Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Elements Prose
Elements Prose
4. Gotic
5. Historical
1. Picaresque Novel: It deals with a seq
uence of adventures of a rogue or outcast.
It was common between 17th and early 18t
h centuries. It is usually exciting and lusty.
Characterization: The
process of revealing the
personality of a characte
r in a story.
Characters
The protagonist is the main character in a story. He, she
, it, or they struggle to overcome the main conflict or pro
blem in the story.
The protagonist does not have to be the “good guy.”
The antagonist is the opponent to the protagonist. This
person or thing stands in the way of the protagonist and
his/her goal.
A convincing main character will be
1. Consistent – actions are in line with personality
2. Motivated – there is a reason for his/her actions
3. Plausible – believable within the world of the story
Types of Characters
Flat – A flat character is one-dimensional.
Round – A round character is complex and multi-dimensional.
Stock – A stock character is a recognizable stereotype established th
rough repeated use in literature. This type of character saves the w
riter time and effort since the reader already knows the character’s t
raits.
Static – A static character does not change, evolve or grow during t
he story.
Dynamic – A dynamic character will evolve during the story and und
ergo a permanent, significant change. This change can be for the b
etter or for the worse.
Setting
Defintion: The time and location in which t
he story takes place
Setting
Purpose of Setting
1. Gives background information
2. Provides conflict
- Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society
3. Can reveal a lot about someone’s character
4. Provides mood or atmosphere
- Mood- the feeling WE get when we read a stor
y
5. Can paint images for the reader
- Images – words that call forth the 5 senses
Theme
Definition: The insight about human life that i
s revealed in a literary work. The “golden thre
ad” woven throughout the story.