literary elements in children’s literature britany howell university of west alabama lm 506
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Literary ElementsLiterary Elementsin Children’s Literaturein Children’s Literature
Britany HowellBritany Howell
University of West AlabamaUniversity of West Alabama
LM 506LM 506
What are Literary Elements?What are Literary Elements?
Literary elements are all of the Literary elements are all of the elements that are used together to elements that are used together to make a story.make a story.
The final objective is to see the story The final objective is to see the story as a whole and to become aware of as a whole and to become aware of how the parts are put together to how the parts are put together to produce a unified effect.produce a unified effect.
The Eight Literary ElementsThe Eight Literary Elements
There are eight literary elements found in There are eight literary elements found in books for children and young adults. They books for children and young adults. They are:are:
~ Character~ Character ~ Point of View ~ Point of View
~ Plot~ Plot ~ Style ~ Style
~ Theme~ Theme ~ Literary Rhythm ~ Literary Rhythm
~ Setting~ Setting ~ Tone ~ Tone
CharacterCharacter The character of a book The character of a book
is a person in the book.is a person in the book. Sometimes the character Sometimes the character
is an animal or object that is an animal or object that acts like a person.acts like a person.
Each of the living beings Each of the living beings in a story is a character.in a story is a character.
Character developmentCharacter development involves showing the involves showing the character – whether a character – whether a person or animal or person or animal or object – with the mixture object – with the mixture of qualities that makes up of qualities that makes up a person.a person.
The The revelation of characterrevelation of character is is our ability to know the our ability to know the character completely.character completely.
We come to know a character We come to know a character through the following ways:through the following ways:
By actionsBy actions – what the – what the character doescharacter does
By speechBy speech – what the – what the character sayscharacter says
By appearanceBy appearance – how the – how the character lookscharacter looks
By other’s commentsBy other’s comments – –what others in the story saywhat others in the story say
By author’s commentsBy author’s comments – – the words the author uses the words the author uses to describe the characterto describe the character
Types of CharactersTypes of Characters
Round Character – a character we know
well who has a variety of traits and is well
developed.
Flat Character – less well developedand has fewer traits.
Dynamic Character -a well developed
character who changes.
Static Character –does not change in
the course of thestory.
Protagonist –central or
main character
Foil –minor character
whose traitsare different to
those of theprincipal character
Stereotype –has few traitsof a class or
group of people
Examples of CharacterExamples of Character
STATIC CHARACTER
Charlotte the spider
STEREOTYPE
Lurvy
PROTAGONIST
Wilbur the pig
ROUND CHARACTER
Wilbur the pig
FOIL
The snobbish lamb
FLAT CHARACTER
Fern
DYNAMIC CHARACTER
Wilbur the pig
PlotPlot The plot of a story is The plot of a story is
the sequence of the sequence of events showing events showing characters in action.characters in action.
Well written plots Well written plots should include a should include a conflict, tension, and conflict, tension, and action that holds the action that holds the reader’s interest.reader’s interest.
Types of Narrative Types of Narrative OrderOrder:: Chronological OrderChronological Order FlashbacksFlashbacks
Types of ConflictTypes of Conflict:: Person-against-selfPerson-against-self Person-against-personPerson-against-person Person-against-societyPerson-against-society Person-against-naturePerson-against-nature
PlotPlot Patterns of Action:Patterns of Action:
SuspenseSuspense – – the emotional the emotional pull that keeps us wanting pull that keeps us wanting to read onto read on
The Cliff-hangerThe Cliff-hanger – – the the suspense at the end of a suspense at the end of a chapter that makes it hard chapter that makes it hard to lay the book asideto lay the book aside
ForeshadowingForeshadowing – – clues clues about the outcomeabout the outcome
SensationalismSensationalism – – unrelieved suspenseunrelieved suspense
The ClimaxThe Climax – – the point at the point at which we know the which we know the outcomeoutcome
DenouementDenouement – – the point the point at which we understand at which we understand the resolution of the the resolution of the conflictconflict
Types of Plots:Types of Plots: Progressive PlotsProgressive Plots – – a a
central climax followed central climax followed by a denouementby a denouement
Episodic PlotsEpisodic Plots - - One One incident or short episode incident or short episode is linked to another by is linked to another by common characters or a common characters or a unified theme. Each unified theme. Each chapter is a separate chapter is a separate story but part of a whole. story but part of a whole. The suspense is usually The suspense is usually resolved within the resolved within the chapter.chapter.
