1、Elements of fiction Classification of fiction:novel,novelette,short story.Short short story.Plot Symbolism Character Theme Setting Irony Point of View Tone and StyleAn authors selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus.Discussions of p
2、lot include not just what happens,but also how and why things happen the way they do.Rising Action Climax Falling ActionComplication(s)creates some sort of conflict for the protagonist(the main character).the moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative,usually marking a turning point in the
3、plot at which the rising action reverses to become the falling action.the conclusion of a plots conflicts and complications.The resolution follows the climax in the plot.a person or animals or objects presented in a dramatic or narrative work The ANTAGONIST is the character,force,or collection of fo
4、rces that stand directly opposed to the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story.A static character does not change throughout the work,and the readers knowledge of that character does not grow,whereas a dynamic character undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot
5、.A flat character embodies one or two qualities,ideas,or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary.They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers.Some flat characters are recognized as stock characters;they embody stereotypes such as the
6、“dumb blonde”or the“mean stepfather.”They become types rather than individuals.Round characters are more complex than flat or stock characters,and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people.They are more fully developed,and therefore are harder to summarize.Jo
7、urney to the West Characterization is the process by which a writer makes the character seem real to the reader.Methods of Characterization:1.Direct:“he was an old man.”(The Old Man and the Sea)2.Own Words and Actions3.Reaction of other Characters4.Physical appearance5.Own thoughtsThe setting is the
8、 physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs.The major elements of setting are the time,the place,and the social environment that frames the characters.Setting can be used to evoke a mood or atmosphere that will prepare the reader for what is to come.Sometimes,writers choose a
9、particular setting because of traditional associations with that setting that are closely related to the action of a story.Refers to who tells us a story and how it is told.What we know and how we feel about the events in a work are shaped by the authors choice of point of view.The teller of the sto
10、ry,the narrator,inevitably affects our understanding of the characters actions by filtering what is told through his or her own perspective.Omniscient POV-The story is told in third person by a narrator who has unlimited knowledge of events and characters.Third Person Limited POV-The story is told i
11、n third person but from the view point of a character in the story.POV is limited to the characters perceptions and shows no direct knowledge of what other characters are thinking,feeling,or doing.*Stream of Consciousness-presents the random thoughts going through a characters head within a certain
12、period of time.First Person POV-The author disappears into one of the characters.Shares the limitations of third person limited.Uses the pronouns“I”and“we”.Objective POV-Records only what is seen and heard.In its purest form,objective POV would consist of only dialogue.Forces the author to refrain f
13、rom interpretation.Second Person POV-Uses the pronoun“you”.Infrequently used.A person,object,image,word or event that evokes a range of additional meaning beyond and usually more abstract than its literal significance.Conventional symbols have meanings that are widely recognized by a society or cult
14、ure.Writers use conventional symbols for reinforcing meanings.A literary or contextual symbol can be a setting,character,action,object,name or anything else in a work that maintains its literal significance while suggesting other meanings.Such symbols go beyond conventional symbols;they gain their s
15、ymbolic meaning within the context of a specific story.is the central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work.A theme provides a unifying point around which the plot,characters,setting,point of view,symbols,and other elements of a work are organized.It is important not to mistake the theme for t
16、he actual subject of the work;the theme refers to the abstract concept that is made concrete through the images,characterization,and action of the text.a literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true.Verbal irony（词义反讽）is a
17、 figure of speech that occurs when a person says one thing but means the opposite.Sarcasm is a strong form of verbal irony that is calculated to hurt someone through,for example,false praise.Tragic irony is a form of dramatic irony found in tragedies.Situational irony（情景反讽）exists when there is an in
18、congruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens due to forces beyond human comprehension or control.Cosmic irony（宇宙反讽）occurs when a writer uses God,destiny,or fate to dash the hopes and expectations of a character or of humankind in general.In cosmic irony,a discrepancy（矛盾）exi
19、sts between what a character aspires to and what universal forces provide.The authors implicit attitude toward the reader or the people,places,and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the authors style.Tone may be characterized as serious or ironic,sad or happy,private or public,angry or
20、affectionate,bitter or nostalgic,or any other attitudes and feelings that human beings experience.the distinctive and unique manner in which a writer arranges words to achieve particular effects.Style essentially combines the idea to be expressed with the individual word choices as well as matters s
21、uch as the length of sentences,their structure,tone,and use of irony.1.Vocabulary-Choice of wordsa.Simple words-Everyday word choice.(She was sick for a long time.)b.Complex words-Flexing intellectual muscle(Garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood.)c.Concrete words-Things we can touch,see,etc.(Jeans,book,.)d.Abstract words-Words that express intangible ideas(freedom,heritage,something)2.Syntax-arrangement of words,their ordering,grouping and placement within phrases,clauses,and sentences.
