LAE 241 Literary Elements: Plot, Character, Tone, and Conflict

Literacy Element

Plot is simply the sequence of events, or how things happen in a story. Every piece of literature has a plot.

Questions-On the FCAT plot questions will be about what happened in the passage. The questions will try to figure out if you understand the events of the story. Included in plot questions can be questions on setting and time.To understand the plot you must know how the story is developed by the followingEvents-important things that happen.Problem- a difficult situation.Rising Action-the problem or series of conflicts that build together the climax.Falling Action-the steps that lead to the solution to the problem.Solution/Resolution-the outcome that brings the story to a close.

Setting is the time and place of the action. The setting can be specific (day of the week, the month, the season, or the year) OR can be general (the

past, present, or future.The place can be specific (town, city, or country) OR general (someone’s house in a small town).

Theme is the message that the author is trying to convey to the reader. The author rarely comes right out and tells you the message of what he or she is writing. Instead, you

need to interpret the theme through your reading and understanding of the plot, characters, conflict, and tone. The theme is very much like the purpose in a piece of informational text.

Poem-’Richard Cory’

”Richard Cory”by Edwin Arlington Robinson, from Children of the Night

 Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Questions-Plot and Theme

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

1) Why did the townspeople “curse the bread”?a) because that is all they had to eatb) because they did not have any breadc) because they were waiting for the lightd) because they wanted Richard to bring them bread

Answer: (A)Literary Element-Plot The townspeople “cursed the bread” because that was all that they had to eat. Bread was for the poor and meat was for the rich; they had not meat. They were poor—unlike Richard Cory.

 2) What is the theme of the poem “Richard Cory”?

f) Greedy people are very bad people.g) Money does not equal happiness.h) The poor sometimes murder the rich.I) Money causes people to commit suicide.

 Answer: (G)

Literary Element-ThemeThe theme of the poem is that money does not equal happiness; Richard Cory shot himself even through he had a great deal of money. Obviously, his money did not make him happy, as the townspeople through that it did.

Characters

Characters are the people in the story. Characters come in many different forms such as animals like in Charlotte’s Web, fantasy creatures such as those in the Harry Potter books, or machines/robots like in Terminator. How the characters interact with each other is often what makes the story interesting and creates conflicts or problems. Characters sometimes also change within a story. Look for this development as you read. There may be questions about how the characters have changed and/or grown. Look for clues about the characters, including:

1) How the characters dress and look 2) What the characters say—or what other characters say

about them.3) How the characters act and interact

Questions-Character

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

QuestionsUse the poem “Richard Cory” to answer the

following questions on character.1) What did the townspeople think of Richard

Cory?a) They thought that he was just an ordinary guy.b) They wished that they could be in his place.c) They thought he should share his money with them.d) They wondered if he should check into a mental hospital.

Answer (B)Literacy Elements—Character

The townspeople wanted to be like Richard Cory.They greatly admired him and his money.

Short Answer Questions-Character

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Literary Element—Character 1) Describe the character of Richard Cory as

the “people of the pavement” saw him. Use details from the poem to support you ideas.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer The townspeople or “people of the pavement”

saw Richard Cory as kinglike. They described him as a gentleman “from sole to crown,” or head t toe, and “imperially slim.” Both are allusions to his kingliness. Another aspect of his kinglike personality was his wealthy; he “glittered when he walked” and was “richer than a king.” The townspeople also saw Richard as friendly and personable.

Questions-Character

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

3) Who is the narrator of the poem?   f) a king

g) the author

h) Richard Cory

i) the townspeople

Answer (i)

Literacy Elements—Character

The “narrator” is the person who is telling the story. In this case, that person is the townspeople, “We people on the pavement.”

Short Answer Question-Character

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Literary Element—Compare and Contrast on Characters 4)  Use details from the poem to compare and contrast

the lives of Richard Cory and the lives of the townspeople.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer

The lives of the townspeople and the life of Richard Cory were very different. The townspeople have very little. They worked hard for the little that they did have and “waited for the light”—for the time that they could finally do more than just get by. They did not even have enough money to buy meat! Richard, on the other hand, had more than enough; in fact, he was “richer than a king.” The townspeople wished that they could be in his place, have his life. We do not know if the townspeople were happy, but we know that Richard was not; he had learned that money does not buy happiness.

Setting

Setting is a story element that tells the reader when and where the story takes place. In some stories, the setting is explicitly stated, while in others, it needs to be inferred. Setting can be complex, with flashbacks or flash-forwards in time.Flashbacks-when a story goes back in timeFlash-forwards-when a story goes ahead in time

Purpose: Knowing about setting, time and place, helps you better understand events and characters’ behaviors.

