Literary Elements

1. Literary Elements • Setting • Character • Conflict • Theme • Main Events • Character Development

2. Setting • Setting is time AND place • When and where

3. Setting Practice • Wonder • Takes place in Upper Manhattan. The school that Auggie attends is called Beecher Prep. Both his home and his school are in the same area of Upper Manhattan. Current time period. • Harry Potter • Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Britain. Future time period.

4. Characters • Physical description • Character traits • Remember character traits are based on characters’ actions and words. (Do and say…) Examples: Auggie (Wonder) Harry Potter Stanley (Holes)

6. Character Development -- change an individual character undergoes through the course of a story as a result of the conflicts the character encounters. • In other words, how has the character matured in some way? • How did his/her motivation/goals change? Note- their should be more than one change and they may overlap…

7. Character Development- Four Types • Social- learned to accept others or his/her situation; able to express feelings; communicate with others effectively • Emotional- learned to love; dealt with personal feelings; stronger personal relationships; resolves conflicts better; let go of hate or prejudice • Spiritual- strengthened beliefs in self, others or a religion; developed humility or a quiet strength • Intellectual-improved self-confidence; awareness; learned new information; morals strenghtened Note- their should be more than one change and they may overlap…

8. Conflict *** In literature, conflict is a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces, usually a protagonist (good “guy”) and an antagonist (bad “guy”). Conflict is the challenge main character needs to solve to achieve their goals. It is a major literary element that creates challenges in a story by adding uncertainty as to whether the goal would be achieved. A narrative is not limited to a single conflict.

9. External External Conflict takes place outside of the body Internal Internal Conflict takes place inside of the body/mind Conflict: External vs. Internal

10. External There are three types of external conflict

11. External Man vs. Man The most straightforward type of conflict. The protagonist “fights” against another character. Each one has opposite goals for the outcome of the conflict and its resolution.

12. External Man vs. Nature This type of conflict has a main character or characters struggling against a natural force such as a flood, predatory animal, or disease epidemic.

13. External Man vs. Society In this kind of conflict, the protagonist battles an unjust component of government or culture.

14. Internal There is one type of internal conflict

15. Internal Man vs. Self The internal conflict tells the story of a character struggling to overcome fear, addiction, emotional damage or other personal issues.

16. Practice Decide what type of conflict is being illustrated in the following pictures.

17. Man vs. ?

18. Man vs. ?

19. Man vs. ?

20. Man vs. ?

21. Man vs. ?

22. Man vs. ?

23. Man vs. ?

24. Man vs. ?

25. Man vs. ? Charles decided to break all the rules the day he decided to steal that car. He was immediately arrested and sent to jail to await his trial. He should have known better than to mess with the “rules.”

26. Man vs. ? “I don’t care who you talk to!” screamed Sarah to West. “I just wish I had never met you!”

27. Man vs. ? After lowering himself into the damp and dark cave Tom began to reprimand himself for not having replaced his flashlight batteries. Tom’s terror slowly began to take over as the light around him grew dimmer and dimmer and dimmer.

28. Let’s Practice Character and Setting Now! • Lion King • Diary of a Wimpy Kid • Hunger Games • Holes • Divergent • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

29. Let’s Try It Practice As the hot July sun slipped below the horizon, a cooling darkness filled Central Valley. Lisa had just fallen asleep when the windows of the trailer rattled like a snake giving warning. The trailer swayed back and forth. Lisa could hear the baby screaming. Papa yelled, “Outside! Get out! Get out! It’s an earthquake!” 1. Who do you think the main character is? 2. What is the setting? When and where does the story take place? 3. What do you predict the conflict will be?

30. Let’s Try It Practice As the hot July sun slipped below the horizon, a cooling darkness filled Central Valley. Lisa had just fallen asleep when the windows of the trailer rattled like a snake giving warning. The trailer swayed back and forth. Lisa could hear the baby screaming. Papa yelled, “Outside! Get out! Get out! It’s an earthquake!” 1. Who do you think the main character is? Lisa is probably the main character. We also know that there are at least two other characters, Papa and a baby.

