QUEZON MEMORIAL ACADEMY

Progreso St. Poblacion West Umingan, Pangasinan

CREATIVE NONFICTION
Week 2- Second Semester
I. Title:
Setting and Atmosphere

II. Objectives:
After going through this module, students are expected to:
A. describe setting and atmosphere as elements of creative nonfiction;
B. analyze a sample text according to setting and atmosphere; and
C. write a composition using his/her knowledge of atmosphere and setting.

III. Anticipatory Guide:

Included in this unit is the discussion of some of the setting and atmosphere. In a creative nonfiction text,
the world being created by the narrator is based on a real world and the role of the writer is to make this world real
and exciting for the reader to enter. The atmosphere created by the world of the essay will bring the reader to this
world, at least in his/her mind.
IV. Lesson Content:
Module 2- Types of Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction covers a very broad field in the writing discipline; however, at the end of it is the term
literary journalism or new journalism- writing in a personal way about the facts in a news event, and on the other
end is the literary memoir, what Annie Dillard referred to when she said “works of nonfiction can be coherent and
crafted work of Literature” (1995).

The earlier statement which is “a writer of creative nonfiction may not alter the facts in the interest of improving
his story (Hidalgo)”, may not necessarily be applied in literary memoir or a travel essay where it may be useful to
say or invent a travelling companion who would serve as a foil to the narrator by presenting entirely different
expressions of the place described.

Advance Organizer
Creative Nonfiction

Literary Journalism Magazine feature Literary Memoir

 article
 Newspaper
 column as cultural
 commentary
 Review
 Interview story
 Character sketch
 Personal essay
 Autobiographical
 sketch
Types of Creative Nonfiction

Analysis
 The facts, pieced together from the accounts of several people are as follows. Baltazar Endriga, who may or may
not be the president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, depending on whose side you’re taking in this long
drawn-out conflict, arrived at the CCP on Monday evening for the Mamila Premiere of Carmen,, in radical new
version, by choreographer Mats Ek, kicked off the festivities, though perhaps in a more literal fashion than the
organizers have envisioned. Mr. Endriga was also there in his capacity as the CCP
President, his position having been recently upheld by the Court of Appeals, which used a Temporary Restraining
Order against Endriga’s oppositors, Gloria Angara and her trustees. In the first place, Endriga, being a citizen of this
country, presumably has the right to set foot on the lobby of the CCP; he was not carrying nuclear weapons and
other explosive devices.

As Endriga who was accompanied by officers of the French embassy, approached the entrance to the main
lobby, six or ten security guards- the witnesses’ accounts vary- stood in his path. They announced that they were
under instructions to prevent Endriga from entering the building. These instructions have been issued by their
superiors, who received their orders from Ms. Angara and her Board of Trustees. The French representatives
explained that
Endriga was their guest, and they were going to watch the ballet. The security guards repeated that Endriga was
barred from the premises. Words were exchanged (a lovely turn of phrase, as if you were to say to me,
“Thaumaturgy” and I were to reply “Periodonist”), and when reason made no dent, physical force was applied.

The security guard pushed Endriga and company out the door. The French representatives took hold to Endriga
and attempted to push their way in. The security guard tried to push them out. People started cussing. Soon everyone
was yelling, and the jostling match erupted into full-blown melee. The commotion was such that a group of
performers rehearsing on an upper floor heard the noise, ran downstairs, and beheld the chaos.

- Jessica Zafra, “The New Uncouthness,” June 2, 1999;

Twisted 5(Anvil 2000, 166-67)

With the various characteristics present in the text, compare your essay with the text above. Use an advance
organizer to show their relationship.

Abstraction/ Generalization
Due to the extensive range it covers, creative nonfiction, aside from being classified as a literary memoir and
literary journalism mentioned earlier in this module, there are still some terms to be considered in identifying the
types and classifications of writing under the mentioned two types, which may be under literary memoir or literary
journalism depending upon their manners of construction and the information they ought to provide.
1. Profile- an in-depth article or essay that concentrates on one
person or a place.
2. Literary journalism or new journalism- writing in a personal way
about the facts in a news event.
3. Personal narratives or “life stories”- may be divided into
autobiographical narratives (e.g., journals, memoirs, travel
narratives, etc.); and biographical narratives (e.g., character
sketches, interview stories, etc.)
V. Activity
A. After reading the selection, ( MOMMY J.) answer the following questions for comprehension by giving the
plot of the narrative.

Beginning
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Ending
B. Complete the chart by giving the names of the characters and their corresponding descriptions.
characters description
 C. Interview a person that you can have as the subject of a creative nonfiction text. Ask the interview about
his/her life, particularly the details that he/she wants to share. Add descriptive details about the character-
his/her physical appearance, traits, and other aspects of his/her personality. You shall be graded according
to the 5Cs of writing: clarity, conciseness, correctness, completeness and cohesion.

VI. Assignments
Explain the concept of setting and atmosphere in literature.

Prepared by:

LORIELE P. LANTION

Subject Teacher