Setting refers to the place and time of a story. For example, if we were going to write a story about today’s class, how would you describe the setting? What details would help someone picture the mood, or feeling, in our class right before a big test?

Identifying the Setting:1) Look at the cover and any illustration.2) To identify where the story takes place, ask yourself, “What words help me imagine what the place looks like?”3) To identify the time, ask yourself, “Is it long ago, in the future, or in the present?”4) Pay attention to any changes in the setting, such as flashback or flash-forward, and how they affect the story.

Think of a place. How can a place affect our mood in the way a setting can affect a character? Authors describe the setting to help us understand the change in mood.

Setting “The Names” by Billy Collins

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,

And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,

Then Baxter and Calabro,Davis and Eberling, names falling into place

As droplets fell through the dark.

Names printed on the ceiling of the night.Names slipping around a watery bend.

Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.

In the morning, I walked out barefootAmong thousands of flowers

Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,And each had a name—

Fiori inscribed on a yellow petalThen Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.

Names written in the airAnd stitched into the cloth of the day.

A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.Monogram on a torn shirt,

I see you spelled out on a storefront windows.

And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.I say the syllables as I turn a corner—

Kelly and LeeMedina, Nardella, and O’Connor.

“The Names” by Billy Collins

When I peer into the woodsI see a thick tangle where letters are hidden

As in a puzzle concocted for children.Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,

Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.

Names written in the pale sky.Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.

Names silent in stoneOr cried out behind a door.

Names blown over the earth and out to sea.

In the evening—weakening light, the last swallows.A boy on a lake lifts his oars.

A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,And the names are outlined on the rose clouds—

Vanacore and Wallace,(let X stand, if it can for the ones unfound)

Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.

“The Names” by Billy Collins

Names etched on the head of a pin.One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.

A blue name needled into the skin.

Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.

Alphabet of names in green rows in a field.Names in the small tracks of birds.

Names lifted from a hatOr balanced on the tip of the tongue.

Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.

Mood and Symbolism-“The Names” by Billy Collins

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,

And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,

Then Baxter and Calabro,Davis and Eberling, names falling into place

As droplets fell through the dark.

Names printed on the ceiling of the night.Names slipping around a watery bend.

Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.

In the morning, I walked out barefootAmong thousands of flowers

Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,And each had a name—

Fiori inscribed on a yellow petalThen Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.

Names written in the airAnd stitched into the cloth of the day.

A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.Monogram on a torn shirt,

I see you spelled out on a storefront windows.

And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.I say the syllables as I turn a corner—

Kelly and LeeMedina, Nardella, and O’Connor.

How can you tell when someone is in a good or bad mood?

Poems and stories also have moods. The mood is the overall feeling or atmosphere a

poem or story creates. Authors include details, descriptions, and words to create a mood.

The third stanza imagines thousands of flowers “heavy with dew like the eyes of tears.” What does this make you think about?

This makes me think about thousands of people who died. It seems sad, yet pays respect to the victims with a beautiful image.

What is the mood of this poem? Circle any words and phrases that reflect the mood of the story.

Mood and Symbolism-“The Names” by Billy Collins

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,

And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows, I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,

Then Baxter and Calabro,Davis and Eberling, names falling into place

As droplets fell through the dark.

Names printed on the ceiling of the night.Names slipping around a watery bend.

Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.

In the morning, I walked out barefootAmong thousands of flowers

Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,And each had a name—

Fiori inscribed on a yellow petalThen Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.

Names written in the airAnd stitched into the cloth of the day.

A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.Monogram on a torn shirt,

I see you spelled out on a storefront windows.

And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.I say the syllables as I turn a corner—

Kelly and LeeMedina, Nardella, and O’Connor.

Identify symbolism within the poem. A symbol is something that has meaning in itself,

but also stands for something else. Symbolism comes in many forms. The stars on the

American flag stand for each of the states. The bald eagle is our national symbol of freedom. These, and other symbols, are printed on U.S. coins and bills.

Symbolism in a poem or story can be a person, object, or an idea that has two meanings:1)literal, or basic meaning, and 2) a meaning which is used in a different way than usual.

Read the third stanza: The flowers symbolize the thousands of people who

died. The poet includes one name for every letter of the

alphabet. What does this symbolize?

Poet’s Use of Imagery

In the morning, I walked out barefoot

Among thousands of flowers

Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,

And each had a name—

Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal

Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.

Identify the poet’s use of imagery. Imagery is a combination of descriptive words and

phrases that creates vivid images, or pictures, in the reader’s mind. Imagery appeals to the senses. It helps us feel like we can see, hear, smell, and taste things we read about.

