Unit 1: Literary Elements Notes - Key Vocabulary

Point of View

• Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told.

• Types of Point of View:

  • 1st Person Point of View

  • 3rd Person Omniscient Point of View

  • 3rd Person Limited Point of View

• 1st Person Point of View

  • The story is told by one of the characters.

  • We only know what that character knows.

  • The character uses the pronouns "I", "me", "my", etc.

• 3rd Person Omniscient Point of View

  • ALL KNOWING

  • The narrator knows everything about everyone and tells us the whole thing.

  • The narrator observes and records the physical, emotional, and mental events as they happen.

• 3rd Person Limited Point of View

  • The story is told from only one character
    V2. `s perspective.

  • We only know what this one character is thinking and feeling.

  • We only know what this one character sees, smells, hears, and tastes.

• Perspective

  • Perspective is a person
    V2. `s experiences, background knowledge, preferences, feelings, and thoughts.

  • An author
    V2. `s perspective affects the way he or she presents information.

  • An author reveals his or her perspective through:

  • Word Choice

  • Descriptions

  • Detail Choice

  • Character Actions

  • What
    V2. `s left out

  • The author/narrator
    V2. `s opinions, feelings, and past experiences change how the story is told.

• Point of View vs Perspective

  • Point of View

  • 1st person, 2nd person, or 3rd person (limited or omniscient)

  • The speaker in the text

  • Perspective = viewpoint

  • How the author feels about the topic or views the information shared in the text.

  • It relates to the author
    V2. `s experiences and attitudes about the topic.

Setting

• Setting is where and when a story takes place.- Place: Where the story takes place. Example: state, country, specific location.

  • Time: When the story takes place. Example: Time of day; Time of year; Year.

• Any change in the time or place can have a dramatic effect on the plot or what happens in the story. This change in setting affects the plot.

• Example prompts from the transcript:- Walking Alone at Night in the Country

  • Walking Alone at Night in the City

Theme

• Theme is the central message, lesson, or moral of a story.

• It is universal – it applies to many different people, places, and times.

• A text can have more than one theme.

• You should be able to support the theme with evidence from the text.

• Theme is NOT:

  • A complete sentence or statement

  • An insight about life or human nature

  • Something supported by events, conflicts, and character changes in the story

• Examples:

  • Correctly written theme statement (example):

  • The theme of the fairytale Cinderella is to treat others as you want to be treated.

  • Incorrect example (not a proper theme):

  • The theme of the fairytale Cinderella her stepmother is mean to her.

• Steps to determining the theme:
  

  1) Read the story carefully – Know what happens and how it ends.
  

  2) Identify the main conflict – What problem is being solved or lesson learned?
  

  3) Look at the character
  V2. `s change – How are they different by the end?
  

  4) Ask yourself: What does the story teach about life or people?
  

  5) Write it as a statement – Avoid just one word.

• Theme Formula:

  • Topic (one word) + Author
    V2. `s Message = Theme Statement

  • Example: Friendship + requires trust and loyalty
    V2. ` True friendship requires trust and loyalty.

  • In LaTeX, this can be represented as:
    

    \text{Theme Formula}: \text{Topic} \; (\text{one word}) + \text{Author's Message} = \text{Theme Statement}
    

    \text{Example}:\quad Friendship + requires\; trust\; and\; loyalty \rightarrow True\ friendship\ requires\ trust\ and\ loyalty.