Republic of the Philippines 10

Department of Education
Region v
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF SORSOGON
PILAR NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET
QUARTER 3, WEEK 3

Name of the Student:____________________________________________________

Grade & Section:________________________________________________________

I. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT:
In this lesson, you will be given the opportunity to show your appreciation to literature by
knowing its structure and elements that make a selection artistic and creative. You will be
exposed to activities that will help you develop reading comprehension and analytical skills
which are beneficial to your everyday life.

II. LEARNING SKILLS FROM MELCs:

 identify elements of a selection through structuralist/formalist approach; and
 appreciate the overall artistic value of the structure and elements of the selection
(structuralist/formalist) (EN10RC-IIIa-22.1)

III. ACTIVITIES:
A. Let Us Review
Directions: Read and answer the following questions. Write the letter of the most appropriate
answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which element of a story does time and location take place?
A. character B. plot
C. setting D. theme
2. “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, is an example of what element?
A. character B. plot
C. setting D. theme
3. Which element tells the angle of the story?
A. camera view B. character view
C. point of view D. reader’s view
4. Which part of a plot is the most exciting?
A. exposition B. climax
C. resolution D. rising action
5. What is the sequence of events involving characters and a central conflict called?
A. character B. conflict
C. plot D. setting
6. The opposition of forces, essential to the plot is called _______.
A. character B. climax
C. conflict D. setting
7. Man versus man is an example of which category of conflict?
A. external B. natural
 C. internal D. supernatural
8. A person or animal which takes part in the action of a story is called __________.
A. character B. conflict
C. plot D. setting
9. Which character opposes the main character?
A. antagonist B. dynamic
C. protagonist D. static
10. What type of character does not change?
A. dynamic B. flat
C. round D. static
11. This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
A. climax B. denouement
C. falling action D. resolution
12. The problems and complications begin to be resolved in __________.
A. climax B. denouement
C. falling action D. resolution
13. This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is
revealed.
A. climax B. denouement
C. falling action D. rising action
14. It refers to critical approaches in literature that analyze, interpret, or evaluate the inherent features of a text.
A. feminist B. formalist
C. Marxist D. structuralist
15. It is a literary approach where the material is analyzed by examining underlying structures, such as
characterization or plot.
A. feminist B. formalist
C. Marxist D. structuralist

B. Let Us Study
SURFACE CRITIQUE

Structuralist Criticism
In literary theory, structuralism challenged the belief that a work of
literature reflected a given reality; instead, a text was constituted of linguistic
conventions and situated among other texts. Structuralist critics analyzed material
by examining underlying structures, such as characterization or plot, and
attempted to show how these patterns were universal and could thus be used to
develop general conclusions about both individual works and the systems from
which they emerged.

Formalist Criticism
In literary theory, formalism refers to critical approaches that analyze,
interpret, or evaluate the inherent features of a text. These features include not
only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter and tropes. The
formalistic approach reduces the importance of a text’s historical, biographical,
and cultural context and instead focuses on modes, genres, discourse, and forms.

The following are the major literary terms of structuralist and formalist criticism:
I. Plot - It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The short story usually has one plot so it
can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:
1) Exposition (introduction) - Beginning of the story; characters, background,
and setting revealed.
2) Rising Action - Events in the story become complicated; the conflict is
revealed.
3) Climax - Turning point of the story. Readers wonder what will happen
next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
4) Falling action - Resolution begins; events and complications start to fall into
place. These are the events between climax and denouement.
5) Resolution (Conclusion) - Final outcome of events in the story.

II. Setting - Time and location a story takes place.

1) Place - Geographical location; where is the action of the story taking place?
2) Time - Historical period, time of day, year, etc.; when is the story taking
place?
3) Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
4) Social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the
story contain local color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress,
mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
5) Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the
story? Cheerful or eerie?