Reread the third stanza. There is lots of imagery here. I can feel myself

walking barefoot among the flowers, my feet wet and cold. I can see many bright colors—red, yellow, pink, purple. I can even smell the fresh aroma of all kinds of flowers.

Reread the poem silently and circle an example of imagery that you particulary like. Share how each appeals to your senses.

Symbolism

When I peer into the woods

I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden

As in a puzzle concocted for children.

Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,

Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,

Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.

Names written in the pale sky.

Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.

Names silent in stone

Or cried out behind a door.

Names blown over the earth and out to sea.

In the evening—weakening light, the last swallows.

A boy on a lake lifts his oars.

A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,

And the names are outlined on the rose clouds—

Vanacore and Wallace,

(let X stand, if it can for the ones unfound)

Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.

Symbolism can have a literal, or basic, meaning and a meaning that is used in a different way than usual.

What does the narrator let X stand for? Why is the letter X an appropriate symbol

for the “ones unfound.” The “ones unfound” must be the victims

who could not be identified. X seems like a good symbol for these victims since it is often used to indicate something unknown. Also, the poet may have used this letter since there are few actual names that start with X.

Tone

Read the following statement enthusiastically, honestly, and truthfully:

Wow! I really like those shoes!

Now read the following statement sarcastically with the emphasis on the word, “really”.

Wow! I really like those shoes!

Just by changing your tone of voice, the meaning of what you are saying changes. The same is true with literature. You need to practice hearing the tones as you read.

Use the poem “Richard Cory” to answer the following question on

tone as well as practice question on context clues.

”Richard Cory”Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at himHe was a gentleman from sole to crown,

Clean flavored, and imperially slim. 

And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he said,

“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked. 

And he was rich-yes, richer than a king—And admirably schooled in every grace

In fine we thought that he was everything;To make us wish that we were in his place.

 So on we worked, and waited for the light,

And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet through his head.

1) What is the overall tone of the poem?a) sad

        b) dreary          c) humorous

d) matter-of-factLiterary Characteristics—ToneAnswer (d)Although the subject matter of this poem is quite sad, the

tone in which is expressed is very much matter-of-fact, without much emotion put forth at all.

2) The first stanza of the poem states,He was a gentleman from sole to crown,Clean favored, and imperially slim.What does the word “imperially” mean in this sentence?f) kinglyg) happilyh) extremely i) impressively

Words and PhrasesAnswer (f)The word “imperially” means “kingly.” The reference to

“crown” should help you figure this out.

Conflict

Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. Conflict is a very important element.

In many cases, conflict creates the interest and excitement in a piece of literature. Conflict involves two things that are, in some way, fighting against each other. There are different types of conflict; below are the four types.

Person vs. Persons: Two people in conflict, can be physical, emotional, verbal. Person vs. Society: A person in conflict with some element that is valued by society (i.e.,

money, fame, morals) Person vs. Nature: A person in conflict with some element of nature, could be an animal,

weather, fire, and so on Person vs. Him/Herself: A person in conflict or struggling with some inner element,

some element of himself or herself, perhaps a decision or an emotion.

 

Questions about conflict would ask, Who is it between?, or How is it resolved? The resolution of a conflict is simply the way the conflict (or problem) is resolved (or solved). When answering these types of questions, ask yourself what things are struggling against one another and how the struggle is finally ended.

Conflict

Read the following situations, and on the lines below, identify the conflict. Then decide on a resolution of your own. 

1)     The tornado was bearing down on the little Central Florida town. In the Brown household, all of the family members were peacefully sleeping, completely oblivious to the fact that an F5 tornado, the strongest tornado known, sometimes referred to as “the finger of God,” was headed straight for their quaint little house.

Conflict:_________________________vs._________________________

Possible Resolution:__________________________________________________________________________________

 

2)     Michael had lied to his parents about going to the party last night. Because he knew that they would not approve, he had told them that he would be going to the movies with his buddy, Ron, and then spending the night at Ron’s house. The problem was that while he was at the party (which was on the opposite side of town from the theater), his parents’ car, which he had been driving, was rear-ended and rendered not drivable.

Conflict:_________________________vs._________________________

Possible Resolution:__________________________________________________________________________________

 

3)     Jennie and Mark were no longer speaking, Jennie had called Mark a “pig-headed rat,” and, in turn, Mark called Jennie a “foolish Daddy’s girl.” The two had been friends and neighbors since they were three and had had arguments before. This time, though, it looked as if neither was willing even to consider speaking to the other.

Conflict:_________________________vs._________________________

Possible Resolution:___________________________________________________________________________________

Terms to Know for the Test

Setting Mood Flashback Flash-forward Plot Events Problem Conflict Rising Action Climax Falling Action Solution/Resolution