WMSU-ISMP-GU-001.

00
Effective Date: 7-DEC-2016

V. Communication for Various Purposes

Lesson 2: Literature as Communication

Introduction

Literary pieces like short stories, poems, novels, and dramas are good sources of
communication materials for students to be instructed about the joys and triumphs of
people in a particular culture as well as the problems and struggles of people in everyday
life. Literature is didactic, meaning it teaches the mind and the heart on how to be human
and humane. While it is true that, “The heart of humanity’s problem is the problem of the
heart,” the heart needs to be educated for out of it are the issues of life.
Suffice it to say that literature is life. Literature mirrors society. Literature
communicates truth in different lenses, as Antoine Exupery puts it, “beauty depends on
the eye of the beholder.” Literature is a potent tool to teach truths to people-- like you and
I, who in one way or another, want a lift in our spirits.

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you can:

1. Appreciate the beauty of literary pieces used as a tool for communication;

2. Write an analysis paper using one literary genre;
3. Demonstrate an understanding in analyzing a literary text.

Topic Outline
1. Elements of a short story
2. Writing an analysis paper

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Try this!

Reading Activity 1

Directions: Read the short story titled, “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway.
Answer the questions that follow in the next section.

Think ahead!

1. Who are the characters in the story?

2. What is the struggle of the characters in the story?
3. What symbols or images used by the author describing the problem that you can
use to support your answer?
4. Do you approve of the solution offered by the male character in this story?
5. How should women of today react to that way of solving the problem presented?
6. Will you exchange momentary pleasure for a life time suffering? Why or why not?

Read and Ponder

Elements of a Short Story

Short story writers use the following elements in their narrative to make the story
moving. These elements include: characters, conflict, plot, setting, theme, and style. The
characters, whether protagonist or antagonist, are revealed according to the flow of the
story. Usually, a reader, can detect the personalities of these characters according to their
actions, dialogue, and what other characters will have to say about them. Conflict,
moreover, is the tug-of-war of forces in the story. A short story can’t be one without a
struggle to be solved. The plot, furthermore, is the series or sequence of events that move
the story forward. Theme is the central idea, or the world view presented by the artist.
Style is the writer’s craft of handling the story. Rich imagery and symbolism can be an
artist’s style of narrating the story. Suggestiveness becomes a yard stick in judging the
artistic master piece of a writer. Ernest Hemingway is best known for this style. What truth
about life is communicated here?

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See if you can do this!

Write an analysis paper using the story, “Hills like White Elephants”. Excluding the cover
page, from the introduction to the conclusion it must occupy 5 pages in length with margin
and double spacing applied. Have your essay printed using a plagiarism checker
application tool online. Example: SEMEO Tool Plagiarism Checker. The print-out of your
essay must indicate how many percent is your composition plagiarized.

Note: Before submitting your paper, see to it that it has 0 % plagiarized.

The paper must contain the following:

• Introduction
The thesis statement is presented here. It contains the summary of the story. Retell
the story in your own words. The summary is the gist and is written in its most
condensed form.
• Body of the paper
The outline or the skeleton must be given flesh on this part. Major points are given
emphasis to support the thesis. Evidences are taken from the text to strengthen and
support the points made.
• Conclusion
The formal closure of the paper must be based on the major points presented.

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