Strong Elements of PlotStrong Elements of Plot
Suspense The Cliff-hanger Foreshadowing
Sensationalism The Climax Denouement
ThemeTheme The theme of a piece The theme of a piece
of writing is the of writing is the unifying truth, main unifying truth, main idea, or central idea, or central meaning.meaning.
Theme is also the Theme is also the idea that holds the idea that holds the story together, such story together, such as a comment about as a comment about society, human society, human nature, or human nature, or human condition.condition.
Types of ThemesTypes of ThemesExplicit
Theme-
A theme
stated
openly and
clearly.
Implicit Theme-
A theme not statedopenly but derivedfrom the characters
and action ofthe story.
PrimaryTheme-
The main themeof the story.
SecondaryTheme-
Additional andusually less
important themes.
Examples of ThemeExamples of ThemeExplicit Theme
Implicit Theme
Primary Theme Secondary Theme
SettingSetting The time and place in The time and place in
which the story occurs.which the story occurs. The possibilities of setting The possibilities of setting
are endless.are endless.
Types of Settings:Types of Settings: Backdrop SettingBackdrop Setting - -
RelativelyRelatively unimportant. unimportant. This does not mean that This does not mean that the setting is the setting is unimportant. Even unimportant. Even though the setting may though the setting may be unidentified it may be unidentified it may still have some still have some importance.importance.
Integral SettingIntegral Setting - - Essential setting. It is Essential setting. It is when the action, when the action, character, or theme are character, or theme are influenced by the time influenced by the time and place.and place.
Functions of SettingFunctions of Setting Setting that clarifies conflictSetting that clarifies conflict – The setting actually aids – The setting actually aids
in the development of the story’s conflict.in the development of the story’s conflict. Setting as antagonistSetting as antagonist – When the natural environment – When the natural environment
is hostile the setting itself becomes antagonistic.is hostile the setting itself becomes antagonistic. Setting that illuminates characterSetting that illuminates character – Some vividly – Some vividly
described settings actually influence the qualities of described settings actually influence the qualities of characters in some stories.characters in some stories.
Setting as moodSetting as mood – Descriptions of settings can be used – Descriptions of settings can be used to set the mood of a scene.to set the mood of a scene.
Setting as symbolSetting as symbol – Sometimes setting can be – Sometimes setting can be symbolic of something: darkenss as evil, sunlight as symbolic of something: darkenss as evil, sunlight as goodness, a garden as beauty, etc.goodness, a garden as beauty, etc.
Function of Setting ExamplesFunction of Setting Examples
Setting ThatClarifies Conflict
Setting AsAntagonist
Setting ThatIlluminatesCharacter
Setting andMood
Setting AsSymbol
Point of ViewPoint of View Point of View is Point of View is
whose view of the whose view of the story the writer tells.story the writer tells.
Whose view of the Whose view of the story the writer tells story the writer tells determines the point determines the point of view.of view.
Who sees the events Who sees the events determines how the determines how the story will develop.story will develop.
Types of Point of ViewTypes of Point of View:: First-person point of First-person point of
viewview Omniscient point of Omniscient point of
viewview Limited omniscient Limited omniscient
point of viewpoint of view Objective point of Objective point of
viewview
Point of View ExamplesPoint of View Examples
First-personPoint of View
OmniscientPoint of View
Limited OmniscientPoint of View
ObjectivePoint of View
StyleStyle Style is basically words.Style is basically words. HOW HOW an author says an author says
something as opposed something as opposed toto WHAT WHAT he or she he or she says.says.
