HOW (THE HECK) TO READ LITERATURE

Demystifying literature and learning how to read

(again)…

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• Activity

– Next period we will be having symbolism show-and-tell. Feel super sophisticated and mature by bringing in a meaningful object and sharing it with the class. Be sure to pick an object that is significant and special to you – an object that is more than just what it appears to be to everyone else.

– Do NOT expect credit for junk you dredged up from you locker right before class began.

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• What is it?

– A symbol is something that stands for something else.

– Symbolism can be a person, place, thing, or idea that represents something else. It has a “deeper meaning” – a message or connotation that is not obvious or directly related to the symbol itself.

Slippery Symbolism

• Symbols have both literal and figurative meanings.

• Example: Spring is a literal season but it is usually a symbol of rebirth or youth. Autumn is a literal season but is a symbol of death or dying. Why?

Slippery Symbolism• Symbols have properties similar to

those of the abstract idea it stands for.• Example: A river can symbolize life

because both a river and life are fluid and forward moving; both have a source and an endpoint. Rivers literally nurture life: they give us water to drink and help our food grow.

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• Examples

– Storm– Sunshine

– Red Rose– Wilted Rose

– Black– White

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• Example from Literature

Something was slithering toward him along the dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long. Horrified, transfixed, Frank stared as its undulating body cut a wide, curving track through the thick dust on the floor, coming closer and closer…it was following the spitting, hissing noises made by the cold voice beyond the door, and in seconds, the tip of its diamond-pattered tail had vanished through the gap.

There was sweat on Frank’s forehead now, and the hand on the walking stick was trembling. Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an impossible idea…This man could talk to snakes…

The cold voice was coming from the ancient armchair before the fire, but Frank couldn’t see the speaker. The snake, on the other hand, was curled up on the rotting hearth rug, like some horrible travesty of a pet dog (HP4 / 14-15).

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• Think back on the Garden of Eden. What role

did the serpent play in the story? • Compare the snake symbolism from this

modern story to the snake found in the most ancient literature we have today – the Bible.

• Why might snakes have such a “bad rap?” What about their physical traits could have led to them becoming symbols for evil? Can you think of a better symbol for evil?

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Food for Thought / Discussion– To what extent is language symbolic?

SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM• Questions to Ask

– Do symbols have to be physical objects? – Can anything be a symbol?– What makes something a symbol? Are there specific

things to look for? What are the criteria?– How can I be sure it’s really a symbol and I’m not just

letting all the English class poison my brain?

CHECK UP

How comfortable do you feel with symbols?

Show me with fist to 5.

Slippery Symbolism• Activity (2)

– Groups will create five symbols (not mentioned by me or the class).

– Brainstorm and then on the paper I hand out…• Draw your symbols on the front• On the flip side, explain your symbols in words by

making a “Symbols Key”

– Remember: Symbols need to physically mimic some of the characteristics of the things they represent (ex: life as a flowing river). Create at least 10 symbols.

Irritating Images• Activity

– Pick one object you see in this room and jot down two descriptions of it (3 sentences each), one very simple and one very dramatic.

– 5 minutes.– Partner with the person next to you. Both

read simple descriptions to each other, then dramatic descriptions.

Irritating Images• Class Discussion

– How did you feel about the object when your partner read the first, simple description?

– How did you feel when they read the dramatic description?

– If you were writing a story, which type of description would you use? Why?

– How did the way you saw the object change when your partner read the dramatic description? Did it suddenly seem more interesting?

Irritating Images

• What is it?– An image is a word or words that refer to

an object perceived by the senses or to sense perceptions themselves.

– Examples: Colors, shapes, lighting, sounds, tastes, smells, textures, temperatures, visuals.

Irritating Images

• Let’s make it simpler…– Imagery is usually visual, consisting of

descriptions of objects, characters, or settings as they are seen by the eye.

– Images are LITERAL things that help set the “mood” of create the “feel” of a story.

Irritating Images

• Example– A description of clouds literally means that

the weather is cloudy, but it can also evoke an emotional atmosphere: for example, a description of clouds can be used to create a sense of sadness.

Irritating Images• WAIT A SECOND! It sounds to me like

image and symbols are the same thing…– Yes, they are closely related. The

difference is that images are LITERAL things that help create mood, whereas symbols are LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE things that add layers of meaning to the story.

Irritating Images• Example from Literature

“The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple….at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium…A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position…Gold writing kept dashing across [the gigantic blackboard] as though an invisible giant’s hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again…” (HP 4 / 96)

Irritating Images• What things does J.K Rowling describe

in this excerpt?• What adjectives does she use to

transform those things from mundane (boring / everyday / average) to magical?

• What words would you use to describe the image she creates here?

Darned Diction• It’s simple. Diction is the choice of words

used by an author. • There are no accidents in good writing. Each

word is carefully chosen to achieve a certain effect.