III. Character - There are two meanings for "character": 1) a person in a fictional
story; or 2) qualities of a person.
1) People in a work of fiction can be a:
• Protagonist – Principal character of a story
• Antagonist - Opposition or "enemy" of main character.
2) Characteristics of a character can be revealed through:
• his/her physical appearance
• what he/she says, thinks, feels, dreams and what he/she does or does not do
• what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
3) Characters can be:
• Round - Fully developed personalities that are affected by the story's events;
they can learn, grow, or deteriorate by the end of the story. Characters are mostly
convincing when they resemble real people by being consistent, motivated, and
life-like.
Example: In the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, the protagonist, Belle, is a
round character. She is fully developed and has several layers to her personality.
At times Belle may be caring and gentle with her father, but at the same time she
shows wit and strength when warding off the undesirable suitor, Gaston.
• Flat - One-dimensional character
Example: In Disney’s Finding Nemo, the sea turtle, Crush, is an example of a flat
character. Crush personifies the stereotypical “surfer-dude” in the film with his
constant use of the word “dude”. This turtle is a minor character in the film and
does not have complexity to his personality like the main characters.
• Dynamic - Character who does go through change and "grows"
during a story.
Example: In the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry, the
protagonist has experienced inner conflict which makes him a dynamic character.
Harry perceives that he shares some abilities similar to Tom Riddle, who
becomes the evil, Lord Voldemort, and this makes him worry that he might also
turn out to be an evil character.
• Static - Character does not go through a change.
 Example: Scar, in the movie The Lion King, is an excellent example of a static
character. Scar is a sly and a clever brother of the Lion King. This cunning
character plots to kill Simba and his father. As the film goes on, Scar does not go
through any changes, keeping his personality traits until the end.

IV. Point of View - The angle from which the story is told.
1) First Person - Story told by the protagonist or a character who interacts closely with the
protagonist or other characters; speaker uses the pronouns "I", "me", "we".
2) Second Person - Story told by a narrator who addresses the reader or some other
assumed "you"; speaker uses pronouns "you", "your", and "yours".
3) Third Person - Story told by a narrator who sees all of the action; speaker uses the
pronouns "he", "she", "it", "they", "his", "hers", "its", and "theirs". This person may be a
character in the story.

V. Theme - Central message, "moral of the story," and the underlying meaning of a
fictional piece; may be the author's thoughts on the topic or view of human nature.

C. Let Us Practice.

Activity 1: WHAT’S THE WORD

Choose the vocabulary word that completes each sentence from the pool of words below.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

incessantly adv. endlessly; constantly

disconsolate adj. so unhappy that nothing can comfort; hopeless and depressed
aghast adj. filled with fear, horror, or amazement
gamut n. the entire range or series of something
privation n. the lack of the comforts or basic necessities of life

1. Did the twenty-foot lizard in the movie terrify you? I was ____________________.
2. She was astonished to inherit a fortune after suffering years of _______________.
3. Being with Aunt Maude is like listening to the radio. She talks _______________ !
4. Hats, belts, shoes—you name it! This shop sells the whole _________________ .
5. Swamped by fears of failure, the man was _________________ about his future.
Read the story “The Necklace” and take note of the significant events that happened in the story.

