UNIT 2

Literary Elements/Devices

1. PLOT

Plot is the series of events that make up a story (or drama/play).

Plot generally follows a five-part pattern, they are:

Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Resolution

The pattern can be discussed in a Plot Diagram:

Climax
Falling Action
Rising Action

Resolution

Exposition

Exposition: Usually occurs at the beginning of the story, it introduces the characters,
their situation, and often a time and place. Exposition usually reveals some sort of
conflict.

Rising Action: The suspense builds because complications arise that make the conflict
more difficult for the main characters to resolve.

Climax: This is usually the turning point of the action; it is often when the reader's
interest reaches its highest point.

Falling Action - This is the part of the plot that occurs after the climax has been reached
and the resolution of the conflict has occurred.

Resolution – Here we usually have a solution to the conflict. At this point, all the actions
of the story are fulfilled, loose ends are tied up and the situation that was destabilized at
the beginning of a story either becomes stable once more or is replaced by a new, stable

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situation. It is the end of the story/conflict.

2. CHARACTER

This is a person, animal, or an object in a text. Characters are described based upon their
personalities, actions, appearance, and thoughts.

The protagonist is the most important character in a story and sets the plot in motion.

Major characters are important characters in the plot; the protagonist is always a major
character.

Minor characters are characters that are not as important to the plot as the major
character.

The character that blocks the protagonist is called the antagonist. Sometimes the
antagonist is a villain who is a person, but an antagonist can also be a force opposing the
main character.

A quality that a character exhibits is called a character trait.

Character traits are described in the following terms:

Characters that change are dynamic or round.

Characters that do not change are referred to as static or flat.

The terms dynamic/round versus flat/static should not be used as value judgments. Static/flat
characters may be less complex than dynamic/round ones, but their characterization is not
necessarily artistically or aesthetically inferior.

Characterization is the means by which writers reveal character.

The two main methods for presenting character are direct characterization and indirect
characterization. Using direct characterization, the narrative explicitly communicates
what a character is like; with indirect characterization, readers must infer what a
character is like from his or her actions and dialogue.

A character can be developed by simple description:

Karen was small for her age and inclined to plumpness. Her blue eyes
viewed the people and events around her with a mixture of curiosity
and amusement. She was not a woman, but she was past being a child;
too sophisticated for toys, she might still, on impulse, turn a somersault
on the living rug.

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A character can also be revealed through his statements or actions:

"But why can't I go?" Karen wailed. "Everyone else is going. You never
let me go anywhere!" You just don't want me to grow up and have fun!"
Karen wheeled around and stormed out of the house, slamming the
door behind her.

A narrative may give the reactions and opinions of other characters:

"I've known Karen for a long time, ever since first grade. We've been
best friends since last year. I like her because...well, I guess it's because
she is always so happy and sure of herself and she's good at things like
baseball, and swimming and painting and stuff." Joanie paused, then
added, "Everybody at school likes her."

An author may show the character's inner thoughts and feelings.

She really ought to get up, she thought. Sally was coming over at
eleven. Maybe she should make some sandwiches so they could eat out
in the backyard. Mrs. Henley was taking them to the beach in the
afternoon. She should finish that letter to Peggy...maybe she would
tonight...if she remembered...and if she had time.

3. POINT OF VIEW

Point of view refers to the voice in which the story is told. The voice telling the story is
the narrator. The narrator possesses the set of eyes the author uses to let the reader see
the action unfold.

The three points of view or voices follow; however, of the three, first and third persons
are the most commonly used in writing stories:

First-Person point of view:

We can spot first person point of view by the pronouns “I, we, & us” used by the
narrator.

With the use of first person, the narrator is an actual character in the story.

His or her knowledge is, therefore, limited to that one character’s perspective.

Third-Person:

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When writing in third person, the narrator uses names of characters and pronouns like
“he, him, she, her, they, and them.”

If the narrator relates thoughts of only one character in the story, it is third person
limited, as in limited to the knowledge of the thought process for that one character.

In third person omniscient point of view, the narrator knows and relates not only action
of all characters in the story, but of each character’s thoughts as well, thus the term
omniscient or all-knowing.

Second-Person:
A narrator using second person is rather rare.

The pronoun “you” is used in this type of writing.

“You feel the salt air on your skin. You feel alone and isolated on the
beach; yet, you feel deep inside of yourself that you are not alone.”

4. CONFLICT

Conflict is a central problem around which a story revolves. There are 2 types of conflict
that can occur:

Internal conflict occurs within a person or character.

