Elements of
Literature
Style, Diction, Syntax,
Dialogue, Dialect, and
Tone
Style
Style is the distinctive way in which an
author uses language.
Word choice, phrasing, sentence length,
tone, dialogue, purpose, and attitude
toward the audience and subject can
all contribute to an author ’s writing
style.
Diction

Diction is the author ’s choice of words
and the manner in which we express
words.

Diction = WORD CHOICE, enunciation

Some easy examples are:
Don’t say ‘goin’ – say ‘going’, Don’t say
‘wanna’ – say ‘want to’
Shakespeare uses very complicated
diction making it difficult for
students to understand his plays.
Syntax

Syntax is how an author constructs
phrases or sentences (i.e. grammar)

Syntax= WORD ORDER

Shakespeare uses very complex
syntax to express basic emotions such
as love and revenge.
Dialogue

Dialogue is conversation between two
or more characters.

Dialogue is when a character speaks
to another character.

Dialogue is conversation.

Dialogue can include when a
character speaks out loud to an
animal, an inanimate object or him or
herself.

Dialogue can be used to explain
something to the reader/audience.
Dialect

Dialect refers to the distinctive
speech patterns of a particular
region, class, or race.

Unlike slang, dialect has a distinctive
system of grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation. It has usually been in
existence for a long time.

Commonly brought to mind to New
Yorkers are the Bostonian Dialect and
the Southern Dialect.
Tone

Tone is a reflection of a writer ’s or
speaker ’s attitude toward a subject of a
literary work.

Tone may be communicated through words
and details that express particular
emotions and that evoke and emotional
response from the reader.

For example, word choice or phrasing may
seem to convey respect, anger,
lightheartedness, or sarcasm.
TONE? MOOD?

Do not get tone confused with mood.
MOOD= ATMOSPHERE/FEELING
created by reader; relates
to setting
TONE= FEELING toward story;
how author/narrator
feels about the
subject

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Where and when a story takes place.
Setting is generally a physical local
that shapes the story’s mood
(atmosphere).
Setting is the dramatic backdrop for
a story.
Why is setting important?




The mood or atmosphere present in the
story.
It may show the internal and external
conflicts within a story.
Can determine the fate of the
protagonist.
May act as a challenge providing a test
for a character to reveal his or her true
self.




Physical- time of day, season, weather,
indoors/outdoors, types of rooms, objects
around, colors, imagery-5 senses
Geographical- country, region, neighborhood,
street, floor level in building, urban, rural,
suburban
Historical- time period, role of government,
major historical events, prominent leaders,
transportation, wars, crop yield, etc.
Cultural- values ideas, attitudes of a place,
dialogue, clothing, routines, education, social
status, religious belief

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Ship-Trap Island
Carribean Sea
Early 1900’s
As you read look for other clues that help
develop the setting.
Symbolism
The practice of representing things by
means of symbols or of attributing symbolic
meanings or significance to objects,
events, or relationships.
a person, place, thing, or idea that stands
for something else. They are used
deliberately to reinforce meaning.
For example, a sword may be a sword and
also symbolize justice. A symbol may be
said to embody an idea.
Symbolism
A symbol may have more than one meaning, or its
meaning may change from the beginning to the
end of a literary work.
Personal: a meaning uniquely associated
with our experiences
Contextual: a private meaning created by
an author
Cultural: a meaning uniquely influenced by
our culture (ex/ dogs represent faithfulness
in China, but impurity in Indian/South Asian
cultures
Universal: a meaning that is given to a thing
by most people and cultures (ex/ lions
represent deity, power and courage in many
cultures)
How many symbols can you associate these images
with? (Don’t limit yourself to just objects. Think about
shapes, colors, and parts of each image as well)
Motifs
A recurring image, word, phrase, or action
that tend to create unity within a literary
work.
Sometimes the motif helps to create the
theme in literature
A motif differs from a theme in that it can
be expressed as a single word or
fragmentary phrase, while a theme usually
must be expressed as a complete
sentence.
Motif Examples
A recurring motif in George Orwell's
"1984" is urban decay. Winston
Smith's run-down home, London's
crumbling buildings, and the overall
disintigration of the city all support
Orwell's theme of the miserable
results of total government control.
Below is a short list of common literary
motifs…there are sooo many more!
Clothing
Seasons
Colors
Death
Supernatural
Adversaries
Extraordinary Animals
Wishes
Magical Objects
Magical Powers
Deep Sleeps
Witches
Trickery
Illness
Consequences of Greed
Beautiful Princess
Flowers/plants
Foolish or Dimwitted Hero
…how we know about what happens/ how the story is
told; the writer’s choice of narrator
First Person Point of View

A character in the story tells the story
from his/her perspective using I, me,
we, etc.
Example:
“Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to
some members of the family that we had no
recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle of
Hastings. All we had was Simon Finch, a furtrapping apothecary from Cornwall whose piety
was exceeded only by his stinginess” -TKAM.
Third Person Omniscient

The narrator can tell the reader what every
character thinks and feels; he is all-knowing.
Example:
“Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from
the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction,
swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his
strength…”
“General Zaroff had an exceedingly good dinner in his
great paneled dining hall that evening. With it he had a
bottle of Pol Roger and half a bottle of Chambertin. Two
slight annoyances kept him from perfect enjoyment” –
The Most Dangerous Game.
Third Person Limited

The narrator sees the world through
one character’s eyes and reveals only
that character’s thoughts.
Example:
“To Marius the fever was like a cloud of warm
river fog around him…Such a fool she was, a
praying stupid fool that he had married five years
ago. He could remember thinking that even in the
deep, troubled delirium of the fever” -The
Horsehair Trunk.
Objective Point of View

when the writer tells what happens without stating
more than can be inferred from the story's action
and dialogue. (Drama- Plays)
Example:

TYBALT What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
TYBALT What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!