Literary Elements in Childrens Literature Britany Howell University

Literary Elements in Children’s Literature Britany Howell University of West Alabama LM 506

What are Literary Elements? Ø Literary elements are all of the elements that are used together to make a story. Ø The final objective is to see the story as a whole and to become aware of how the parts are put together to produce a unified effect.

The Eight Literary Elements Ø There are eight literary elements found in books for children and young adults. They are: ~ Character ~ Plot ~ Theme ~ Setting ~ Point of View ~ Style ~ Literary Rhythm ~ Tone

Character The character of a book is Ø a person in the book. Ø Sometimes the character is an animal or object that Ø acts like a person. Ø Each of the living beings in a story is a character. Ø Character development involves showing the character – whether a person or animal or object – with the mixture of qualities that makes up a person. Ø The revelation of character is our ability to know the character completely. We come to know a character through the following ways: l By actions – what the character does l By speech – what the character says l By appearance – how the character looks l By other’s comments –what others in the story say l By author’s comments – the words the author uses to describe the character

Types of Characters Protagonist – central or main character Round Character – a character we know well who has a variety of traits and is well developed. Dynamic Character a well developed character who changes. Flat Character – less well developed and has fewer traits. Foil – minor character whose traits are different to those of the principal character Stereotype – has few traits of a class or group of people Static Character – does not change in the course of the story.

Examples of Character ROUND CHARACTER STEREOTYPE Wilbur the pig Lurvy PROTAGONIST FOIL Wilbur the pig The snobbish lamb STATIC CHARACTER FLAT CHARACTER Fern Charlotte the spider DYNAMIC CHARACTER Wilbur the pig

Plot The plot of a story is the sequence of events showing characters in action. Ø Well written plots should include a conflict, tension, and action that holds the reader’s interest. Ø Ø Types of Narrative Order: l l Ø Chronological Order Flashbacks Types of Conflict: l l Person-against-self Person-against-person Person-against-society Person-against-nature

Ø Patterns of Action: l l l Plot Suspense – the emotional pull that keeps us wanting to read on The Cliff-hanger – the suspense at the end of a chapter that makes it hard to lay the book aside Foreshadowing – clues about the outcome Sensationalism – unrelieved suspense The Climax – the point at which we know the outcome Denouement – the point at which we understand the resolution of the conflict Ø Types of Plots: l l Progressive Plots – a central climax followed by a denouement Episodic Plots - One incident or short episode is linked to another by common characters or a unified theme. Each chapter is a separate story but part of a whole. The suspense is usually resolved within the chapter.

Strong Elements of Plot Suspense The Cliff-hanger Sensationalism The Climax Foreshadowing Denouement

Theme Ø The theme of a piece of writing is the unifying truth, main idea, or central meaning. Ø Theme is also the idea that holds the story together, such as a comment about society, human nature, or human condition.

Types of Themes Explicit Theme. A theme stated openly and clearly. Primary Theme. The main theme of the story. Implicit Theme. A theme not stated openly but derived from the characters and action of the story. Secondary Theme. Additional and usually less important themes.

Examples of Theme Explicit Theme Implicit Theme Primary Theme Secondary Theme

Setting The time and place in which the story occurs. Ø The possibilities of setting are endless. Ø Ø Types of Settings: l l Backdrop Setting Relatively unimportant. This does not mean that the setting is unimportant. Even though the setting may be unidentified it may still have some importance. Integral Setting Essential setting. It is when the action, character, or theme are influenced by the time and place.

Functions of Setting Ø Ø Ø Setting that clarifies conflict – The setting actually aids in the development of the story’s conflict. Setting as antagonist – When the natural environment is hostile the setting itself becomes antagonistic. Setting that illuminates character – Some vividly described settings actually influence the qualities of characters in some stories. Setting as mood – Descriptions of settings can be used to set the mood of a scene. Setting as symbol – Sometimes setting can be symbolic of something: darkenss as evil, sunlight as goodness, a garden as beauty, etc.

Function of Setting Examples Setting That Clarifies Conflict Setting and Mood Setting As Antagonist Setting That Illuminates Character Setting As Symbol

Point of View is whose view of the story the writer tells. Ø Whose view of the story the writer tells determines the point of view. Ø Who sees the events determines how the story will develop. Ø Ø Types of Point of View: l First-person point of view l Omniscient point of view l Limited omniscient point of view l Objective point of view

Point of View Examples First-person Point of View Omniscient Point of View Limited Omniscient Point of View Objective Point of View

Style is basically words. Ø HOW an author says something as opposed to WHAT he or she says. Ø Style is not applied to the finished piece of writing. It is the writing, conveying both the idea and the writer’s view of the idea. Ø Ø Devices of Sound: l l l Onomatopoeia – Words that sound like their meanings Alliteration – Repetition of initial consonants Assonance – Repetition of similar vowel sounds within a phrase Consonance – The close repetition of consonant sounds Rhythm – The flow of the text

Devices of Style Ø Ø Ø Connotation Imagery Figurative language l l l Ø Ø Ø Personification Similes Metaphors Hyperbole Understatement Allusion Symbol Puns and Wordplay

Devices of Style Examples Connotation: Charlotte is not as big as a thimble, or as small as a fingernail, or as round as a button Hyperbole: Mrs. Zuckerman is scared to death; Wilbur threatens to die of a broken heart Figurative Language: Wilbur given human traits even though he is an animal Imagery: The Zuckerman barn Understatement: The frog in Avery’s pocket that has traveled back and forth on the swing all morning Puns & Wordplay: lies and lays

Literary Rhythm From the Greek word meaning flow Ø A recurring flow of strong or weak beats Ø Effective when read aloud Ø Rhythm is sometimes referred to as cadence when read in prose. Ø Cadence is rhythmic flow in prose. Ø Prose is different from poetry because it resembles patterns of everyday speech. Ø

Example of Literary Rhythm …an astonishing pile of old bottles and empty tin cans and dirty rags and bits of metal and broken bottles and broken hinges and broken springs and dead batteries and last month’s magazines and old discarded dishmops and tattered overalls… and useless junk of all kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice-cream freezer. From Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White description of the Zuckerman dump

Tone tells us how the author feels about his or her subject. Ø Humor is the easiest tone to recognize. Ø Tone cannot be isolated from the words of a story. Ø Tone influences meaning. Ø Ø Important tones in Children’s Literature: l l Humor – usually comes from a situation or happenings that make children laugh Parody – usually a device for older readers since it relies on the reader’s memory of a known piece of writing or of a way of talking

Types of Tone Condescension Ø When someone looks down upon us, treating us as though we are unintelligent or immature Sentimentality Ø The overuse of a statement Didacticism Ø Preaching Ø Points to a moral lesson

Tone Examples Sentimentality Condescension Didacticism