ENG 260 GUIDE TO READING AND WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE Presentation 1: Introduction ENG...

ENG 260 GUIDE TO READING AND WRITING

ABOUT LITERATURE

Presentation 1: Introduction

ENG 260—Literature of Sports, Spring 2002

ENG 260--Literature of Sports, Spring 2002

ENG 260 Guide to Reading and Writing about Literature

Presentation 1, Slide 2

This presentation will discuss:

• the elements of works of literature• literary devices authors may

employ• what to do when you read

literature for this class• what you will be writing about in

this course• guidelines for writing about

literature




Basic elements of a literary work

• the setting (not just physical, but also temporal and atmospheric)

more . . .




• the characters the protagonist (main character)- usually in some sort of conflict

other major and minor characters

more . . .




• the plot: not just what happens but why (causes and effects, interactions)

• the theme: not just the general topic or the plot, but the central idea of the work as a whole

usually based on the protagonist’s conflict

more . . .




• the structure (how the work is organized into parts, and how these parts relate to each other and the whole): for example, the work may be entirely a sequential narrative (one thing happens after another) or there may be several shifts (e.g. flashbacks, long reflective pieces in place of action)




Literary devices

• point of view third person: narration done by unseen, unnamed person (who may be omniscient, i.e. has insight into all characters’ thoughts, feelings and experiences, or perhaps not)

more . . .




first person: narrator uses I, me, we, us etc. and typically is one of the characters but usually not the

author him-/herself (except in poetry)

more . . .




• style: characteristic wording and sentence structure (may be simple, complex, sophisticated, disjointed, etc.)

• tone: attitude, expressed through style and other devices, toward the work, its characters, its setting, the reader, etc.

more . . .




• other devices: imagery: sensory impressions

triggered by choice of wordssymbolism: using a concrete thing

or object to represent (symbolize) something else, usually an idea (e.g. a lamp representing freedom, knowledge, hope, etc.)

more . . .




allusion: making a (often indirect) reference to an outside idea, story, event, etc.—may be hard to grasp if you’re not familiar with what’s being alluded to

figures of speech: special use of words, phrases, etc.—includes metaphors (indirect comparisons without like/as, e.g. “He’s a rocket”) and similes (direct comparisons with like/as, e.g. “He runs like a rocket”)

more . . .




Questions you should ask yourself as you read (you can answer these by

writing either in the book, in a separate journal, or, especially for

more in-depth replies, to the course discussion board)

• What is the setting, and how is it significant for the work as a whole?

more . . .




• Who is the protagonist? What are the other major characters? How does the author describe, depict and develop the characters?

• How does the plot determine the source of conflicts? How does the plot reveal character development?

more . . .




• What is the theme of the work? (Try to state it in a single sentence.)

• Is there a third-person or a first-person narrator? If first person, who is it? If third person, is the narrator omniscient?

more . . .




• What is the author’s tone? What is the tone of the protagonist and/or other characters?

• How is the work structured? Do you see a reason for the way the work is structured as it is?

more . . .




• Does the author use images? If so, which senses of the reader do they appeal to?

• What do you think is the meaning or purpose of the imagery?

• Does the author use any symbols? If so, what do they represent, and why does he/she symbolize these in this way?

more . . .




• Does the author seem to make any allusions? If so, what are they, and why do you think the author includes these allusions?

more . . .




• What figures of speech does the author use? Note the metaphors and similes; why does the author use these particular ones (i.e. are they related to the work’s imagery, symbolism, etc.)?




Types of writing you may do in this course

• reaction/response• interpretation• analysis

All of these can be developed from your journal or discussion board

entries.




reaction/response: basically, what you thought after reading the work

• what it made you think about • why you liked it or didn’t like it, or

what parts did you like and what parts didn’t you like (whatever you say, make sure you give specific reasons and examples)

more . . .




• how it relates to your personal experience, and/or reveals something about your life or yourself

• what you think it does well and/or poorly (again, be specific)




interpretation: what you think the work as a whole or parts of it are

supposed to mean

• How do the various elements of the work, i.e. plot, characters, setting, etc. contribute to this meaning?

more . . .




IMPORTANT: Rarely is there ever one “correct” interpretation, but the best case is usually that some consensus arises as to a work’s general meaning. There may be divergent interpretations because the static words of a text may in fact mean different things to different people or even to the same person at different times and circumstances.




analysis (of literary elements of the work)

Sample topics:• contribution of the setting • in-depth analysis of one character,

or comparison of characters in the same or different works

more . . .




• how the various elements of the work, plot, characterization, setting, etc. contribute to the development of the theme

more . . .




• how the point of view affects the work

• how the author’s tone relates to the theme or other aspects of the work




General guidelines for writing about literature

Content:• don’t just summarize or retell the

story• include specific information from

the work only when it supports the point you’re trying to make

more . . .




• be specific, clear and direct• use quotations frequently to

support your ideas, but don’t overuse them (don’t let them do your writing work for you)

• you can focus on the work as a whole or just a (significant) part of it




Conventions:

• In describing literature or telling what happens in a work of fiction, the convention is to use the present tense for verbs instead of the past tense (if you’re not clear about what these two verb tenses are, see slides 2 and 3 of my “Tenses and Aspects” lecture available under the section “chapter 3 lectures” at mccorduck.net/402/lectures) .

http://mccorduck.net/402/lectures




examples:

In the end, Al defeats Waller in the match.

Prews is a veteran outfielder.

Ray and Salinger travel from New Hampshire to Cooperstown.

After Grey finishes his college career, he plays in the CFL before he joins the NFL’s Washington Redskins.




There are some instances where it’s O.K. to use the past tense, however:

• when discussing a character's background or the "back story" of some element of the plot as long as it takes place before the narrative (e.g., Ray first rented the farm from Eddie Scissons)

• when describing reactions or impressions of yours at the time of reading (e.g., It was not surprising to me that Al in the end agrees to take the dive)

more . . .




• when referring to an event that necessarily has to occur before another plot element (e.g., Grooves (had) observed Thorssun cheating prior to the Ryder Cup but waits until the last hole to bring it up)

Aside from cases like these, for the most part you will need to use the present tense exclusively. Especially because this is a GE 7 course, it’s something I will have to insist on and enforce.




Other conventions:• use the first and last name of the

author on first mention, then only his/her last name

• give parenthetical references for quotations

• when referring to characters in works, for the most part use just their last names (unless, for example, you need to differentiate members of the same family)

ENG 260 GUIDE TO READING AND WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE Presentation 1: Introduction ENG...

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