Literary Elements
Short Story Unit
Key difference between short stories
and novels:
 Novels usually contain more characters
(longer time and space to develop)
 Novels contain several sub-plots, while short
stories usually focus on one plot line.
Characterization
• Process by which writer reveals the personality
of a character
– Telling the reader directly
– Describing looks and dress
– Hear character speak
– Revealing character’s thoughts
Protagonist
• The main character, sets plot in motion
• Example:
Things Fall Apart- Okonkwo
Hamlet: Hamlet
Antagonist
• Character or force that opposes/blocks the
protagonist (main character)
• Example:
Things Fall Apart- Mr. Smith, The white man
Hamlet: Claudius
Direct Characterization
• Writer tells the reader directly what a
character is like
Example: Things Fall Apart
“Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy
hand…Okonkwo was ruled by one
passion-to hate everything… that was
gentleness and idleness.”
Indirect Characterization
• Reader has to use own judgment; put clues
together to figure out what a character is like.
Example: Things Fall Apart
Unoka: Unoka was never happy when it came
to wars. And so he changed the subject and
talked about music.
(implying that he is weak, tender hearted)
Dynamic Characters
• Changes in some way as a result of the
story’s action
Example: Things Fall Apart
Nwoye: He was meek and mild wanted to
please his father. However, he later hated
his father and became a leader in the
white church
Static Characters
• Does not change in course of story
• Example: Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo: Mean, angry throughout entire
story…led to his downfall.
Flat Characters
• A character with only 1or 2 personality
traits
• Example: Hamlet
– Ophelia: submissive, respectful
– Polonius: sneaky, foolish
Round Characters
• Have more dimensions to their
personalities-complex, solid, and
multifaceted
Example: Hamlet
Hamlet: depressed, angered, smart, loyal,
remorseful…
Point of View
• The vantage point from which a writer tells
a story.
– Three types:
• Omniscient
• First person
• Third person
Omniscient Point of View
• The person telling the story knows
everything that’s going to happen.
• Outside of story
• Can tell us what is happening and what
characters are feeling
• Example: Things Fall Apart
1st person narrator
• The narrator is a character in the story.
• Uses “I” to tell of his experiences
• Can only hear and see what narrator sees
• Example: The Great Gatsby
Story is told through Nick’s eyes
3rd person narrator
• The person telling the story is not a
character in the story, but can only tell the
story from one character’s point of view.
• Uses “he, she, they” etc, throughout the
story.
Example: Hamlet
Told through Hamlet’s view, but Hamlet is
not the one telling the story.
Rising Action
• All action leading up to the climax of the
story.
Example: Hamlet
Hamlet’s father dieing, Hamlet seeking to
avenge, killing Polonius, changing the
directions in the letter, the duel between
Laertes and Hamlet, poisoning the
queen…
Climax
• Point of greatest emotional intensity, or
suspense in a plot when the outcome of
the conflict becomes known
Things Fall Apart: Okonkwo killing himself
Hamlet: Hamlet dieing
Falling Action
• Action following the climax
Things Fall Apart: The Kotma looking for
Okonkwo, cutting down Okonkwo’s body
Hamlet: Fortinbras breaking into the castle
to see the end of the chaos
Resolution
• When all the problems, mysteries and
conflicts unravel and are explained
Things Fall Apart: The Commissioner
explaining his plan to write a book and the
little importance Okonkwo’s tragedy will
have in it.
Hamlet: Horatio vowing to tell the story of
Hamlet’s tragedy.
Themes
• Central idea or insight of a work of
literature
– Not the subject of the work
Themes from Things Fall Apart
• The Struggle between change and
tradition
• Interpretation of Masculinity
• Language as sign of culture difference
Themes from Hamlet
•
•
•
•
The impossibility of certainty
Loyalty
Revenge can not result in peace
Nation as dead/prison
Mood
• Overall emotion created
•
•
•
•
Things Fall Apart: Sad, Tragedy
Hamlet: Depressed, suspense
The Canterbury Tales: humor
Frankenstein: suspense
Setting
• Time and place of a story
– Often linked to mood
– Often changes throughout story
Example:
Things Fall Apart: Nigeria, late 1800’s
Hamlet: Denmark, Elsinore, night, dark…
Irony
• A contrast between:
– what is said and what is meant
– what is expected and what really happens
– what appears to be true and what really is
true
Examples of Irony
• Okonkwo mocking womanly actions, but
then commiting the ultmate act of
weakness: killing himself.
• The clan allowing the white man/culture to
dominate, then not helping the one person
who tried to hold on to their culture (take
down Okonkwo’s body) because it violates
the rules of their culture.
Diction
• Writer’s/Speaker’s choice of words
– Influenced by audience
– Determines effect writer is trying to produce
Example: The language describing a snow
flake in a science article is different that what
would be described by a poet.
Imagery
• Language that appeals to the senses:
– Sight, sound, taste, smell, hearing
Things Fall Apart: The drums were still
beating, persistent and unchanging. Their
sound was no longer a separate thing from
the living village. It was like the pulsation
of its heart….
Allegory
• A story in which characters, settings and
events stand for abstract or moral
concepts
Symbolism
• The use of symbols to suggest ideas,
emotions, moods and meaning
• Common Symbols: heart (love), dove
(peace), skull and cross bones (danger)
Symbols in Things Fall Apart
•
•
•
•
Locusts
Fire
Drums
Yams
Dialogue
• Conversation between two or more people
Hamlet:
Barnardo: Who’s there?
Francisco: No: Answer me! Halt and
identify yourself!
Barnardo: Long live the king!
Allusion
• A reference to a statement person, place
or event known from literature, history,
religion, myth, politics or another field of
knowledge
Example: Hamlet describing his father (A3):
the curls of the sun god Hyperion; the
forehead of kingly Jove, an eye like that of
Mars, a bearing like the herald Mercury.
Motif
• A word, character, object, image,
metaphor, or idea that recurs in a work, or
several works.
Motifs from Things Fall Apart
• Chi
• Animal Imagery
• Eguwegu
Motifs from Hamlet
• Incest
• Ears and hearing
• Poison
Atmosphere
• Mood or feeling created through details and
images
Things Fall Apart: The night was very quiet.
Darkness held a vague terror for these people,
even the bravest among them…Dangerous
animals became more sinister and uncanny in
the dark. A snake was never called by its name
at night, because it would hear.
Atmosphere, example cont.
• Hamlet: It’s midnight and…approaches
him in the dark…
Example: The train was hot and crowded.
The exhaust from the engines filled the
cars meant for lower class passengers.
Smells of food and body odor mixed
together, as people tried not to stick to the
seats…
Hyperbole
• Uses extreme exaggeration to express a
strong sentiment or create comic effect.
– Example: sweating to death!
– I’ve told you a million times!
– If I had a dollar every time you said that, I
would be a billionaire.
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The End!!!