LIT 127

INTERPRETING AND EVALUATING A FICTION

Interpreting fiction- it does not judge the story, its author, or its characters based on personal ethics/morality. It merely focuses on the meaning of the story/ essay and analyses how that meaning is conveyed to the reader.

Evaluating fiction- we assess plausibility. Plausibility refers to the believability or likelihood of the events, characters, and settings within the story. Plausibility doesn't mean the story has to be realistic in the everyday sense; it just needs to make sense within the framework the author has created. By assessing plausibility, we can determine how well the author has crafted a believable and engaging narrative.

Fiction- any form of narrative which deals in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather imaginary, and is invented by the author.

ELEMENTS:

A. Characters- “who” of the story which includes the people and animals that are featured in the narrative.

-are developed based on:

a. the narrators’ portrayal of how the characters look like and their personality through vivid description;

b. what other characters see; and

c. on what they do, how they act and interact, what they feel and speak.

Two Major Types of Characters

1. Main Characters- are the protagonist and the antagonist.

Protagonist- hero in the story

Antagonist- villain or someone whose function is to oppose the hero or has qualities opposite of the hero.

Heroes- physically pleasant, good-natured and naturally lovable

Villains- ugly, with a typical evil power or bad qualities.

2. Supporting characters- characters who serve as a backdrop to the main character’s story.

-supporting characters archetypes are the confidantes, the mentors, the sidekicks, the love interests, or the fool.

Classification of Characters

1. Round Characters- the most detailed characters who change in the course of the plot.

2. Flat Characters- someone who has not shown complex emotions or complex motivations.

3. Static Characters-those who do not change over time; the personalities do not evolve. (e.g. Harry Potter)

4. Stock Characters- usually stereotyped or those that are recognizable and are based on clichés.

-are in between archetype and stereotype.

7. Foil Characters- anyone who exhibits contrasting qualities of the protagonist or another character in the story to highlight the difference.

8. Deuteragonists and Confidante

Deuteragonists- secondary characters of importance. They are sometimes close to main characters and share the same intention with them or play neutral.

Confidante- closest persons to the protagonists. The main character usually reveals his/her mind to the confidant, e.g. In the Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee played both deuteragonist and a confidante, while Gandalf played a deuteragonist.

B. Setting- describes the time and place where the story takes place.

To understand the setting, the readers should look into the following:

a. The alternative realities such as the past, present, future, or the combination of the three;

b. The weather, climate, location or the topography;

c. The concrete or imaginary time and place;

d. The abstract location (e.g. the wardrobe in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”

In historical and realistic fiction, the setting is an important element thus, referred to as integral. In an integral setting, the time and place are described in detail. Integral setting dictates the language that the character uses, the norms of the society and culture, the means and style of transportation, the clothes that the characters wear, and the activities that the people are engaged in. (e.g. Erdrich’s “Birchbark House”, Gidwtiz’s “The Inquisitor’s Tale”, Kalmar’s “A Stitch in Time”)

Backdrop setting- creates a visual charm but is not significant to the whole plot. (e.g. huge castle, in a countryside, in the peasant’s shack, into the woods or in any city or place)

C. Plot- narrative or the logical order of events in a story.

Gustave Freytag’s Plot Structure

D. Conflict- main challenge to the characters.

Types:

1. Man vs. Himself

2. Man vs. Nature

3. Man vs. Man

4. Man vs. Society

E. Theme- central idea or a hidden meaning of the story.

-are ideas or opinions on the subject which are written in statement form.

-refers to the “What” of the story. In understanding the theme, a reader needs to look for the recurring symbolism or images and relate them to human experiences.

F. Moral- it is the “why” of the story.

-piece of wisdom that the author wants to convey.

G. Point of View- a perspective that determines who tells the story.

-classified as first person point of view, second person point of view, third person point of view. Classical literature is usually consistent with the one-person narrator’s point of view, however, in modern stories, the point of view may shift from one person to another, which is referred to as an alternating point of view.

Alternating Point of View- stories are told from the point of view of two characters or more. This happens when a single incident is told from different eyes (e.g. Animorphs: The Andalite’s Gift and Never Mind! A Twin Novel)

Third Person Omniscient Point of View- the narrator is omniscient. He can move freely from one mind to another and reveals to the readers how each character thinks (e.g. “Little Women, Peter Pan, Charlotte’s Web, Frog and Toad are Friends)

Third Person Limited Point of View- when the story unfolds through the eyes of one character. It is a point of view that allows the readers to get to know the character deeply by observing the feelings and senses the emotions of the characters (e.g. The Little House on the Prairie)

Objective Point of View- the narrator does not disclose or enter the minds of the character but narrates as an observer or reporter.

H. Mood- emotive atmosphere within the story conveyed through the use of language, setting and physical location, feelings of the main characters or music. It is described as an emotional impact to the readers, or what the readers feel about the plot, dialogues, setting and events in the story.

I. Tone- author’s attitude towards a subject that serves as the backdrop of the story. It creates the mood or the overall feeling of the story.

J. Style- is very personal to the author since it has to do with how the author writes rather than what the author writes. It reflects the author’s choice of diction, literary techniques, figurative language, sentence structures, rhythm, and symbolism.

To analyze the author’s style, the readers must look into the following:

1. The words used as well as the structures of the sentences;

2. The mood created;

3. The tone of the story;

4. The effect that the author wants to achieve;

5. The symbolism, imagery, details; and

6. The use of the literary devices.