• Just like a athlete plans how to execute a play or a painter purposefully places each brush stroke in the right place, an author picks words and phrases intentionally and carefully.

Darned Diction

• How the author says something tells us a lot about what he/she is trying to say.

• Diction can be– Simple or dramatic– Common / everyday or advanced– Sparse or detailed– To-the-point or exaggerated

Darned Diction• Think of it like this: Diction is like food. • A veggie platter with sautéed tofu is totally

different than a prime rib steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, even though both are meals a person eats for dinner. Both achieve the same purpose (to fill you up), but they do it differently. In the same way, all authors are trying to tell a story, but they do it differently. The way people eat reveals something about their personality and preferences, just like the way an author writes reveals something about what they are trying to say.

Darned Diction• Example from Literature

Snape finished calling the names of the class. His eyes were black…cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of portion-making,” he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper…

Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettled and crush snake fangs…

(HP 1 / 137-138)

Darned Diction• The author never said this was a bad guy, yet

somehow with just a simple description of him in action we already know he’s evil. How come?

• There are 6 words in this passage that reveal something more about Snape than just the color of his clothes, the way he talks, or his teaching style. What are they?

Darned Diction• You can think of diction as literary language.

Literary language is expressive: it communicates tone, attitude, and feeling. It does so purposefully and deliberately. It wants to create an aesthetic experience, a world of its own.

• Everyday language wants to get things done. It usually doesn’t draw attention to itself, doesn’t try to be beautiful or emotionally evocative. Its job is describe and explain.

Darned Diction

• Food for Thought / Discussion– Do you think characters in a good story

should use literary language or everyday language? Why?

– Do you think the narrator in a good story should use literary language or everyday language? Why?

Darned Diction• Activity

– Describe these objects as if you were trying to sell them.

– Describe these objects as if it they were terrible. – Catch: YOU MAY NOT SIMPLY SAY: THIS

_________ IS AWESOME OR TERRIBLE. You can only DESCRIBE its physical attributes, while using DICTION to clue your reader into the way you really feel about it.

Darned Diction

Darned Diction

Darned Diction

Darned Diction• Questions to Ask

– How is diction different from the text itself?– Why is it important to notice differences in diction?– What kinds of things can diction clue us into about a

story?– How many kids of diction are there?– What is the difference between literary language and

everyday language?

CHECK UPHow comfortable are you with diction?

Show me with fist to five.

Silly Settings• Activity

– Sketch a floor plan of your house. – Fill in some furniture, major things around the house, and

important people who live there or visit. – Label each room with a single, vivid memory (ex: dining

room = Christmas dinner with family every year / kitchen = mom and I baking cookies together / stairs = sliding down the banister and breaking my arm).

– Explain how the setting in which so much of your life happens has affected you as a person. Is the setting good / bad, familiar / new, happy / sad, safe / scary, etc.? How has living where you live changed your life? 6+ sentences.

Silly Settings• As we’ve seen, settings play a huge role in

developing people. In the same way, settings affect characters in stories.

• Settings can be– Positive or negative– Safe or scary– Happy or sad– Boring or exciting– Dangerous or safe– Mundane or magical– Beautiful or ugly– Or anything else you can imagine

Silly Settings• What is it?

– Settings are the place[s] where the story takes place.

– There can be many settings in a story or a single setting. Usually, though, even if a story has multiple settings, there is one primary setting.

• Ex: You visit your friends’ houses, get your teeth cleaned at the dentist, go on family vacations, help you mom grocery shop, hang out at the mall, etc., but most of the important things in your life probably happen either at home or at school.

Silly Settings• Why are settings important?

– They affect the characters and the plot.• Ex: A character in Victorian England probably can’t fly,

but Harry Potter can because he lives in a magical setting.

– They help set mood / tone / feel / atmosphere.• Ex: Horror stories are set in creepy places because a

creepy setting helps the story seem even scarier. Monster movies set in sunshiney forests with ponies and rainbows = weird and not cool.

Silly Settings• They can clue the reader into upcoming

events. They can be “cheats.”– Ex: A big thunderstorm or the sudden setting of

the sun can signal danger for the characters (who happen to be stranded on a lonely desert road).

• They can serve as symbols. – Ex: Characters who are rich and shallow live in a

big mansion covered by a “façade” of brick. Characters that are hiding something live in a house full of hidden rooms and locked doors.

Silly Settings• Example from Literature

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets…Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver…Harry look upward and saw a velvety black ceiling doted with stars.

(HP 1 / 116-117)

Silly Settings• What does this setting tell you about the

castle where Harry will be living?• What “sense” does it give you about

Harry’s future here? • Is this a positive or negative place? How

do you know? • Do you think the main character will like

it here? Why or why not?