Style is Style is notnot applied to applied to the finished piece of the finished piece of writing. It is the writing, writing. It is the writing, conveying both the idea conveying both the idea and the writer’s view of and the writer’s view of the idea.the idea.
Devices of SoundDevices of Sound:: OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia – Words – Words
that sound like their that sound like their meaningsmeanings
AlliterationAlliteration – Repetition of – Repetition of initial consonantsinitial consonants
AssonanceAssonance – Repetition of – Repetition of similar vowel sounds within similar vowel sounds within a phrasea phrase
ConsonanceConsonance – The close – The close repetition of consonant repetition of consonant soundssounds
RhythmRhythm – The flow of the – The flow of the texttext
Devices of StyleDevices of Style Connotation Connotation ImageryImagery Figurative languageFigurative language
PersonificationPersonification SimilesSimiles MetaphorsMetaphors
Hyperbole Hyperbole UnderstatementUnderstatement AllusionAllusion SymbolSymbol Puns and WordplayPuns and Wordplay
Devices of Style ExamplesDevices of Style Examples
Imagery:
The Zuckerman
barn
Connotation:Charlotte is
not as big as a thimble, or as small as a fingernail, or
as round as a button
FigurativeLanguage:
Wilbur given human traitseven though
he is an animal
Hyperbole:Mrs.
Zuckerman is scared to
death; Wilbur threatens to
die of a broken heart
Understatement:
The frog in Avery’s pocket
that has traveled back and forth on the swing all
morningPuns &
Wordplay:
liesand lays
Literary RhythmLiterary Rhythm From the Greek word From the Greek word
meaning flowmeaning flow A recurring flow of A recurring flow of
strong or weak beatsstrong or weak beats Effective when read Effective when read
aloudaloud Rhythm is sometimes Rhythm is sometimes
referred to as referred to as cadence when read in cadence when read in prose.prose.
Cadence is rhythmic Cadence is rhythmic flow in prose.flow in prose.
Prose is different from Prose is different from poetry because it poetry because it resembles patterns of resembles patterns of everyday speech.everyday speech.
Example of Literary RhythmExample of Literary Rhythm
……an astonishing pile of old bottles an astonishing pile of old bottles andand empty tin cans empty tin cans andand dirty rags dirty rags andand bits of metal bits of metal andand broken bottles broken bottles andand broken hinges broken hinges andand broken springs broken springs andand dead batteries dead batteries andand last month’s magazines last month’s magazines andand old discarded old discarded dishmops dishmops andand tattered overalls… tattered overalls… andand useless junk of all useless junk of all kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice-kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice-cream freezer.cream freezer.
From From Charlotte’s WebCharlotte’s Web
by E.B. Whiteby E.B. White
description of the Zuckerman dumpdescription of the Zuckerman dump
ToneTone Tone tells us how the Tone tells us how the
author feels about his author feels about his or her subject.or her subject.
Humor is the easiest Humor is the easiest tone to recognize.tone to recognize.
Tone cannot be Tone cannot be isolated from the isolated from the words of a story.words of a story.
Tone influences Tone influences meaning.meaning.
Important tones in Important tones in Children’s LiteratureChildren’s Literature:: HumorHumor – usually comes – usually comes
from a situation or from a situation or happenings that make happenings that make children laughchildren laugh
ParodyParody – usually a – usually a device for older readers device for older readers since it relies on the since it relies on the reader’s memory of a reader’s memory of a known piece of writing known piece of writing or of a way of talkingor of a way of talking
Types of ToneTypes of ToneCondescensionCondescension When someone looks down upon us, treating us When someone looks down upon us, treating us
as though we are unintelligent or immatureas though we are unintelligent or immature
SentimentalitySentimentality The overuse of a statementThe overuse of a statement
DidacticismDidacticism PreachingPreaching Points to a moral lessonPoints to a moral lesson
Tone ExamplesTone Examples
CondescensionSentimentality
Didacticism