External conflict occurs between a person and another person, a machine, nature, or
society.

Conflict is necessary to every story. In short stories, there is usually one major conflict. In
longer stories, there could be several conflicts. Conflict adds excitement and suspense to
a story. The conflict usually becomes clear at the beginning of a story. As the plot
unfolds, the reader starts to wonder what will happen next and how the characters will
handle the situation. Many readers enjoy trying to predict the final outcome to the
conflict. As you read a story:
1. Identify the main characters
2. Decide what conflict they face
3. Look for steps they take to settle that conflict
4. See if the steps cause other conflict
5. Watch for clues and try to predict what the characters will do
6. Enjoy the buildup of suspense
7. Put yourself in the story
8. Decide if you would have solved the conflict in the same way

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5. SETTING

Setting refers to the time (temporal setting) and place (spatial setting) in which a story
takes place.

Temporal setting:
The general (time) period of the plot.

The story took place during the 1960's.

Spatial setting:
It suggests what the place/location of the setting looks like physically.

The place has mountains, streams and fields of grass.

It also suggests the actual location of the place.

The story took place in China Town of NYC.

6. THEME

Theme is the central, underlying, and controlling idea or insight of a work of literature.
The idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject the writer’s view of the world or a
revelation about human nature.

Heroes must undergo trials and endure losses before they can claim
their rightful kingdom.

Arrogance and pride can bring destruction.

When the rule of law is broken, chaos and anarchy will result.

Love will endure and triumph over evil.

Therefore by theme we mean a universal lesson about life that one can learn from a
given text. The theme of many tests, for example, is "Love conquers all."

In its simplest sense, a theme might be identified by a single word. "Determination," for
example, is a common theme of many movies, television shows, and of course books. So
instead of a single word, we should express the theme in a complete thought, leading to
more developed ideas such as:

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  Through hard work and determination, one can achieve seemingly impossible
goals.
 Determination in the face conflict can reveal a person's true character.
 Determination is necessary to overcome adversity.
 To one who is determined, every problem is another opportunity to succeed. 

There may be more than one theme in a literary work.

Theme is NOT:
 expressed in a single word
 the purpose of a work
 the moral
 the conflict

To identify the theme, be sure that you’ve first identified the story’s plot, the way the
story uses characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.

1. Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence description for the exposition, the
conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
2. Identify the subject of the work.
3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned about the subject.
 How did the protagonist change?
 What lesson did the protagonist learn from the resolution of the conflict?
4. State how the plot presents the primary insight or truth about the subject.
5. Write one or more generalized, declarative sentences that state what was learned
and how it was learned.

7. IRONY

This is the difference or gap between what is said and what is actually meant in a text.

Verbal Irony
This is when a character or narrator says something but means exactly the opposite.

"Boy, she is really pretty" said Alice about a muddy puppy with burns
in her fur.

Situational Irony
This is the difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. It is often
demonstrated by an actual result being different than what is expected.

A story's main character could find the bad guy & bring him to justice,
but walk out of the police station and be killed by a train.

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Dramatic Irony
This occurs when the reader/observer knows something that the character in a film or
written text does not know.

A woman might think that her husband has forgotten her birthday, but
the reader/audience knows that he has really bought her a diamond
ring that is hidden in her dessert at dinner.

8. SYMBOL

A symbol is when something specific is used to represent something abstract.

Moaning wind representing loneliness.

9. IMAGERY

Imagery is a set of mental pictures or images. The use of vivid or figurative language to
represent objects, actions, or ideas. To make an imaginary world seem real, an author
often makes use of words and phrases that appeal to the senses. These words and phrases,
called images, help a reader mentally experience what the characters in the literary
selection are actually experiencing. A well-written description should arouse a particular
response or emotion in the reader's imagination. Sensory imagery is developed using the
five senses: sight, sounds, taste, touch and smell.

The hot July sun beat relentlessly down, casting an orange glare over
the farm buildings, the fields, the pond. Even the usually cool green
willows bordering the pond hung wilted and dry. Our sun-baked backs
ached for relief. We quickly pulled off our sweaty clothes and plunged
into the pond, but the tepid water only stifled us and we soon climbed
onto the brown, dusty bank. Our parched throats longed for something
cool--a strawberry ice, a tall frosted glass of lemonade.

10. FORESHADOWING

Foreshadowing is a device that uses clues that hint to things that will happen later in the
plot.

11. TONE

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Tone is the attitude that the author conveys about his/her subject through his/her choice
of words.
serious / light-hearted / bitter / angry / ironic / sarcastic