English Composition II: ENGL 112
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Plan for Today
 Section 1 (5:15-6:45)
– Week 2 Quiz
– Discuss setting, point of view, style and tone
 Section 2 (7:00-8:30)
– Small group activity about readings
– Individual work on theme
 Section 3 (8:45-10:15)
– Discuss Essay 1
– Brainstorming and Prewriting for Essay 1
– Assign Homework
Week 2 Quiz
Literary Terms
Setting, Point of View, Style and Tone
Setting (305)
 Can contribute both to the construction of a story’s plot and theme
 Establishes a work’s historical, geographical, and physical location
 Where/when a work is set influences our interpretation of the
story’s events and characters.
 More than just the approximate time and place in which the work
is set
 Encompasses a wide variety of physical and cultural elements
Setting: Time Period (305-306)
 Knowing the approximate year or historical period during which
the story takes place
– can explain forces that act on characters
– help to account for their behavior
– clarify circumstances that influence the story’s action
– help to justify a writer’s use of plot devices that might otherwise
seem improbable
 Example: “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Setting: Geographical Location (306-307)
 Knowing where a story is set can can help to explain anything from
– why the language and customs are unfamiliar to us
– why characters act in ways we find improbable
 Applies to qualities unique to different
– cities/towns (small or large)
– regions within the US
– nations
 Can also be a universal/generic location
 Example: “The Storm,” “Barn Burning”
Setting: Physical (307-308)
 Can relate to
– the time of day a story is set
– whether the story is set inside or outdoors
– the weather conditions
 Often important in understanding the theme of a work.
 Also contributes to creating a story’s atmosphere and mood. Pgs.
279
 Examples:
– “The Storm”
– “The Cask of Amontillado”
Point of View (354)
 Vantage point from which events are presented
 Narrator
– Person telling the story
– Determines what details are included, how they are arranged
– Unreliable Narrator: misrepresents events or misdirects readers
(can be on purpose or not)
 Importance of separating Narrator and Author
Point of View (354-358)
 First-Person: story told from the perspective of one of the
characters
 Third-Person Omniscient: story told from an all-knowing
perspective outside of the story; can include views from a variety
of characters; narrator still has an opinion/position
 Third-Person Limited Omniscient: from the perspective of one
character; only see, hear, feel, think what that character does
 Third-Person Objective: story told completely outside of all
characters minds; does not reveal any positions on the story
Irony (355)
 Irony: discrepancy between what is said and what readers believe
to be true
– Dramatic Irony: when narrator/character knows less than
readers do
– Situational Irony: what happens is different from what readers
expect
– Verbal Irony: when narrator/character says one thing and means
another
Style and Tone (417)
 Style: way a writer uses language
– Diction: word choice
– Syntax: sentence length and structure
– Imagery and Figures of Speech
 Tone: attitude of narrator OR author toward
– subject matter
– characters
– audience
Language (417-421)
 Stream-of-consciousness: follows thought patterns running from
one topic to the next
 Formal vs. Informal Diction
– Formal: elaborate, complex sentences; elevated vocabulary;
distanced tone
– Informal: more like everyday speech; can be contemporary
language or regional dialect
 Imagery: describes what is experienced through the five senses
(seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched)
Figures of Speech (421-422)
 Similes and Metaphors: compare two dissimilar items
– Simile: using like or as
– Metaphor: without using like or as; basically says one thing is the
other
 Personification: endows inanimate objects or abstract ideas with
life or with human characteristics
 Allusions: references to familiar historical, cultural, literary, or
biblical texts, figures, or events
Group Activity
 For your group’s assigned story, propose a film adaptation that
addresses
– Setting
– Plot (and the stages of plot)
– Order and Sequence
– Conflict
– Irony
– Title
 Groups: [1] Chopin, “The Storm”; [2] Olsen, “I Stand Here Ironing”;
[3] Faulkner, “Barn Burning”; [4] Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow WallPaper”; [5] Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”
Potential for Changes to Course
 Replace two plays in weeks 4 & 5 with Hansberry’s A Raisin in the
Sun
– Original Reading: 61 pages (pp 1319-1330, 1961-2009)
– Revised Reading: 70 pages (pp 1331-1400); read at least 9 pages
in class to cover extra reading
 Revise Essay 2 (Literary Terms) to be a Film Adaptation Essay with
same length requirements
Theme (551-554)
 Theme
– its central or dominant idea
– not just a plot summary
– conveys the values and ideas expressed by the story
– general idea that extends beyond the story and applies to the
world outside fiction
– revealed through titles, symbols, conflicts, and character
statements and changes
Thinking about Theme
 Write what you see as the THEME of each of the following stories
– Chopin, “The Story of an Hour”
– Chopin, “The Storm”
– Olsen, “I Stand Here Ironing”
– Faulkner, “Barn Burning”
– Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wall-Paper”
– Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”
Paper 1 - Theme
Introductions, Thesis, The Assignment
Introductions [based on The Everyday Writer]
 The introduction is a key paragraph for both readers and writers.
