LITERATURE - IN ENGLISH
SS1,WEEK 2
PROSE AND ITS DIVISION
PROSE
• Prose is a long narrative literary work. It
applies a natural flow of speech and ordinary
grammatical structure rather than rhythmic
structure , such as in the case of traditional
poetry. Normal everyday speech is spoken in
prose and most people think and write in
prose form. Prose is divided into two:
• Fiction
• Non-fiction
CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSE
• A prose is written in chapters and chapters are
made up of paragraphs. The writer of a prose
is known as author.
• The outline or summary of a story in a logical
order of event is plot. The central idea in a
prose work is referred to as theme or thematic
pre-occupation.
• DIVISION OF PROSE
Fiction
• It refers to literature created from the
imagination . Fiction is a long narrative
literary work in which actions that form the
basis of the story are either imagined or
invented. It is any work of prose that deals in
part or in whole , with information or events
that are not real but rather imaginary.
Example : faceless by Amma Darko , Native
Son by Richard Wright
NON-FICTION
• A prose which presents the real life experience
of a character . It is an assertion or
descriptions that are believed by the author to
be factual. Example: biography, autobiography
e.t.c
•
KINDS OF FICTION
 Short story: This is a story which does not have
two many characters and often concentrate on a
single event. It is less than a thousand words
Novella: it is a fictional prose narrative normally
longer than a shorter story but shorter than a
novel.
Novel: it is a long prose work that describes
fictional characters and events usually in form of
a sequential story.
 Fable: it is a short unreal story in which animals are made to talk and dialogue
as if they were human beings.
Allegory : This is a story in which abstract ideas are used as characters. E.g love, pride e..t.c
 parable : This is a simple and brief story used to demonstrate ‘ a moral truth or lesson’
Example ; The parable of the mustard seed.
Romance : it refers to a fantastic story which setting , incidents and even characters are totally
removed from real life possibilities.
Myth : An ancient story that people believed
KINDS OF NON- FICTION
 Biography: This is a prose work written on the
real life experience of another individual who
is not the author himself.
Autobiography : This is a real life story account
and experiences of a person as written by
himself.
Memoir: this refers to the personal
experiences of a writer concerning a particular
issue E.g Wole Soyinka’s The Man Died
BASIC CONCEPTS / TECHNIQUES IN
PROSE WRITING
 Plot: this refers to the arrangement of events
in a narrative piece towards the achievements
of some particular artistic or emotional effect.
There are two types of plot structure :
Linear plot/ chronological plot
Episodic plot
Characterisation and character : A character is
a participant in the story. Characterisation is
the way the writer portrays his /her character.
Setting : this is the time and location in which
a story takes place
Theme: theme is the central idea in a work of
art.
Narrative Techniques/ point of view: this is the
way the author allows reader to ‘’see’’ and ‘’
hear ‘’ his view