Literary Elements Characterization Setting Literary Elements Characteristics of

Literary Elements • Characterization • Setting

Literary Elements • Characteristics of a text • Derived from reading text • Applies only to fiction books

Literary Element: Character Revelation Character directly Words from character Thoughts and feelings of character indirectly Actions/ appearance of the character Response from others to the character

Types of characters: • Rounded characters – well known – Variety of traits – believable

Types of characters (cont’d) • Protagonist – Central to text – Issues revolve around this character – reader identifies with

Types of characters (cont’d) • Flat characters – Less developed – Quick intro – Fewer traits – Shows how protagonist behaves – Help carry action – Make setting believable

Types of characters (cont’d) • Stereotyped characters – Character in fiction – Fits a standardized mental picture – Narrow roles – portrayed as having only one trait and thus lack the depth that people in real life have

Types of characters (cont’d) • Foiled characters – A character who is meant to represent characteristics, values, ideas, etc. which are directly and diametrically opposed to those of another character, usually the protagonist. – Minor character – Opposite traits of main character – Highlights principal character

CHANGE IN CHARACTER • DYNAMIC – Changes throughout the course of action – Change may result from conflict • STATIC – Does not change – Conflict does not affect character – Include stereotype & foil – May also be round character or protagonist

Literary Element: Setting • • • Place (where) Time (when) General environ Critical to what character does Dynamic

Literary Element: Setting • The setting can be – Specific – Ambiguous (e. g. , a large urban city during economic hard times). – Also refers directly to a description.

Literary Element: Setting • The time setting might be a particular day, a season of the year, or a period in history. The place might be one room, a city, or the countryside. • The environment, or general conditions surrounding the characters, may be one of wealth and joy or poverty and despair.

Types of Setting: Backdrop setting: relatively unimportant for example, an internal conflict in the mind of first person narrator does not require a detailed setting.

Types of Setting: Integral • Integral setting: – time and place influence the action, character or theme

Functions of Setting • Clarifies conflict • Effects mood • Illuminates character • Setting may be a symbol…that is, it operates on two levels, the literal and the figurative. • For example, the forest as a place and as a symbol for the unknown

If it is important… • The author must make the reader see, hear, touch and maybe even smell the setting. • Uses action, details of colour, sound, figurative language to make the setting real to the characters and to the reader.