BELL RINGER 910 After watching the J D
BELL RINGER 9/10 After watching the J. D. Salinger video, please answer the following question with a partner: § What affect did The Catcher in the Rye have on youth culture in America?
ENGLISH III EQ: How do Salinger’s choices about structure, narration, and character impact theme of The Catcher in the Rye? Agenda § § § Bell Ringer/Discussion EQ/Agenda Literary Terms Notes – Structure & Narration “Phony” Journal Entry - Brainstorming Homework: Chapters 1 -3 § Take notes on major plot points for each chapters (so you can refresh your memory before a quiz).
STRUCTURE & NARRATION Frame Story: an introductory story that sets the stage for a second, more emphasized story § One Thousand One Nights, How I Met Your Mother § Holden’s story begins in a “rest home” where he relates the events that lead up to his going to the “rest home. ” § Establishes time frames, defines the narrator or storyteller, sets a mood for the rest of the novel, and prepares the reader for the inside narrative Quest Narrative: a story in which the central character is searching for something, such as a person, location, or abstract value. § Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz § Part of understanding The Catcher in the Rye is figuring out exactly what Holden is looking for in the world around him.
STRUCTURE & NARRATION Picaresque: An episodic story about a series of adventures of a rather roguish protagonist § Huckleberry Finn, The Lone Ranger § The Picaresque Hero has noble intentions but is somewhat misguided and unreliable in his/her perception of the world. § Holden’s story is broken down into chapters that focus on one or two interactions with other characters. § Holden is a noble young man (protector of the innocent) who is also confused about life and the way he wants to live. Psychological Story: A story that focuses on the internal psychological aspects of the central character, yet still mixes in the outer narrative. § “The Tell-Tale Heart” § Much of the important plot points in this story happen in Holden’s mind, not in the outward action.
STRUCTURE & NARRATION First Person Narrator: story told in the grammatical first person (I, me, my, etc. ) § Holden tells his story to his therapist, but as we read, we become the audience to whom he is directing his tale. § Focuses the story from one perspective, but forces the reader to ask, “Is this narrator reliable? ” Narrative: an account of connected events (plot) § The Catcher in the Rye seems “plot-less” to some readers because it’s events are not related in chronological order which makes Holden seem like he’s rambling. Confessional: the tone of the story is confidential, much like the confession of sins to a priest or of secrets to a close friend. § Holden spends much of his time trying to “confess” is innermost thoughts to the people around him, but they refuse to listen (which isn’t all their fault).
STRUCTURE & NARRATION Stream of Consciousness: the reader sees what Holden thinks about in a random association of ideas, much like the actual pattern of human thoughts. § These are the tangents that Holden continually wanders off into, much like the flow of an actual conversation (even though that’s not what we expect from a novel). Dialogue: conversations between characters Flashbacks: a scene that is set in a time earlier than the main story. § Holden uses flashbacks and earlier dialogue (conversations) to expand on his points about life and people. § On the surface they seem like Holden losing focus, but every part of a narrative contributes to it’s meaning (they are there for a reason).
STRUCTURE AND NARRATION Colloquial Language: language used in ordinary conversation, not literary or formal. § Holden speaks like an actual teenager (not like a writer trying to speak like a teenager). § Swearing, slang, grammatical mistakes
“PHONY” JOURNAL ENTRY Identify some of the things about your own society that you think are “phony. ” § Fake, insincere, dishonest, hypocritical § Holden often applies this word to people who try too hard to fit in or people who try too hard to pose as a member of a certain group. § Make a list with a partner § Don’t worry about writing a response yet, just try to come up with potential ideas.
BELL RINGER 9/10 What do you remember of dramatic structure from last year? § What are the parts? In what order? § What do the parts measure? § If you’re in 11 th grade this year, talk to one of the seniors around you.
CREATIVE WRITING EQ: How are comedic sketches structured and formatted? Agenda § Bell Ringer/Discussion § Agenda/EQ § Structure Notes § Example: The Black Knight
SKETCH STRUCTURE A beginning, middle, and end § A Premise (beginning) § Some Complications (middle) § A Resolution (end)
SKETCH STRUCTURE Premise § Have a story to tell, not just crazy antics § Having a story means having a conflict § Internal: character’s conflict with self § External: character’s conflict with other characters, society, or nature § You know you have a conflict when you reach the point in the story where you ask, “Uh oh, what are they going to do now? ” § You should be able to state a sketch’s premise in one or two sentences
SKETCH STRUCTURE Some Complications § When you present a premise with a conflict, you need to resolve it for the audience. § If there is a goal to be accomplished, you have to introduce some complications to that goal to keep the audience interested. § Episodic: a series of joke situations that happen one right after the other § Complications could be used in any order § Progressive: point A causes or leads to point B, to point C, and so on § Must proceed in a logical, chronological sequence § Hint: solve the immediate problem and search for a complication to that. Then solve that difficulty but find another problem it can cause. Keep going until the ending.
SKETCH STRUCTURE A sketch is an acted-out story joke – the most important part is the punch line. § If you have a weak ending, you have a weak story. § The ending must provide a big laugh (probably the biggest laugh) § Should progress naturally out of the sketch’s action, but it shouldn’t be predictable § Should tie the sketch into a neat little package – the sketch couldn’t go any further even if you wanted it to in order to give the audience some satisfaction. § The exception is an ending that seems to bring the sketch back to its beginning – A woman spends an entire sketch destroying her house chasing after her dog, so she gets rid of the dog – only to have her husband bring home a gorilla at the end of the sketch. § This should be used sparingly because the audience sees it as cheating because you haven’t really solved the problem.
THE BLACK KNIGHT Beginning § What’s the Premise (conflict)? Middle § How is the conflict complicated to build tension and add humor? End § How is the conflict resolved? § Does it make sense with the rest of the sketch? § Was it too easy to predict?
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