The Genres & Literary Analysis

English I & II

FictionNarrative: telling of a storyShort story: often focuses on a single event

or incident and usually can be read in one sitting

Novel: an extended work of fiction.- longer than short story, more complex plot, more characters

Novella: longer than short story, shorter than novel. - short time span, limited number of characters

PoetryForm: arrangement on the pageComposed of lines and stanzas (groups of

lines)Rhythm and rhyme: way a poem soundsImagery: language that recreates sensory

experiences; helps reader see, hear, and feel what a poem describes

DramaPlot is carried by dialogue and action (what

the actors say and do)Acts: groups of scenesStage directions: writer’s instructions for

the actors, director, and other people working on the play- often printed in italics

Nonfiction and Informational Texts Literary nonfiction: biographies,

speeches, essays, etc. Informational texts: news articles,

train schedules- provide factual information

Types of nonfiction: - autobiography/biography: true story about a person’s life- essay: short work that focuses on a single subject

Nonfiction and Informational Texts- speech: oral presentation of ideas,

beliefs, or proposals of the speaker - news/feature articles: newspapers, magazines

- feature articles focus on human-interest topics- functional documents: serves a practical purpose

- consumer documents, instruction manuals, workplace documents, memos, resumes

MediaMedia literate: knowing the basics and thinking

critically about all messages Feature films: motion pictures that use narrative

elements to tell a storyNews media: accounts of current events

- TV, internet, radio, newspapers, and magazinesTV shows: dramas, sitcoms, and reality showsAdvertising: sponsor’s paid use of media to

promote products, services, or ideasWeb sites: collections of pages on the internet or

WWW

Literary Analysis- Plot Stages and Conflict

Plot: series of events in a narrativeConflict: struggle between opposing forces

- internal conflict: struggle within a character’s mind- centers on a choice or decision the character must make- external conflict: clash between a character and an outside force (e.g., another character, society, or force of nature)- introduced at the beginning of a narrative

Plot Stages1st- Exposition: introduces setting and

characters, introduces the conflict2nd – Rising Action: presents complications that

intensify conflict, builds suspense3rd – Climax: turning point and the moment of

greatest suspense, makes the outcome of the conflict clear

4th – Falling Action: eases the suspense, reveals the outcome of the story’s climax, shows how the main character resolves conflict

5th – Resolution: reveals the final outcome, ties up loose ends

Sequence and TimeChronological order: events follow a linear structure

- a writer may manipulate time for a variety of reasons

Flashback: account of a conversation, episode, or event that happened before the beginning of the story

Foreshadowing: writer’s use of hints or clues in early scenes to suggest events that will occur later

These help you more closely follow a story and better understand characters and events

Suspense: Makes a reader want to know what will happen next.

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Character and Point of View (POV)POV: The perspective from which a story is

told.Narrator: The voice that tells you the story.First-Person POV:

The narrator:Is a main or minor character in the storyRefers to him/herself as I or mePresents his/her own thoughts and feelingsDoes not have direct access to the thoughts and

feelings of other characters

Character and Point of View (POV)

Third-Person POV:The narrator

Is not a character in the storyMay not be an identifiable person but merely a

voice that tells the story Is called OMNISCENT if he/she knows the thoughts

and feelings of all the characters Is call LIMITED if he/she focuses on the thoughts

and feelings of one character

Character Traits and MotivationCharacter Traits: qualities shown by

charactersPhysical appearanceSpeech, thoughts, and actionsOther characters

Reactions to the characterRelationships with the characterImpression of the character’s reputation

Motivation: reasons behind a character’s actionsHelps us understand the character better

Setting, Mood, and ImagerySetting: the time and place of a story

Can influence charactersCan create conflictCan serve as a symbol

Represent an idea, or a character’s hopes, future, or predicament

Mood: feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for readers- e.g., ominous, uplifting, dark, brooding, joyful

Setting helps establish mood

Setting, Mood, and ImageryImagery: words or phrases that recreate

sensory experiences for readersSensory details: words or phrases that

appeal the senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touchHelps you “be” in the scene as a bystander

watching the action

Theme and SymbolTheme: the meaning behind a story

It’s the underlying message or big idea that the writer wants you to remember.

Universal themes: themes that are common across virtually all time periods and cultures.Learning from mistakes and triumphs of past

generationsFamily, War, Love, Growing up, Death, Birth

The theme is NOT the subject or plot of the story.Clues to theme: title, plot and conflict, important

statements, characters, setting, and symbols

Theme and SymbolSymbol: a person, place, object, or activity

that stands for something beyond itself.Examples:

A fork in the road ( an important decision)The color red (a character’s anger)A torrential rainstorm (an emotional upheaval)