How do you stay true to yourself?

Elements of Literature Notes

4 Main Elements of a Story

CharacterPlot/Conflict

SettingTheme

Characterization Pre-Reading

•What makes a character memorable?

•List some favorite characters.

•What qualities made them memorable?

Character: a person, animal or imaginary creature that appears in a literary work

Protagonist:the main character

Antagonist: the characters that

opposes the main character

Character…

Minor Character: moves the action along by

interacting with the main character and providing background

information

Who is telling the story?

Narrator-the person who tells the story (may or may NOT be a character in the story)

Point-of-View-the vantage point from which a story is told

Methods of Characterization

(How the author helps you to get to know the characters!)

Statement by the Author

• What the author wants you to think about the character

• Tells the reader directly what the character is like

Character’s Appearance

• Describing what the character looks like

Character’s Actions

• What the character does throughout the story

• Shows his/her personality

Reactions of and to the Character

• How other characters react to the character being analyzed

• How the character reacts to situations or characters

Character’s Thoughts

• What goes through the character’s mind throughout the story (thoughts, ideas & feelings)

Conversations

• Things that the character says (that reveal his/her personality)

• Things that others say about the character

Reactions to the Setting

• The character’s reaction, feelings or thoughts about his/her surroundings

Characterization

Direct Characterization-telling the reader about what the character is feeling (brave, honest, etc.)

Indirect Characterization-showing the character’s thoughts and ideas and letting you (the reader) decide what kind of person he/she is

“Soul of Caliban” Pre-Reading

Do animals have souls? Discuss examples to support your answer.

“Soul of Caliban” Reader Response

Write a letter to Leon (Caliban’s owner) with your reaction to the final events of the story.

Explain your thoughts and feelings regarding what

happened.

BQ Discussion

Think about a time when you wanted to do what you knew was right, but

your friends did not see it your way. Did you go with your gut

instinct, or did you give in to peer pressure?

BQ Discussion

How can you stay true to yourself in a difficult

situation? It is often hard to make the right choices when the thing you want to do conflicts with your beliefs and values. When

your friends say one thing and your heart or

conscience says another, what is the right thing to do? Only by being true to yourself can you answer

that question.

The selections in this unit present characters and real people who have to stay true to themselves

in order to make it through challenging

situations. This happens all the time in real life. To make healthy decisions, people must believe in themselves and act on

their values.

BQ: Discussion

Did Caliban “stay true to himself”?

Elements of Literature:

Short Fiction

Plot: the series of events showing how a conflict or a

problem is resolved (5 parts)

ExpositionRising Action

ClimaxFalling Action

Resolution

Exposition

• Introduces the story’s setting and characters and sets up the conflict or problem

Rising Action

• Develops the story’s conflict and builds suspense

Climax

• The point of greatest emotion and interest

Falling Action

• Shows what happens to the character after the climax

Resolution

• Reveals the final outcome of the conflict (“The End!”)

Setting

• The time and place in which story events occur

• Can impact/influence events of story

• Example- In “The Soul of Caliban” the weather elements (i.e. blizzard) and location of the sheep farm (far from neighbors) impacted the actions and outcomes of events in the story.

Theme:

The main message of the story, the lesson or moral

(What was the theme of “The Soul of Caliban”?)

“Raymond’s Run” Pre-reading

Pick 1 or 2:How does it feel to win something? What do you

think it takes to be a winner?OR

Write about an incident in your life in which a 1st impression turned out to be wrong or someone

you thought you knew well did something to surprise you.

ORWhat are your hidden qualities and talents? List

some things that you’re good at or enjoy doing. Describe one that I or your classmates

would not know about.

“Raymond’s Run” Reader Response

Would you have called this story, “Raymond’s Run”?

Defend the author’s choice or invent a new title and explain why you think it’s

better.

Selection Quick Check: Raymond’s Run1. What two nicknames does the narrator go by?2. The narrator says nobody can beat her in a

race, yet she tells the reader that one person can. Who can beat her in a race that she doesn’t want people to know about?

3. How can the reader tell that Squeaky is serious about running?

4. How does Squeaky feel about the May Day celebration?

5. What do Squeaky’s thoughts about Raymond’s run say about her personality?

Conflict- a problem or struggle that characters faces• 2 Main Types of Conflict

•External•Internal

External Conflict-a character struggles with an outside

force (4 types)

Person vs. PersonPerson vs. Nature

Person vs. Society/GroupGroup vs. Group

Person vs. Person

• One person is in conflict with another person• Example: Squeaky vs. Gretchen

Person vs. Nature

• Person is in conflict with a force of nature

• Raymond’s “big head” (disability)• a tornado or hurricane (something

you have no control over)

Person vs. Society/Group

• One person is in conflict with two or more people, a group or society• Squeaky vs. Gretchen, Rosie and

Mary Louise

Group vs. Group

• Entire group is in conflict with another group or culture• Raymond & Squeaky vs. Gretchen &

friends• Socs vs. Greasers• Two countries at war

Internal (within) Conflict

• Takes place within a character’s mind• Person vs. Self: a person struggles to

overcome some internal problem, such as fear or shyness• Squeaky learns to appreciate and respect

her opponents and not be so defensive.• Caliban must overcome his jealousy of

the Leon’s baby.

A little more about character…

Dynamic Character- • usually has many sides to his or her

personality• The character grows and changes as the

story progresses (Squeaky, Caliban)Static Character-• Usually has one main characteristic• He or she stays the same throughout

the story (Raymond, Leon Suprenon)

“Abuela Invents the Zero”

Pre-readingQuickwrite: Think about a relationship you

have with an older person, such as a grandparent, another relative or neighbor. What is the best part of your relationship? What are the challenging parts?

What do you think of when you hear the word/number zero?

Selection Quick Check: Abuela Invents the Zero1. How does Constancia feel about Abuela

when she arrives in the United States?2. Why does Abuela refer to New Jersey as

“the North Pole”?3. What compromise does Constancia

make with her father?4. How does Constancia make Abuela

feel “like a zero” in the church?5. What lesson does Abuela teach

Constancia at the end of the story?

“The Medicine Bag” Pre-reading

Think about a tradition that has been passed down through your

family. Is it something you enjoy or does it just seem like something you have to do? Do you think this family tradition is worth keeping?

Why or why not?

“The Medicine Bag” Quickcheck1. Where does Martin’s family go every

summer?2. What does Martin tell his friends about

his Grandpa?3. What happens immediately after

Grandpa arrives?4. Why does Grandpa say he came to

visit?5. What is in the medicine bag?