"International Story"より - Aniko-Spain Diary

The International Story: An Anthology with Guidelines for Reading and Writing about Fiction*1より一部概要(pp.23-41)。

【Examining Elements Within a Story】

≪Plot≫
1. Conflict
  - Internal Conflict
    - person vs. self
  - External Conflict
    - person vs. person
    - person vs. nature
    - person vs. society
    - person vs. fate
2. Plot Summary
  - To determine the key events / happenings in the story
    - What is happening?
  - To identify the conflicts in the story.
    - What is the main conflict?
    - Is the conflict resolved?
  - Four important features:
    1. Shortness / Brevity
    2. Accuracy / Precision
    3. Main and significant details
    4. Your own words
≪Setting≫
1. Place
  - Geographical Location
    - Country
    - City (large city / small village, etc.)
  - Details
    - Indoors / Outdoors / Both / ...
2. Time
  - Length of time
    - years / months / hours / ...
      - clock time
      - time of day
        
        descriptions of light / darkness / shadows / ...
      - time of year
        
        seasons
        
        ...
  - Period of history
3. Social Environment
  - Details about:
    - Manners
    - Customs
    - Rules
    - Moral Codes
    - Socioeconomic status
    - Class level
    - ...
4. Physical Environment
  - Descriptions of / References to:
    - Objects
    - Clothing
    - Nature
    - Buildings
    - Rooms
    - Weather
    - Sounds
    - Smells
    - ...
  - They are related to:
    - Emotional State of the characters
    - Relationship between characters
≪Character≫
- Characters
  - People
  - Animals with human traits
  - Objects with human traits
- Term:"Character"
  - Outward appearance and behavior
  - Inner qualities (emotional / intellectual / moral)
- Characterization Methods
  - Direct methods
  - Indirect methods
- Interpretation of the characters
  - Character traits
  - Causes of behavior
  - Motivation for behavior
- Characteristics
  - Inner and Outer Characteristics
    - Inner Characteristics:
      - What the person does
      - What the person says
      - What the person thinks
      - What the person choses
      - What change the person undergoes
    - Outer Characteristics:
      - What the others say and think about the person
      - How others react to the person
  - Central and Minor Characteristics
    - Central / Main / Major Character = Hero / Heroine / Protagonist
    - Minor Character
      - to provide contrasts with one another, for example.
≪Point of View≫
- Narrator´s Perspective
  1. Narrator inside the story (as a character)
    - 1st-person perspective (Character-narrator = I)
      - Double / Dual point of view
        
        Ex.) Child and Adult Narrator
    - 3rd-person perspective
  2. Narrator outside the story
    - 3rd-person perspective = Objective Narrator
      - Omniscience Narraotr (who knows all)
      - Limited Omniscience Narrator (who knows all about the protagonist / the others except their thoughts)
  3. Unreliable Narrator
    - Important to know:
      - Narrator = Device
      - Point of view = Technique
≪Imagery≫
- Refers to the collection of images
- Mental pictures throughs the words in the text.
  - Literal (primary, factual) + Suggestive meaning.
  - They appeal to 6 senses, feelings and states of mind.
≪Symbolism≫
- Representation of:
  - an event
  - a physical objetc (athing, person, place)
  - something invisible or abstract (an idea, a value, or an emotion).
- Sources of symbols:
  - Setting.
    - Ex.) Trees and grain growing near a river -> life or fertility.
    - Ex.) Areas without any growth: decay or death.
    - Ex.) A fancy house -> wealth.
    - Ex.) A tiny village -> poverty.
    - Ex.) The sound of dance music -> joy.
    - Ex.) the sound of beating drums -> signal fear.
    - Ex.) Light: knowledge.
    - Ex.) Darkness -> ignorance.
- Meaning:
  - Literal Meaning: (factual, dictionary meaning.)
  - Universal Meaning:
    - Ex.) Rain after a long period of drought -> rebirth or renewal or regeneration.
  - Cultural Meaning:
    - Ex.) A certain style of dress -> A particular social class in a particular culture.
  - Contextual Meaning:
    - Ex.) A flashing light -> a character's sudden understanding of something.
≪Tone≫
- Definition:
  - Author's attitude or stance.
  - Conveyed through the language the author uses.
  - In order to create effect or to convey meaning.
- Types:
  - Attitude toward Actions or Events:
    - Humorous (to make readers rough / feel happy)
    - Tragic (to make readers cry / feel sad / experience anger)
    - Frightening (to make readers scared / feel fearful)
  - Attitude toward Characters or Narrator:
    - The author may or may not like them.
    - The author may or may not trust them.
    - The author may or may not be sympathetic toward them.
    - The author may or may not be admiring of them.
    - The author may or may not be hostile toward them.
    - The author may or may not be critical of them.
    - The author may or may not be sentimental about one or more of them.
  - Attitude toward Subject Matter:
    - How an author feels about an idea or concept.
      - The author may be sarcastic about...
      - The author may be indifferent to...
      - The author may be bitter about...
      - The author may be curious about...
      - The author may be thrilled by...
      - The author may be critical of...
      - The author may be outraged about...
      - The author may be shocked by...
      - The author may be frightened about...
      - The author may be scornful of...
      - The author may be sentimental about...
      - The author may be sad about...
    - Subject such as:
      - love
      - death
      - marriage
      - family
      - government
      - social class
      - money
      - religion
      - war
      - etc...
≪Irony≫
≪Speech≫
≪Structure≫
≪Foreshadowing≫