told in the third person with author
talking about “they, he, or she”
§
Author is not restricted to the knowledge,
experience and feelings of one character
§
Feelings, thoughts and even motives of any or
all characters can be revealed to give the reader helpful information
o
Limited Omniscient Point of View
§
Combination of first-person and omniscient
§
Story is told through the eyes of a single
character, usually the protagonist, but is not told in first-person
·
Good Picture Books for Point of View
o
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs—Jon
Scieszka
o
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog—Sara
Miller
Theme: The idea
that holds the story together or the author’s message to the reader. it is the
main idea or the central meaning of the story
·
Themes often deal with society, human nature,
the human condition, social issues, and good versus evil
·
Authors reveals theme explicitly as well as
implicitly
·
Stories usually have a cluster of theme which
are often related
o
Primary theme—central theme which is of more
importance than the rest
o
Secondary theme—themes which seem of lesser
importance than the primary one
·
“Themes are the underlyng ideas, morals, and
lessons that give the story its texture, depth, and meaning….We infer themes.”
(Harvey & Goudvis)
·
“A plot relates to a single story, whereas a
theme is applicable to hundreds of stories.” (Donelson & Nilsen)
·
Classroom Connection: Theme boards using
Proverbs
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·
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
·
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
·
A stitch in time saves nine.
·
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
·
As you sow, so you shall reap.
·
Beauty is only skin deep.
·
Better late than never.
·
Better safe than sorry.
·
Don’t count your chickens before they’re
hatched.
·
Don’t cry over spilt milk.
·
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
·
Don’t through the baby out with the bath
water.
·
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man
healthy, wealthy, and wise.
·
Every cloud has a silver lining.
·
God helps those who help themselves.
·
Half a loaf is better than no bread.
·
He who laughs last laughs longest.
|
·
Make hay while the sun shines. Necessity is
the mother of invention.
·
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do
today.
·
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
·
Out of sight, out of mind.
·
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
·
The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
·
The end justifies the means.
·
The grass is always greener on the other side
of the fence.
·
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
·
Two heads are better than one.
·
Waste not, want not.
·
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
·
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot
make him drink.
·
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s
ear.
·
Let sleeping dogs lie.
·
Hunger is the best sauce.
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Style: Author’s
choice and arrangement of words in order to create plot, characterizations,
setting, and theme.
·
Devices of Style:
o
Connotation: Associative or emotional meaning of
a word; usually used to describe a character or situation
o
Imagery: the appeal of the senses; helps to
create setting, establish mood and character
o
Figurative Language: Words used in a non-literal
way, giving meaning beyond the usual sense. Ex) personification, simile, or
metaphor
o
Hyperbole: exaggeration used for humor or to
make a point
o
Understatement: opposite of exaggeration; used
to play down a happening or situation
o
Allusion: tends to have more meaning for mature
readers; relies on a reference to something in our common understanding, our
past, or our literature
o
Symbol: something that operates on two levels of
meaning, the literal and the figurative levels
o
Puns and Wordplay
·
Devices of Sound:
o
Onomatopoeia: words that sounds like their
meaning
o
Alliteration: repetition of a similar vowel
sound within a phrase
o
Consonance: close repetition of a consonant
sound within a phrase but not in the initial position
o
Rhythm and Cadence
Tone: the
author’s attitude toward what he or she has written. Ex) humor, mysterious,
creepy, straight-forward, matter-of-fact, exciting, boring, etc.
Nice input here! Thanks for sharing.
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