21st CENTURY TOPICS (FIRST WEEK)

Definition of Theme

Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated
directly or indirectly.

Major and Minor Themes

Major and minor themes are two types of themes that appear in literary works. A major theme is an
idea that a writer repeats in his literary work, making it the most significant idea in the work. A minor
theme, on the other hand, refers to an idea that appears in a work briefly, giving way to another minor
theme. Examples of theme in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” are matrimony, love, friendship,
and affection. The whole narrativerevolves around the major theme of matrimony. Its minor themes
are love, friendship, affectation etc.

Types of Narrative Techniques

There are many literary techniques, but for this lesson, we will examine literary
techniques relevant to style, plot, and narrative perspective, or point of view.
Common techniques relevant to style, or the language chosen to tell a story,
include metaphors, similes, personification, imagery, hyperbole, and alliteration.
Common techniques relevant to plot, which is the sequence of events that make
up a narrative, include backstory, flashback, flash-forward, and foreshadowing.
Common techniques relevant to narrative perspective, or who is telling the story,
include first person, second person, third person, and third-person omniscient.
The literary device foreshadowing refers to the use of words or phrases that set the stage for the
story to unfold. It gives the reader a hint of something that is going to happen without revealing the
story or spoiling the suspense. Foreshadowing is used to suggest an upcoming outcome to the
story.

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in
the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, or a chapter, and helps the reader
develop expectations about the coming events in a story. There are various ways to create
foreshadowing.

A flashback (sometimes called an analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in
time from the current point in the story. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened
before the story's primary sequence of events to fill in crucial backstory.

A narrative work beginning in medias res (Classical Latin: [ɪn mɛdiaːs reːs], lit. "into the middle of
things") opens in the midst of the plot (cf. ab ovo, ab initio).[1] Often, exposition is bypassed and filled
in gradually, either through dialogue, flashbacks or description of past events. Hamlet begins after the
death of Hamlet's father. Characters make reference to King Hamlet's death without the plot's first
 establishment of said fact. Since the play is about Hamlet and the revenge more so than the
motivation, Shakespeare uses in medias res to bypass superfluous exposition.

'In medias res means starting the story in the middle or some time after the natural beginning of the story.
Figurative language is when you use a word or phrase that does not have its
normal everyday, literal meaning. Writers can use figurative language to make
their work more interesting or more dramatic than literal language which simply
states facts.

 Metaphor: A metaphor is a comparison between two things. They don't

necessarily have to be alike but make a link in the reader's mind.
"Nobody invites Edward to parties because he is a wet blanket."
 Personification: When something non-human is given human-like qualities,
this is known as personification.
"The leaves danced in the wind on the cold October afternoon."
 Simile: A simile is a direct comparison between two things, using like or as.
"Jamie runs as fast as the wind."
 Hyperbole: When a writer exaggerates something - typically in a humorous
way - it's known as hyperbole.
"My eyes widened at the sight of the mile-high sundaes that were brought to
our table."

Elements of a short story

In analyzing a short story, there are six elements that the reader should look for in the story.
All stories begin with a seed of an idea. From that point, the author then should plan his story around
these elements:

Setting, Conflict, Character, Plot, Theme, Point of view

Each of these aspects should be expected in the story. Not all stories will have the same importance
placed on each element. For example, in the story “To Build a Fire,” one of the most important
elements is the setting. It is the Yukon with 75 degrees below zero.

Setting

This element refers to the place and time of the story. When evaluating the setting, look for where the
action takes place. In addition, the historical period may be important.

Conflict

In every story, there has to be a problem. The main character has to be challenged in some way or
the story will go nowhere. There are four basic conflicts to look for that may face the main character:

 Man versus man

 Man versus nature

 Man versus himself

 Man versus society

Character

The development of the characters is important to the short story. The characters are the heart of the
story. The two primary characters are called the protagonist and the antagonist.

The protagonist is the main character. It is not safe to call him the hero because the main character
is not always heroic. He/she is the person with which the story is most concerned.

