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Introduction to Literature 32260 Elements of Fiction & “On the Road” Dr. Nabil Alawi. Plot. A plot in fiction is the arrangement of events in a story.
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Introduction to Literature 32260Elements of Fiction& “On the Road”Dr. Nabil Alawi
Plot A plot in fiction is the arrangement of events in a story. Exposition: Sargent looks for a place to spend the night and he is denied entrance by Reverend Mr. Dorset. The atmosphere is introduced as cold wet, dark and snowy. Conflict: Sargeant against white people Climax: The church fell down and cops and white people jump on him. Resolution: Sargeant oscillates between being unconscious and conscious after the beatings on his head. The story ends with Sargeant unconscious and in Jail
Characters • Sargeant: the main character • Christ who is seen in the image of Sargeant • Mr. Dorset: a minor character
Narrator Narrator’s point of view: Third Person: Partially omniscient
Symbolism Names of characters: • Dorset • Sargeantechoes Samson Snow: it stands for white people who are cold and indifferent to the suffering of black people Doors: they stand for freedom and opportunities. Sargeant defies closed doors.
Atmosphere • The story takes place at night and ends with dawn • The atmosphere is cold, wet and dark with snow everywhere
Language • There are two levels of language: • Sargeant and Christ (who is created in the image of Sargeant) speak ungrammatical and informal variety of English that is typical of Black people. • The narrator speaks formal standard English
Style • Style is the way the writer presents his/her story • The style of a story can be described as interesting and highly symbolic. Generally speaking the style is condensed and featuring long sentences and lucid presentations
Time and Place • The story is located in prejudiced south during the depression years of the 1930s • The whole story takes only one night from evening to dawn.
Irony • The walk with Christ is a source of irony. • Mr. Dorset is referred to as the holy man ironically.
Themes • The story shows the ugly face of prejudice • Resistance is an important theme. Sargeant does not give up; he refuses to surrender • The title of the story becomes clearer to us. We know that the title does not necessarily mean that Sargeant lives on the road • The story tells us that Sargeant as well as every freedom fighter is on the road to freedom. • The church and its role are criticized. Jesus and the concept of faith are also of some significance.