Literary Elements

Literary Elements They are different pieces that come together to create the story.

Story Elements • Setting • Characters • Plot • Point of View • Theme • Symbolism

Setting Time and place where the story occurs Details that describe: • Furniture • Scenery • Clothing • Weather • Time of day • Time of year

The Functions of a Setting • To create a mood or atmosphere • To show a reader a different way of life • To make action seem more real • To be the source of conflict or struggle

Types of Characters • Main Character • Minor Character • Dynamic Character • Static Character • Protagonist vs. Antagonist

Definitions… • Main Character: this character is who the story is about, also called the Protagonist • Minor Character: they are involved in the story, but are not in the story all the time • Dynamic Character: this kind of character grows and changes throughout the story as a result of the conflict, also called a Round character • Static Character: this kind of character does not change at all throughout the story, also called a Flat character • Antagonist: this kind of character is involved in the conflict with the protagonist and causes the problem for them

Characterization • The methods an author uses to develop the personality of a character. • Two primary methods of characterization: • Direct- writer makes clear statements about character • Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by what the character says and does and by what other characters say and do in response to the character.

Direct Characterization Soda is handsomer than anyone else I know. Not like Darry—Soda’s movie-star handsome, the kind that people stop on the street to watch go by. He’s not tall like Darry, and he’s a little slimmer, but he has a finely drawn, sensitive face that somehow manages to be reckless and thoughtful at the same time. He’s got dark gold hair that combs back—long and silky and straight—and in the summer the sun bleaches it to a shining wheat-gold. His eyes are dark brown—lively, dancing, recklessly laughing eyes that can be gentle and sympathetic one moment and blazing with anger the next. From The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

Indirect Characterization The old man bowed to all of us in the room.Thenhe removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor. From “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” by J. Sedillo

Plot Plot is what happens and how it happens in a narrative. A narrative is any work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, a drama, or a narrative poem.

Parts of a Plot • Exposition- introduces the story’s characters, setting, and situation in the story • Rising Action- develops the conflicts or problems in a story • Climax- highest point of interest or suspense of story • Falling Action- shows what happens after the climax • Resolution- gives the story’s final outcome

Diagram of Plot Climax Falling Action Rising Action Exposition Resolution

Special Techniques of Plot • Suspense- excitement or tension • Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story • Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about something that happened in the past • Surprise Ending- conclusion that reader does not expect

Conflict • Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces • Every plot must contain some kind of conflict • Stories can have more than one conflict • Conflicts can be external or internal • External conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle • Internal conflict- takes place in a character’s mind

Theme • A central message, concern, or insight into life expressed through a literary work • Can be expressed by one or two sentence statement about human beings or about life • May be stated directly or implied

What would be the theme of The Outsiders? There could be many themes present, but there are 2 main emerging themes that I noticed. 1. Trying to close the gap that’s present between the rich and the poor. 2. The title contains a theme in itself too. “Outsider” means someone who does not fit in. Many of the characters in the story feel that way as the story unfolds.

Point of View • The vantage point from which the story is told. The person telling the story is the narrator. • Three Main Types: • 1st Person: the narrator is also a character in the story • 3rd Person Limited: the narrator is not in the story and reveals the thoughts of only one character • 3rd Person Omniscient: as the story is told, many aspects are shown and the thoughts of many characters are shared, as if from a distance • From what point of view is The Outsiders told? How do we know?

Symbolism • Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. An object can be used to represent something that otherwise would not be understood. • Examples: • Cars in The Outsiders represent the power and money that the Socs have and the Greasers do not. • Greaser hair represents who the Greasers are. They cannot afford material objects, but their hair portrays their identity as a distinctive group.

Literary Elements