AHSGE III-2Analyze Literary Elements

Teachers and Students:

You may want to take notes while

viewing this lesson.

Being able to recognize and analyze literary elements can add to your reading comprehension. Some literary elements to know when you are reading are plot, character, setting, theme, tone, mood, and literary point of view.

PlotThe plot includes all the main events that follow each other in the story and cause other events to happen.

A basic plot has the following parts.

Exposition: The beginning of the story where the characters and setting are introduced, and the conflict or struggle is presented.

Rising Action: The series of events that show how the main character faces and attempts to overcome the conflict.

Climax: The turning point, and usually most exciting part of the story, where the main character may make a crucial decision or take important action.

Falling Action: The events that follow the climax and explain how the main character will deal with what he/she has experienced so far.

Resolution: The ending of the story, which explains how the struggle is finally resolved and where any loose ends in the story are tied up.

CharactersCharacters are the

people, animals, and sometimes, things in a story.

Two Types of CharactersA flat character is a one-dimensional character that acts in predictable ways. Usually these characters are either all bad or all good. These characters usually do not change as the story progresses. They usually remain either all good or all bad.

A round character is a more developed character. A round character’s actions are not always predictable. A round character is important to the progression of the story, and a round character usually undergoes a major change because of what happens to him/her in the story.

SettingThis is the time and place a story

happens.

Authors may tell you the setting directly in the story, or you may have to determine the setting by noting details of the story. Example: historical events mentioned in the story, hair styles, styles of clothing, technology, songs mentioned, or even the language used by characters.

Theme

The theme of the story is an insight

about people or life that author wants to communicate to

readers.

How to determine the theme of a story.

Keep your eyes on the main character(s).

How does the main character(s) deal with conflict?

What lessons did the main character(s) learn?

How does the main character(s) change throughout the conflict?

Tone and MoodTone is the author’s attitude

toward a subject. The author’s tone may be interested, serious, humorous, dark sarcastic, sympathetic, dramatic, angry, tender, and so on.

Mood is the “atmosphere” surrounding a story. It is the emotion you are meant to feel as you read. A story may have a mood of anxiety, fear, joy, sadness, or any other emotion.

How To Determine ToneTo determine tone pay

attention to specific words and details an author uses

to describe settings, characters, and events. Think about how they

would sound if the author were reading to you.

How To Determine Mood

To determine mood, ask, “How are

these words and details making me

feel?”

Literary Point of View

Literary point of view is the

perspective from which a story is

narrated, or told.

First PersonThe narrator is a character within the story and speaks from the personal point of view, using first-person pronouns such as I, we, and our.

When a story is told from this point of view, you only learn what the character/narrator thinks and experiences.

Second PersonThe narrator speaks directly to you, the reader, making you a part of the story.

This point of view is rarely used in fiction.

Third-Person LimitedThe narrator is not a

character in the story, but his or her knowledge is usually

limited to the thoughts and

experiences of one or two characters.

Third-Person Omniscient

The narrator is not a character in the story.

You learn the thoughts and

experiences from all the characters when a story is told from this point of view.

PracticeThe Eagle, the Pig, and the Cat

There stood in the middle of a field a mighty

oak that was home to three animals.At the top lived an eagle. The eagle’s wings

were tinged with gray, his eyesight was no longer

keen, and his strong reliable wings had grown

fatigued. Tiring easily, the eagle left the nest

only to find food.

At the base of the tree lived a pig.

She and the eagle had an understanding, and she felt safe under

his watchful eye, even if those eyes did

not see as much as they used to.

The newcomer was the cat, who

lived in the middle of the tree, where

she’d found a sizable hole for her and

her kittens. The cat should have been

satisfied with such an airy, spacious,

home, but she wasn’t.

The cat began to think that only she

should live in the tree so, one morning,

she hatched a plan. Climbing to the

top of the tree, she said to the eagle,

“I’ve discovered something disturbing.

The pig living at the base of the tree

is digging up the roots to knock our

home over. Beware!”

The self-satisfied cat then went

down to the pig’s home and said,

“I’ve discovered something disturbing. The eagle living at the

top of the tree is planning to

pounce on us so that he can have

the tree to himself. Beware!”

Having alarmed the eagle and

the pig, the cat then climbed

back up to her hole and waited

for them to leave. That afternoon while the cat napped,

the eagle flew down toconfront the pig.

“Why do you want to get rid of me?” the

eagle asked.“I don’t,” the pig responded.It didn’t take long for the eagle and

pig to figure out the cat’s malicious plan.

The next day, the pig pretended to dig up

the roots of the tree. Meanwhile the eagle

soared ominously close to the kittens as

they played in the grass.

Frightened, the cat gathered

her kittens and quickly moved

away. As soon as the cat had

left, the eagle returned to his

nest and the pig curled up at

the base of the tree.

Answer the questions based on what you have just read.

1. What is the setting of this story?A. An eagle’s nestB. A large farmC. A grassy yardD. An oak tree

2. From what point of view is the story told?A. First personB. Second PersonC. Third-person limitedD. Third-person Omniscient

3. Which words BEST describe the eagle’s character?A. Energetic and strongB. Independent and solitaryC. Angry and predatoryD. Aging and weary

4. What is the tone of the story?A. IronicB. AmusingC. MysteriousD. Joyful

5. What word BEST describes all three characters?A. SmugB. GullibleC. SelfishD. content

6. What is the theme of the story?A. Comfort and security bring

contentment.B. Neighbors should mind their own business.C. Consider the source before

accepting what you hear as true.D. The world is big enough place

for everyone to live in peace.

7. Which event is the climax, or turning point, in the story?A. The cat tells the eagle to

“Beware!.”B. The cat tells the pig to “Beware!”C. The eagle confronts the pigD. The cat moves away.

Answers1. d2. d3. d4. a5. b 6. c7. c