Cranky Characterization

• Activity & Discussion– Write down the names of two favorite characters

(one from a book, one from a movie).– Jot down at least five reasons why they are your

favorites. – Share “profiles” of favorites as a class. What

patterns of characterization pop up in many “favorite” characters?

– What are some famous characters that have or will endure “the test of time?” Why are they so popular? What about them makes them amazing?

Cranky Characterization

• Activity (2)– Divide into small groups. Each group picks a name:

• Ursula, Jordan, Linus, Dagny, Delilah, Baron, Jo, Fred, Dallas

– Take 10 min. to create a persona for your name (use computer paper; do NOT include names of group members). Include the following:

• A) Physical description and age• B) Behavior traits / personality• C) Body and facial language / habits• D) Fashion traits• E) Language characteristics• F) Special talents / hobbies / interests• G) Favorite things

Cranky Characterization

• Groups pass in papers and I share characters with the class.

• Characters are randomly switched and two groups (with new characters) get together.

• Each pair of groups writes a brief script involving their two characters. Pick one:– An incident at school– A social situation (dance, concert, trip to theater)– An unexpected meeting

Cranky Characterization

• You MUST maintain the characters’ personality, behavior, and linguistic traits throughout the script.

• Pass computer paper “profiles” back up and I will display them again for everyone to see.

• Act out your script in front of the class. Class figures out which characters are represented.

Cranky Characterization

• Debrief and Discussion– Were the groups successful in sustaining

characterization in 1) their scripts and 2) their performances? Why or why not?

– As a group, was it difficult to create an entire character?

– To what degree was your character “believable?” When you saw your character acted out by another group, did that change your opinion?

– Do you think you could create and sustain several believable characters throughout an entire book?

Cranky Characterization

• What is it?– Characterization is the way an author

develops a character / reveals information about a character.

Cranky Characterization

• Types of Characters– Flat (defined by a single trait; not much

detail; more like a caricature than a real person)

– Round (complex; full of detail; not easily defined; like a real person)

– Give me examples of each…

Cranky Characterization

• Major Characters– The protagonist(s); one of the most prominent figures in

the story’s action

• Minor Characters– Build structural tensions in the narrative; act as “foil” for

the protagonist; clarify emotional contexts of major characters; illuminate motives of major characters; enhance readers’ perceptions of background and setting; deepen the plot with "side stories;” contribute to foreshadowing; underscore a thematic statement; expand readers’ perceptions of how narrative, characters, events, and theme function; change rhythm and pace; add “comic relief.”

Cranky Characterization• Example from Literature

The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley’s birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involves punching somebody. Dudley’s favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn’t often catch him…Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.

(HP 1 / 20-21)

Cranky Characterization

• How is Dudley characterized? Does he seem to be round or flat? Why?

• Dudley is a minor character and we know Harry is a major character. How does Dudley’s characterization reveal things about Harry?

• Why is Dudley in this story (he has very little to do with the actual plot of the book)? What purpose does his character serve?

Pesky Point of View

• Activity– As you read this passage, imagine that

you’re a home buyer and write down any details (in ISN), positive or negative, that you think would be important if you were considering buying the house described.

Pesky Point of ViewThe two boys ran until they came to the driveway. “See, I told you today was good for skipping school,” said Mark. Tall hedges hid the house from the road so the pair strolled across the finely landscaped yard. “I never knew this place was so big,” said Pete. “Yes, but it’s nicer now than it used to be since Dad had the new stone siding put on and added the fireplace.”

There were front and back doors and a side door which led to the garage, which was empty empty except for three 10-speed bikes. They went in the side door, Mark explaining that it was always open in case his younger sisters got home earlier than their mother.

Pesky Point of ViewPete wanted to see the house so Mark started with the living room. It, like the rest of the house, was newly painted. Mark turned on the stereo, the noise of which worried Pete. “Don’t worry, the nearest house is half a mile away,” shouted Mark. Pete felt more comfortable observing that no houses could be seen in any direction beyond the huge yard.

The dining room, with all the china, silver, and cut glass, was no place to hang out so the boys moved into the remodeled kitchen, where they made sandwiches…

Pesky Point of View

• Now, let’s go back and reread the passage and write down any details, positive or negative, that you think would be important if you were casing the house in order to rob it.

Pesky Point of View• During our second reading of this passage,

because we’re thinking of robbing the house, we focus on very different details, and even when we focus on the same details, they have a very different meaning for us.

• Ex: The privacy that is an asset for many home buyers becomes a liability in terns of the home’s vulnerability to burglars. Merely changing the purpose for which we read can radically change the passage.

Pesky Point of View• In the same way, who tells a story and how

they tell it greatly affects the way we read it. • Ex: That story could be told through the eyes

of a burglar, through the eyes of the boys, or through the eyes of a home buyer. In each case, the story would be totally different. – Details– What we know about characters– What we know about the plot– Agenda / meaning / moral / point

Pesky Point of View• What is it?