First impressions matter. The reader is more inclined to read a
paper and consider a position if the initial paragraph is clear,
organized, and engaging. For the writer, a carefully crafted first
paragraph acts as the springboard, establishing the order and
direction for the entire paper.
 The form and content of an introduction depend upon many
factors including:
– Specifics of the assignment
– Intended audience
– Conventions of the discipline
Introductions
 General Things the Introduction Should Do
– Capture the reader’s attention
– Reflect the questions raised by the assignment
– Provide essential context
– Define key terms
 What the Introduction Must Do
– Convey the pattern of organization you will follow in the paper
– Build to the thesis sentence: a clear, concise statement of the
specific position you will explore in your paper
Introductions
 Start Focused
– Avoid broad openers. Start your discussion right away.
– DO NOT open with empty fillers i.e., “Since the beginning of
time” or “For thousands of years . . .”
– DO start with a sentence that launches your position i.e., “JM
Coetzee’s The Barbarians explores the latent meanings of
deformity.”
Introductions Cont.
 As your Introduction Continues
– Each sentence should contribute to the development of your
discussion/position
– Avoid “fact-only” statements about the subject.
– Incorporate facts into substantive statements.
• I.e., Avoid: “Jane Austin uses letters to reveal important information”
• I.e., Alternative: “Austin’s use of letters allows her to relay key narrative
information in a concise and engaging way.”
Revise the Introduction
 After you’ve completed the draft of the paper, go back and revise
the introduction to make sure it still reflects what you’ve
discovered after writing the complete draft.
 The act of writing actually helps one learn, so the way one views
information at the beginning of a project and at the end of the
project might change.
Thesis Statements
 What is a Thesis?
– A thesis is a clear, concise statement of the specific position you
will explore in your paper, containing 2 parts
• the argument as an arguable statement
• the roadmap – the means by which you will direct you readers, the points
you will be examining
– A thesis should state a position and NOT summarize information.
Thesis Statements
 When Composing a Thesis,
– Make sure your thesis reflects the full scope of your
argument/position
– Avoid using a thesis that is too broad and too narrow
– Argue as conceptually rich as you can support (ask how and why
to enrich your thesis)
– Make sure your readers can identify your thesis
– Do not just reword the assignment, claim your own position.
The Assignment
 For this assignment, you are asked to compare and contrast the
themes of two works assigned in the first three weeks of the
course. There are a few things you should consider while writing
this paper:
– Establish your dominant idea (thesis) in the opening paragraph.
– Use quotes from each text to strengthen your claims.
– It is important to remember that the theme of a story is not just
a mere plot summary; it conveys the values and ideas expressed
by the story. Simply conveying the plots of the stories will not
result in a passing grade.
– Also, keep in mind that titles, settings, symbols, conflicts, and
character statements and changes can all reveal the theme of a
story and help you prove your point.
Essay 1: Theme
 Assignment: We have discussed the significance of theme, the
central or dominant idea, in works of short fiction. For this first
paper you are asked to compare and contrast the themes of two
works assigned for the first three weeks of the course.
 Possible texts: Chopin, “The Story of an Hour”; Chopin, “The
Storm”; Olsen, “I Stand Here Ironing”; Faulkner, “Barn Burning”;
Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wall-Paper”; Poe, "The Cask of
Amontillado”; O'Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”; Walker,
“Everyday Use”; Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown”; Welty, “A
Worn Path”
Essay 1: Theme
 There are a few things you should consider while writing this paper
(in addition to reviewing Chapters 2-5 in your textbook):
– Establish your dominant idea (thesis statement) in the opening
paragraph, i.e. how you believe each theme compares and/or
contrast and what you hope to prove in your essay.
– Use quotes from each text to strengthen your claims. Remember
that according to MLA guidelines page numbers should follow
these quotes.
– It is important to remember that the theme of a story is not just
a mere plot summary; it conveys the values and ideas expressed
by the story. Simply conveying the plots of the stories will not
result in a passing grade for this assignment.
Essay 1: Theme
 Also, keep in mind that titles, settings, symbols, conflicts, and
character statements and changes can all reveal the theme of a
story and help you prove you point.
 Guidelines: This first essay should be at least three pages in length,
double-spaced, typed, and in 12pt font. Also, you should follow
MLA guidelines for quoting sources and paper format.
 Due Dates
– Week 3: rough draft with a question in email by noon if you want
feedback; 2 hard copies for class
– Week 4: hard copy at beginning of class; digital copy uploaded to
turnitin.com before class
Thinking about Theme
 Which stories have related/similar themes?
 Which have contrasting themes?
 Choose one of the comparisons/contrasts to elaborate on
 Why do you think the themes of these two stories are connected?
 Why is that connection interesting to you?
 Identify 3 examples from each story (literary elements, quotes,
characters, etc.) to demonstrate its theme
Homework
 Reading (always including textual introductions):
– O'Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
– Walker, “Everyday Use”
– Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown”
– Welty, "A Worn Path”
– "Symbol, Allegory, and Myth," 487-491
– "Interpreting Theme," 552-555
 Assignments:
– Email digital copy with question by noon if you want feedback
from me
– Bring 2 copies of Essay 1 (first draft) to class for Writing
Workshop