The Necklace
by Guy de Maupassant
Mathilde Loisel is “pretty and charming” but feels she has been born into a family of unfavorable economic status.
She was married off to a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Education, who can afford to provide her only with a modest
though not uncomfortable lifestyle. Mathilde feels the burden of her poverty intensely. She regrets her lot in life and
spends endless hours imagining a more extravagant existence. While her husband expresses his pleasure at the small,
modest supper she has prepared for him, she dreams of an elaborate feast served on fancy china and eaten in the
company of wealthy friends. She possesses no fancy jewels or clothing, yet these are the only things she lives for.
Without them, she feels she is not desirable. She has one wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, but refuses to visit her
because of the heartbreak it brings her.
One night, her husband returns home proudly bearing an invitation to a formal party hosted by the Ministry of
Education. He hopes that Mathilde will be thrilled with the chance to attend an event of this sort, but she is instantly
angry and begins to cry. Through her tears, she tells him that she has nothing to wear and he ought to give the
invitation to one of his friends whose wife can afford better clothing. Her husband is upset by her reaction and asks
how much a suitable dress would cost. She thinks about it carefully and tells him that 400 francs would be enough.
Her husband quietly balks at the sum but agrees that she may have the money.
As the day of the party approaches, Mathilde starts to behave oddly. She confesses that the reason for her
behavior is her lack of jewels. Monsieur Loisel suggests that she wear flowers, but she refuses. He implores her to
visit Madame Forestier and borrow something from her. Madame Forestier agrees to lend Mathilde her jewels, and
Mathilde selects a diamond necklace. She is overcome with gratitude at Madame Forestier’s generosity.
At the party, Mathilde is the most beautiful woman in attendance, and everyone notices her. She is intoxicated by the
attention and has an overwhelming sense of self-satisfaction. At 4 a.m., she finally looks for Monsieur Loisel, who has
been dozing for hours in a deserted room. He cloaks her bare shoulders in a wrap and cautions her to wait inside, away
from the cold night air, while he fetches a cab. But she is ashamed at the shabbiness of her wrap and follows Monsieur
Loisel outside. They walk for a while before hailing a cab.
When they finally return home, Mathilde is saddened that the night has ended. As she removes her wrap, she
discovers that her necklace is no longer around her neck. In a panic, Monsieur Loisel goes outside and retraces their
steps. Terrified, she sits and waits for him. He returns home much later in an even greater panic—he has not found the
necklace. He instructs her to write to Madame Forestier and say that she has broken the clasp of the necklace and is
getting it mended.
They continue to look for the necklace. After a week, Monsieur Loisel says they have to see about replacing it. They
visit many jewelers, searching for a similar necklace, and finally find one. It costs 40,000 francs, although the jeweler
says he will give it to them for 36,000. The Loisels spend a week scraping up money from all kinds of sources,
mortgaging the rest of their existence. After three days, Monsieur Loisel purchases the necklace. When Mathilde
returns the necklace, in its case, to Madame Forestier, Madame Forestier is annoyed at how long it has taken to get it
back but does not open the case to inspect it. Mathilde is relieved.
The Loisels began to live a life of crippling poverty. They dismiss their servant and move into an even smaller
apartment. Monsieur Loisel works three jobs, and Mathilde spends all her time doing the heavy housework. This
misery lasts ten years, but at the end they have repaid their financial debts. Mathilde’s extraordinary beauty is now
gone: she looks just likes the other women of poor households. They are both tired and irrevocably damaged from
these years of hardship.
One Sunday, while she is out for a walk, Mathilde spots Madame Forestier. Feeling emotional, she approaches her and
offers greetings. Madame Forestier does not recognize her, and when Mathilde identifies herself, Madame Forestier
cannot help but exclaim that she looks different. Mathilde says that the change was on her account and explains to her
the long saga of losing the necklace, replacing it, and working for ten years to repay the debts. At the end of her story,
Madame Forestier clasps her hands and tells Mathilde the original necklace was just costume jewelry and not worth
anything.

Activity 2: Comprehension Check:

1. Describe Mathilde.
2. What do the Loisels end up doing about the lost necklace?
3. What did the diamond necklace symbolize? How did it change Madame
Loisel’s life?
4. What is ironic about the ending of the story?
5. Explain the significance of Mathilde’s reflection upon losing the necklace:
“How small a thing is needed to make or ruin us”

D. Let Us Practice More.

Activity 3: MIX AND MATCH

Select the appropriate term that best completes the statement. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
A. character F. plot
B. setting G. problem/conflict
C. theme H. solution
D. main idea I. climax
E. exposition J. point of view
1. When and where a story takes place
 2. What’s happening, the how and the why of a story
3. Who or what a story is about
4. How the problem of a story is solved or the goal is reached
5. Topic or subject of a story
6. The overall difficulty that the main character(s) face
7. This is the turning point of a story, just before the falling action
8. Can be summed up on one or 2 sentences and contains the most important information in a
piece
9. Beginning of the story; characters, background, and setting revealed.
10. The angle from which the story is told.

E. Evaluation.

Activity 4: STORY GRAMMAR

Recall any of your favorite short stories and construct a story grammar using the diagram
below. Use a separate sheet of paper for this task.

IV. ANSWER KEY

1. C What’s the Word
2. D 1. aghast
3. C 2. privation
4. B 3. incessantly
5. C 4. gamut
6. C 5. disconsolate
7. A
8. A Comprehension Check (answer may vary)
9. A Mix and Match
10. D 1. B 6. G
11. B 2. F 7. I
12. D 3. A 8. C
13. D 4. H 9. E
14. B 5. D 10. J
15. D Story Grammar (answer may vary)

V. REFERENCE
American Literature. “The Necklace”. AericanLiterature.com. Accessed. July 2020.
https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the- necklace

Armstrong Atlantic University. “Formalism”. armstrong.edu.

http://www.write.armstrong.edu/handouts/Formalism.pdf/
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