Review - Elements of Fiction:
Irony
 General definition:
The contrast between what is expected to happen and what happens.
 Types of irony
Situational
Verbal
Dramatic

 A situation where one thing is expected to happen and the opposite actually occurs.
 Example: A person who is afraid of heights goes to work building skyscrapers.

 One expresses a meaning by using words that carry the opposite meaning.
 Example: In the middle of a blizzard someone says, “What a beautiful day!”
This is sometimes called sarcasm.

 This usually occurs in a drama or a play.
 The audience (or reader) knows something that the main character does not know.

 A symbol is a person, place, thing, or event (something concrete) used to represent a concept or an idea
(something abstract).

What is conflict in the plot of a novel?
 This is a struggle between the opposing forces.
 The struggle builds until it reaches a crisis or turning point , which is the climax of the novel.
 There are 5 main types of conflict:

Problem with another character

Problems with the laws or beliefs of a group.

Problem with a force of nature such as a blizzard or high wind

Problem with deciding what to do or think.

Problem that seems to be uncontrollable

Elements of Fiction - Theme
Definition –
 The statement about life the writer wants to convey to the reader.
 Sometimes the writer makes a clear statement about the theme; other times the reader has to make an inference or reasonable guess.
 There may be more than one theme -

How to Understand the Theme
Find the “big ideas” or general topics
What does the author want the reader to understand about the “big idea”?
 Courage
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Family
Friendship
Growing up
Freedom
 If the story is about
“family,” is the author saying “it is important to stick together as a family”???
 Prejudice
 The theme is a statement!!!

Example – Identify the Theme from “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
 Looking at what a character says/does will help you identify the theme:
“I’m eleven today. I’m eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one, but I wish I was one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven, because I want today to be far away already, far away like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.”
What is the “big idea”?
Growing up-------
What is a theme statement for this selection?
Growing up can be frustrating (She wants to be way grown up - 102, not just 20!)

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Check for Understanding
On a piece of paper, do the following activity.
 Identify general topics and suggest a theme statement for your assigned novel.