Literary ElementsLiterary Elementsin Children’s Literaturein Children’s Literature

Britany HowellBritany Howell

University of West AlabamaUniversity of West Alabama

LM 506LM 506

What are Literary Elements?What are Literary Elements?

Literary elements are all of the Literary elements are all of the elements that are used together to elements that are used together to make a story.make a story.

The final objective is to see the story The final objective is to see the story as a whole and to become aware of as a whole and to become aware of how the parts are put together to how the parts are put together to produce a unified effect.produce a unified effect.

The Eight Literary ElementsThe Eight Literary Elements

There are eight literary elements found in There are eight literary elements found in books for children and young adults. They books for children and young adults. They are:are:

~ Character~ Character ~ Point of View ~ Point of View

~ Plot~ Plot ~ Style ~ Style

~ Theme~ Theme ~ Literary Rhythm ~ Literary Rhythm

~ Setting~ Setting ~ Tone ~ Tone

CharacterCharacter The character of a book The character of a book

is a person in the book.is a person in the book. Sometimes the character Sometimes the character

is an animal or object that is an animal or object that acts like a person.acts like a person.

Each of the living beings Each of the living beings in a story is a character.in a story is a character.

Character developmentCharacter development involves showing the involves showing the character – whether a character – whether a person or animal or person or animal or object – with the mixture object – with the mixture of qualities that makes up of qualities that makes up a person.a person.

The The revelation of characterrevelation of character is is our ability to know the our ability to know the character completely.character completely.

We come to know a character We come to know a character through the following ways:through the following ways:

By actionsBy actions – what the – what the character doescharacter does

By speechBy speech – what the – what the character sayscharacter says

By appearanceBy appearance – how the – how the character lookscharacter looks

By other’s commentsBy other’s comments – –what others in the story saywhat others in the story say

By author’s commentsBy author’s comments – – the words the author uses the words the author uses to describe the characterto describe the character

Types of CharactersTypes of Characters

Round Character – a character we know

well who has a variety of traits and is well

developed.

Flat Character – less well developedand has fewer traits.

Dynamic Character -a well developed

character who changes.

Static Character –does not change in

the course of thestory.

Protagonist –central or

main character

Foil –minor character

whose traitsare different to

those of theprincipal character

Stereotype –has few traitsof a class or

group of people

Examples of CharacterExamples of Character

STATIC CHARACTER

Charlotte the spider

STEREOTYPE

Lurvy

PROTAGONIST

Wilbur the pig

ROUND CHARACTER

Wilbur the pig

FOIL

The snobbish lamb

FLAT CHARACTER

Fern

DYNAMIC CHARACTER

Wilbur the pig

PlotPlot The plot of a story is The plot of a story is

the sequence of the sequence of events showing events showing characters in action.characters in action.

Well written plots Well written plots should include a should include a conflict, tension, and conflict, tension, and action that holds the action that holds the reader’s interest.reader’s interest.

Types of Narrative Types of Narrative OrderOrder:: Chronological OrderChronological Order FlashbacksFlashbacks

Types of ConflictTypes of Conflict:: Person-against-selfPerson-against-self Person-against-personPerson-against-person Person-against-societyPerson-against-society Person-against-naturePerson-against-nature

PlotPlot Patterns of Action:Patterns of Action:

SuspenseSuspense – – the emotional the emotional pull that keeps us wanting pull that keeps us wanting to read onto read on

The Cliff-hangerThe Cliff-hanger – – the the suspense at the end of a suspense at the end of a chapter that makes it hard chapter that makes it hard to lay the book asideto lay the book aside

ForeshadowingForeshadowing – – clues clues about the outcomeabout the outcome

SensationalismSensationalism – – unrelieved suspenseunrelieved suspense

The ClimaxThe Climax – – the point at the point at which we know the which we know the outcomeoutcome

DenouementDenouement – – the point the point at which we understand at which we understand the resolution of the the resolution of the conflictconflict

Types of Plots:Types of Plots: Progressive PlotsProgressive Plots – – a a

central climax followed central climax followed by a denouementby a denouement

Episodic PlotsEpisodic Plots - - One One incident or short episode incident or short episode is linked to another by is linked to another by common characters or a common characters or a unified theme. Each unified theme. Each chapter is a separate chapter is a separate story but part of a whole. story but part of a whole. The suspense is usually The suspense is usually resolved within the resolved within the chapter.chapter.