31. Let’s Try It Practice As the hot July sun slipped below the horizon, a cooling darkness filled Central Valley. Lisa had just fallen asleep when the windows of the trailer rattled like a snake giving warning. The trailer swayed back and forth. Lisa could hear the baby screaming. Papa yelled, “Outside! Get out! Get out! It’s an earthquake!” 2. What is the setting? When and where does the story take place? The story takes place in July in Central Valley. The sun has just gone down, and the characters are in a trailer.

32. Let’s Try It Practice As the hot July sun slipped below the horizon, a cooling darkness filled Central Valley. Lisa had just fallen asleep when the windows of the trailer rattled like a snake giving warning. The trailer swayed back and forth. Lisa could hear the baby screaming. Papa yelled, “Outside! Get out! Get out! It’s an earthquake!” 3. What do you predict the conflict will be? The characters will struggle to survive the earthquake. The conflict is with the setting.

33. What Is Theme? What makes a story linger in our minds long after we’ve read it? Often it is the idea on which the story is built—its theme. Theme—the central idea, or insight, about life or human behavior which is revealed through the story

34. What Is Theme? In most stories, the theme is not directly stated. Instead, it is discovered by the reader through the characters’ experiences.

35. Universal Themes Different writers from different cultures often express similar themes. • A theme is a generalization about life or human nature. • Certain types of experiences are common to all people everywhere.

36. Universal Themes Universal themes • come up again and again in literature • deal with basic human concerns—good and evil, life and death, love and loss • shine a light on our common experiences • can help guide us through our lives

37. Examples of Universal Themes Challenges of Growing Up Family Friendship Loyalty Courage Acceptance Being Different Perseverance Compassion

38. Universal Themes Quick Check Match these familiar stories to the appropriate universal theme. Stories The Little Red Hen Beauty and the Beast The Three Little Pigs The Ugly Duckling The Frog Prince A It pays to work hard and plan ahead. B Appearances can be deceiving.

39. Finding the Theme The theme is not the same thing as the subject. • The subject is simply the topic. It can be stated in a single word, such as loyalty. • The theme makes some revelation about the subject and should be expressed in a sentence: • Katniss’s loyalty to her society was strong.

40. Finding the Theme Conflict helps reveal theme. • What is the conflict, or struggle between opposing forces, that the main character faces? • How is the conflict resolved? Conflict Resolution Theme Two friends find a wallet. One friend wants to return it to the owner; the other wants to keep it. They return the wallet and share a small reward. People are often rewarded for making the right moral decision.

41. Finding the Theme Sometimes the title gives clues. • Does the title have a special meaning? • Does it point to the theme? The theme applies to the entire work. • Test your statement of the theme. Does it apply to the whole work, not just to parts of it?

42. Finding the Theme There is no single way to state the theme. • People may express the same theme in different words. • There may be different opinions about what the main theme is. • The most meaningful literary works often have more than one theme.

43. Finding the Theme Quick Check What is the conflict and how is it resolved? Because of a feud over a piece of land, Ulrich and Georg are bitter enemies. One night they encounter each other on the disputed land. Each thinks of killing the other. Suddenly a huge tree falls and pins them both under its weight. At first the men threaten each other. After a while, however, they notice each other’s suffering, make a pact of friendship, and look forward to being rescued and living in peace. Then they are attacked by wolves. synopsis of “The Interlopers” by Saki What do the characters learn?

44. Main Events- Plot Components

45. For Your Book Speech Choose: Three Main Events

46. Three Main Events • Choose THREE main events that were important in your story. Remember NOT to reveal the ending. • Your three events should be important events in the story. • They will probably be related to: • Conflict • Climax/turning point of plot • Character development • Shocking or sad event that forced the character to realize/learn something • Event of historical significance

48. October 28th is looming! Complete book speech notes as soon as possible!