A Brief Survey of Basic Literary Terms 3.3. ------------------:... Basically, the third-person narrator knows the thoughts and emotions of El! characters; he is an omniscient narrator. lf he chooses to describe the thoughts and emotions of only one character, he is a selective narrator; he presents the through one character's eyes.. r-1 third-person narrator ~ omniscience selective omniscience () THOUGHTS, [;: THOUGHTS, \) EMOTIONS... EMOTIONS... 0 OC) 0 ~ 0 M;YL"":-..~ fi?). 0 i~~ ~ ()Cl narrator first-person third-person selective third-person point of view limited limited unlimited An omniscient narrator can move freely in time and space. : He can shift from character to character, reporting what he chooses of their speech, actions, thoughts, feelings and emotions. He may give comments or decide to 'show' the action without judgement. A first-person narrator is naturally limited in his perspective. A third-person selective narrator can choose a perspective that is limited to the consciousness of one character. The unlimited point of view with a third-person omniscient narrator allovys the narrator to enter into the minds of El! characters. 3.4. ---------,------- There are two ways to present a : showing and telling. Therefore we distinguish between the seenie and the panoramic mode of presentation. showing the characters talk and act: the action is shown! telling the narrator sums up and explains: the is told! seenie mode of presentation panoramic mode of presentation
A Brief Survey of Basic Literary Terms 3. POINT OF VIEW 3.1. -----------~- The is told by the narrator, who is not identical with the author. narrator SKATEBOARD :1: author by Paul Smith Yesterday l got a... l bad not expected... I knew... The 17 -year old narrator! The 45-year old author! The author creates the narrator and teils the from the narrator's perspective or point of view. 3.2. -----~--------- A character in the speaking as 'I' or 'we' is called a first-person narrator. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW. FEEL, THINK OR EXPERIENCE. I AM A PART OF THE STORY! A third-person narrator is not a character in the. -----. I STAND OUTSIDE THE STORY. YOU FEEL THAT I AM THERE BUT I AM NOT A PART OF THE ACTION!
A Brief Survey of Basic Literary Terms 4. IMAGERY 4.1. Images are.pictures created in the reader~s mind by words and phrases. Examples of imagery (or: figurative language) are simiies, metaphors and symbols. simile 4.2. -------------- A simile is a comparison of two different things by the words 'like' and 'as': "He fought like a lion." "She is as blind as a bat." A person is compare.d with an animal; the similarity is often mentioned: the fighting spirit, the blindness. MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE... metaphor strong? courageous? hairy? concrete thing as a symbol of an abstract idea. j 4.3 ~ --,---~----------- A simile in which the similarity is not mentioned can easily be shortened to a metaphor. simile: "He is like a lion." metaphor: "He is a lion." A metaphor is a statement of identity. Two different things are equated, but in which way t hey are similar is often open to interpretation. LIFE IS A WALKING SHADOW. A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT! ) ~b. rtj)c 4.4. ---------------- A concrete thing.(object, place, action) becomes a symbol if it stands for an abstract idea. A heart A wedding ring An hour-glass The Statue of Liberty can I symbolise stand for Iove marriage time. America(n ideals)
A Brief Survey of Basic Literary Terms 2. ACTION 2.1. The. place and time in which the events of a take place is the 's setting: setting = place and time of action London; 1991 THE SETTING IS IMPORTANT FOR THE ATMOSPHERE OF A STORY!. 2.2. ---------------- A flashback is the interruption of the chronological order of a in order to show what happened earlier. t fu~~~. O j~ ~ ~ 6-- > events in chronological order 2.3. --------------- A '' is a sequence of events: first this happens, then that, then that.... A plot is a sequence of events connected by cause and effect. plot example The king died and I The king died and then then the queen died. the queen died of grief. focus on... I the time-sequence causality reader's question I "... and the n?" "Why?" [fi} ~ ) plot1ft I ~Iai I...)
ABrief Survey.of Basic Literary Terms 1. CHARACTERS ~ar 0 1.1. The characters of a are the persons taking part in it. The central character fs the protagonist. A flat character... A round character... -: can be described in one sentence - stands for one idea or ~uality - does not change or develop in the - has a complex personality - is able to surprise the reader and to undergo a leaming process - develops in the 1.2. --------------- The constellation of characters is the system of relationships between the characters of a. The constellation of characters can remain stable or may change in the course of the action. You can describe it graphically. Example:! mother relationship very close close friendly superficial hostile -:::.:::.::.. _.. -... '/....... _ father son girltriend AN AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL! 1.3. -----:-----'----------- A character in a can be presented in two ways: Direct characterization: The reader is told about a character's qualities by the narrator, another character. or the character himself. lndirect characterization: The reader has to find out the qualities of a character through what the character says and does.