The antagonist does not have to be a human being. If he is a person, he may be the villain. This
character does not have the main character’s best interest at heart. In some stories, nature is the
antagonist. Remember “To Build a Fire.” The main character has to face nature and hope that he
survives.

Some characters do not change in a story: these characters are called flat. The characters that
change or grow are called round.

A character is considered flat (or static) when he or she does not experience change of any kind,
does not grow from beginning to end. Shakespeare often uses comic villains as flat characters, like
Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing..

Plot

The plot is the arrangement of the events in the story. The plot should follow some logical sequence
of events. There are five elements to look in the plot.

The Exposition-The initial events, the introduction of characters, and beginning of the story.

The Rising Action- The beginning of the conflict. Complications arise.

The Climax-This is the highest point of interest in the story. It is the turning point that aims toward the
conclusion of the story.

The Falling Action- The events that occur which begin to resolve the conflict.

Denouement-This is the final outcome of the story.

Theme

This is the controlling idea or the insight that the author wants the reader to understand at the end of
the story. The theme is often the author’s thoughts or view of a subject.

Point of view
This element of the story is how the story is told . It also determines who will be the narrator of the
story.

First Person-One of the characters tells the story and interacts in the story as well.

Third Person-the author can narrate the story using a “god-like” position in which he can see into the
minds of the characters.

Limited Omniscient- Still in third person, the narrator will only know what the character knows or what
the author tells the narrator.

There are more intricate aspects of a story, but this is the basic terms for an analysis.

LITERARY DEVICES
Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is
generally conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject. ...
The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, or cheerful, or it may be any other
existing attitude.

Example #1

Father: “We are going on a vacation.”

Son: “That’s great!!!”

– The tone of son’s response is very cheerful.

Example #2

Father: “We can’t go on vacation this summer.”

Son: “Yeah, great! That’s what I expected.”

– The son’s tone is sarcastic.

Style in literature is the literary element that describes the ways that the author uses words — the
author's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement all work
together to establish mood, images, and meaning in the text.
Style

Definition of Style

The style in writing can be defined as the way a writer writes. It is the technique that an individual
author uses in his writing. It varies from author to author, and depends upon one’s syntax, word
choice, and tone. It can also be described as a “voice” that readers listen to when they read the work
of a writer.

Types of Style

There are four basic literary styles used in writing. These styles distinguish the works of different
authors, one from another. Here are four styles of writing:
Expository or Argumentative Style

Expository writing style is a subject-oriented style. The focus of the writer in this type of writing style is
to tell the readers about a specific subject or topic, and in the end the author leaves out his own
opinion about that topic.

Descriptive Style

In descriptive writing style, the author focuses on describing an event, a character or a place in detail.
Sometimes, descriptive writing style is poetic in nature in, where the author specifies an event,
an object, or a thing rather than merely giving information about an event that has happened. Usually
the description incorporates sensory details.

Persuasive Style

Persuasive style of writing is a category of writing in which the writer tries to give reasons and
justification to make the readers believe his point of view. The persuasive style aims to persuade and
convince the readers.

Narrative Style

Narrative writing style is a type of writing wherein the writer narrates a story. It includes short stories,
novels, novellas, biographies, and poetry.

1. If it sounds like I’m writing, then I prefer to rewrite it.

(Conversational)

2. “I think it’s a good ide,.” said Jenny.

“You can imagine the outcomes!” retorted Emma, pushing the door open.
Reluctantly, Jenny followed.
(Narrative)

3. The sunset fills the entire sky with the lovely deep color of rubies, setting the clouds ablaze.
(Descriptive)

4. The waves waltz along the seashore, going up and down in a gentle and graceful rhythm, like
dancing.
(Descriptive)

5. A trip to Switzerland is an excellent experience that you will never forget, offering beautiful
nature, fun, and sun. Book your vacation trip today.
(Persuasive)

Mood Definition

In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers
through words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of
a literary piece, as it creates an emotional setting that surrounds the readers.

Definition of Point of View

Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion or feelings of the
individuals involved in a situation. In literature, point of view is the mode of narration that an author
employs to let the readers “hear” and “see” what takes place in a story, poem, or essay.