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Literary Tradition

Literary Tradition. 12 th Grade English World Literary Tradition Background & Origins. Essential Questions. How does an understanding of literary tradition enhance my reading literature?

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Literary Tradition

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  1. Literary Tradition 12th Grade English World Literary Tradition Background & Origins

  2. Essential Questions • How does an understanding of literary tradition enhance my reading literature? • How does an examination of literary works from various cultures deepen my understanding of the human condition?

  3. Reality vs. Fiction Dangers of Ignorance Discussion Question OneWhat is the first story you remember being told or being exposed to? What themes were evident in that story? Redemption Love Isolation Oppression Unrequited Love

  4. What IS the literary tradition? • In simple terms, it is what we as readers use to judge what is and is not “storytelling” and what makes a book a piece of literature. Great literature transcends time – it presents themes and ideas that are still relevant. Consider Hamletand why it is still studied today – it presents themes that are still relevant: duty and honor, crisis of conscience, betrayal, unintended consequences, loss of family, ect

  5. Why does the literary tradition matter? • The literary tradition matters because it helps us make connections between writers as diverse as the ancient Greek poet Homer, Romantic poet William Blake, and Modern writer Khalid Hosseini. • It allows us to draw connections between writers who lived throughout the centuries in places as widely separated as the Far East and the New World. • It helps to show that it doesn’t matter when a piece was written or where, there will be connections to other works.

  6. How does this relate to World Literature? • It is easier to “get into” a book when you have some connection to the story or the characters—even if the story seems very foreign • The connections between works of literature across different cultures and nations allows us to see trends in literature that transcend different cultures and time periods.

  7. What Else Does It Do? • It provides an active historical sense of the past while living in and shaping the present. • In other words, it gives the reader an understanding of the past while they read the literature of the present. • Consider your understanding of the 1920’s after reading TheGreatGatsby. • It shapes and influences present literature. • What connections can you make about The Hunger Games and 1984? Or TheChronicals of Narnia and King Arthur? How does an understanding of one increase your understanding and appreciation of the other?

  8. Discussion Question Two Who is a better writer? or

  9. It implies a hierarchy and establishes a canon. A CANON???? Not that type of canon, a LITERARY CANON. A literary canon is a term used to denote a canon, or collection, of books (and, more widely, music and art) that has been the most influential in shaping culture. It asserts a list of the greatest works of artistic merit.

  10. Discussion Question Three What books do you think appear in the literary canon and what books do you think definitely do NOT appear on the canon?Why? http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

  11. The literary tradition also provides a basis for dominant theme and form. • Examples: • Theme- life vs. death, the hero etc. • Form- oral tradition, poetry, short story, novel, play • Archetype or character types

  12. The Human Condition • Being human means that we are part of the human condition. The human condition encompasses all of the experiences of being human. As mortal entities, there are a series of biologically determined events that are common to most human lives, and some that are inevitable for all. The ongoing way in which humans react to or cope with these events is the human condition.

  13. Boy meets girl • Consider the following comic conundrum: • A producer goes to sleep one evening and dreams of a fantastic story that will be bigger than JurassicPark, Shrek, and Avatar put together. Unfortunately, when he awakes in the morning, he has forgotten the story. This happens for three nights in a row. On the fourth night he has an idea. He puts some paper and a pen next to his bed, goes to sleep, and has the same dream; he awakes and in a daze scribbles it down on the paper. He awakes in the morning and excitedly grabs the paper. What do you think the paper says???

  14. Discussion Question Five Think about the stories you have read, the movies you have watched and the songs you have listened to. Brainstorm some that follow the old motif of boymeetsgirl.

  15. The Human Condition, cont. • Boy meets girl is a tale that is not only common to Western stories, but stories from all cultures. Similarly, many cultures have their own version of a larger than life character like Hercules, a poor, abused orphan story like Cinderella, and a good triumphing over evil tale like Odysseus.

  16. There are of course differences between the numerous stories, mythologies and religions of mankind, however there are similarities; once they are understood, the differences will be found to be much less great than is popularly thought.

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