– Who tells us the story and how it is told. – Shapes what we know and how we feel

about the events in a story – Point of view is created by the story’s

narrator (the teller of the story). Our understanding of the plot and characters’ actions are filtered through his or her perspective.

Pesky Point of View

• Aren’t the narrator and the author the same thing? NO! The author CREATES the narrative voice, but the two are distinct.

• Ex: A Christian author could write a story told from the narrative voice of a Buddhist monk.

Pesky Point of View• 3 Types of Narrator (It’s as easy as

1,2,3!)– 1st Person (he, she, they; does not

participate in the action)– 2nd Person (you; makes the reader part of

the story; almost never used except in choose-your-own-adventure books)

– 3rd Person (I; is a major or minor participant in the story)

Pesky Point of View

• 3 Types of 3rd Person Narrative1) Omniscient (the narrator takes us inside

the characters)

2) Limited omniscient (the narrator takes us inside one or two characters)

3) Objective (the narrator is outside the characters)

Pesky Point of View

• Omniscient– All-knowing– Narrator can move the reader from place to

place and pass back and forth through time, slipping into and out of characters.

– Tells us about character’s thoughts and feelings as well as what they say and do.

Pesky Point of View• ExampleJane felt vaguely nauseated as Nick told her the relationship was

over. She wanted to cry, but tried to appear cold and unmoved so as not to let him know how she truly felt.

Nick seethed with anger as Jane stared coolly up at him. He wanted her to feel pain like the pain she had caused him.

Britt and Darren looked anxiously at the unhappy couple, pretending to be in conversation but really trying to ease drop on the break up. They were both worried about the heartache this would cause their friends and were confused as to why Nick was ending it so abruptly. Just yesterday they had seemed like the perfect couple…

Pesky Point of View• Limited Omniscient

– Knows the thoughts and feelings of only one or two major characters.

– The reader has access to the thoughts and feelings of the character revealed by the narrator, but neither the reader nor the character has access to the inner lives of any of the other characters in the story.

– We are not told of anything that happens away from the character because the narration is based on his/her perception of things.

Pesky Point of View• Example“It’s over,” Nick spat as he slammed his open palm on

Jane’s car door. “I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done.”

Jane felt vaguely nauseated as Nick told her the relationship was over. She wanted to cry, but tried to appear cold and unmoved so as not to let him know how she truly felt.

As Jane chocked back her tears, she noticed Britt and Darren staring at them from across the parking lot. “Why can’t they just leave us alone,” she thought angrily as she turned her face away.

Pesky Point of View• Objective

– Narrator does not see into the mind of any character.

– Reports action and dialogue without telling us directly what the character feels and thinks.

– Detached and impersonal. – Relies on lots of actions, speaking, and details to

reveal character (like a movie or play).

Pesky Point of View• Example“It’s over,” Nick spat as he slammed his open palm on

Jane’s car door. “I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done.”

Jane winced as she felt tears spring into her eyes. She quickly averted her eyes so Nick wouldn’t notice. When she looked back at him, her face was cold and blank.

Britt and Darren kept glancing over toward the couple, confused looks on both their faces.

Pesky Point of View• Back to 1st Person Narrative

– Narrator is IN the story.– The “I” presents the point of view of only ONE

character. Basically, the reader is restricted to the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of that single character.

– These narrators can see the world rightly or wrongly. They can be:

• Reliable or unreliable• Perceptive or naïve

Pesky Point of View

• Examples from Literature

• Identify POV– If 3rd, which type?

Pesky Point of ViewBefore Harry could reply, there was a soft

knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he’d passed out, or whateve he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

“I’m fine,” he said, “I don’t need anything-”“Oh, it’s you, is it?” said Madam Pomfrey,

ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. “I suppose you’ve been doing something dangerous again?”

(HP 3 / 89)

Pesky Point of View

• 1st person = hold up 1 finger

• 2nd person = hold up 2 fingers

• 3rd person = hold up 3 fingers

• Why?

Pesky Point of View

• Now that we’ve established why this passage is third person POV, what type of 3rd person is it?

• Omniscient = hold up 1 finger

• Limited omniscient = hold up 2 fingers

• Objective = holds up 3 fingers

• Why?

Pesky Point of View• How does Madam Pomfrey feel about the fact Harry

is injured again?• How do we know this? Does she ever tell Harry or

the reader how she feels?• How does Harry feel about winding up in the nurse’s

office again and passing out in front of the whole school?

• How do we know this? • Which character do we have intimate knowledge

about? Which character do we make assumptions about based on their actions or dialogue?

Pesky Point of View

• Activity– In pairs, re-write this passage to make it

3rd person omniscient. – Then, re-write it again to make it 3rd

person objective. – 10 min. – Share with another pair to check if you’ve

got POV down.