Strong Elements of PlotStrong Elements of Plot

Suspense The Cliff-hanger Foreshadowing

Sensationalism The Climax Denouement

ThemeTheme The theme of a piece The theme of a piece

of writing is the of writing is the unifying truth, main unifying truth, main idea, or central idea, or central meaning.meaning.

Theme is also the Theme is also the idea that holds the idea that holds the story together, such story together, such as a comment about as a comment about society, human society, human nature, or human nature, or human condition.condition.

Types of ThemesTypes of ThemesExplicit

Theme-

A theme

stated

openly and

clearly.

Implicit Theme-

A theme not statedopenly but derivedfrom the characters

and action ofthe story.

PrimaryTheme-

The main themeof the story.

SecondaryTheme-

Additional andusually less

important themes.

Examples of ThemeExamples of ThemeExplicit Theme

Implicit Theme

Primary Theme Secondary Theme

SettingSetting The time and place in The time and place in

which the story occurs.which the story occurs. The possibilities of setting The possibilities of setting

are endless.are endless.

Types of Settings:Types of Settings: Backdrop SettingBackdrop Setting - -

RelativelyRelatively unimportant. unimportant. This does not mean that This does not mean that the setting is the setting is unimportant. Even unimportant. Even though the setting may though the setting may be unidentified it may be unidentified it may still have some still have some importance.importance.

Integral SettingIntegral Setting - - Essential setting. It is Essential setting. It is when the action, when the action, character, or theme are character, or theme are influenced by the time influenced by the time and place.and place.

Functions of SettingFunctions of Setting Setting that clarifies conflictSetting that clarifies conflict – The setting actually aids – The setting actually aids

in the development of the story’s conflict.in the development of the story’s conflict. Setting as antagonistSetting as antagonist – When the natural environment – When the natural environment

is hostile the setting itself becomes antagonistic.is hostile the setting itself becomes antagonistic. Setting that illuminates characterSetting that illuminates character – Some vividly – Some vividly

described settings actually influence the qualities of described settings actually influence the qualities of characters in some stories.characters in some stories.

Setting as moodSetting as mood – Descriptions of settings can be used – Descriptions of settings can be used to set the mood of a scene.to set the mood of a scene.

Setting as symbolSetting as symbol – Sometimes setting can be – Sometimes setting can be symbolic of something: darkenss as evil, sunlight as symbolic of something: darkenss as evil, sunlight as goodness, a garden as beauty, etc.goodness, a garden as beauty, etc.

Function of Setting ExamplesFunction of Setting Examples

Setting ThatClarifies Conflict

Setting AsAntagonist

Setting ThatIlluminatesCharacter

Setting andMood

Setting AsSymbol

Point of ViewPoint of View Point of View is Point of View is

whose view of the whose view of the story the writer tells.story the writer tells.

Whose view of the Whose view of the story the writer tells story the writer tells determines the point determines the point of view.of view.

Who sees the events Who sees the events determines how the determines how the story will develop.story will develop.

Types of Point of ViewTypes of Point of View:: First-person point of First-person point of

viewview Omniscient point of Omniscient point of

viewview Limited omniscient Limited omniscient

point of viewpoint of view Objective point of Objective point of

viewview

Point of View ExamplesPoint of View Examples

First-personPoint of View

OmniscientPoint of View

Limited OmniscientPoint of View

ObjectivePoint of View

StyleStyle Style is basically words.Style is basically words. HOW HOW an author says an author says

something as opposed something as opposed toto WHAT WHAT he or she he or she says.says.

Style is Style is notnot applied to applied to the finished piece of the finished piece of writing. It is the writing, writing. It is the writing, conveying both the idea conveying both the idea and the writer’s view of and the writer’s view of the idea.the idea.

Devices of SoundDevices of Sound:: OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia – Words – Words

that sound like their that sound like their meaningsmeanings

AlliterationAlliteration – Repetition of – Repetition of initial consonantsinitial consonants

AssonanceAssonance – Repetition of – Repetition of similar vowel sounds within similar vowel sounds within a phrasea phrase

ConsonanceConsonance – The close – The close repetition of consonant repetition of consonant soundssounds

RhythmRhythm – The flow of the – The flow of the texttext

Devices of StyleDevices of Style Connotation Connotation ImageryImagery Figurative languageFigurative language

PersonificationPersonification SimilesSimiles MetaphorsMetaphors

Hyperbole Hyperbole UnderstatementUnderstatement AllusionAllusion SymbolSymbol Puns and WordplayPuns and Wordplay

Devices of Style ExamplesDevices of Style Examples

Imagery:

The Zuckerman

barn

Connotation:Charlotte is

not as big as a thimble, or as small as a fingernail, or

as round as a button

FigurativeLanguage:

Wilbur given human traitseven though

he is an animal

Hyperbole:Mrs.

Zuckerman is scared to

death; Wilbur threatens to

die of a broken heart

Understatement:

The frog in Avery’s pocket

that has traveled back and forth on the swing all

morningPuns &

Wordplay:

liesand lays

Literary RhythmLiterary Rhythm From the Greek word From the Greek word

meaning flowmeaning flow A recurring flow of A recurring flow of

strong or weak beatsstrong or weak beats Effective when read Effective when read

aloudaloud Rhythm is sometimes Rhythm is sometimes

referred to as referred to as cadence when read in cadence when read in prose.prose.

Cadence is rhythmic Cadence is rhythmic flow in prose.flow in prose.

Prose is different from Prose is different from poetry because it poetry because it resembles patterns of resembles patterns of everyday speech.everyday speech.

Example of Literary RhythmExample of Literary Rhythm

……an astonishing pile of old bottles an astonishing pile of old bottles andand empty tin cans empty tin cans andand dirty rags dirty rags andand bits of metal bits of metal andand broken bottles broken bottles andand broken hinges broken hinges andand broken springs broken springs andand dead batteries dead batteries andand last month’s magazines last month’s magazines andand old discarded old discarded dishmops dishmops andand tattered overalls… tattered overalls… andand useless junk of all useless junk of all kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice-kinds, including a wrong-size crank for a broken ice-cream freezer.cream freezer.

From From Charlotte’s WebCharlotte’s Web

by E.B. Whiteby E.B. White

description of the Zuckerman dumpdescription of the Zuckerman dump

ToneTone Tone tells us how the Tone tells us how the

author feels about his author feels about his or her subject.or her subject.

Humor is the easiest Humor is the easiest tone to recognize.tone to recognize.

Tone cannot be Tone cannot be isolated from the isolated from the words of a story.words of a story.

Tone influences Tone influences meaning.meaning.

Important tones in Important tones in Children’s LiteratureChildren’s Literature:: HumorHumor – usually comes – usually comes

from a situation or from a situation or happenings that make happenings that make children laughchildren laugh

ParodyParody – usually a – usually a device for older readers device for older readers since it relies on the since it relies on the reader’s memory of a reader’s memory of a known piece of writing known piece of writing or of a way of talkingor of a way of talking

Types of ToneTypes of ToneCondescensionCondescension When someone looks down upon us, treating us When someone looks down upon us, treating us

as though we are unintelligent or immatureas though we are unintelligent or immature

SentimentalitySentimentality The overuse of a statementThe overuse of a statement

DidacticismDidacticism PreachingPreaching Points to a moral lessonPoints to a moral lesson

Tone ExamplesTone Examples

CondescensionSentimentality

Didacticism