Character
Protagonist: The character
experiencing the conflict
(NOT the good
guy!––Narrator of Tell Tale Heart)
Antagonist: Source of protagonist’s
conflict or stumbling block for protagonist in resolving conflict
*A person, protagonist,
a concept (time), natural forces
(NOT the bad guy: Salvation; Mathilde;
Narrator YWP)
Dynamic: Character has an
inward change as a result of the conflict—perspective, view of life (YWP &
Salvation)
Static: Character does not change (Mathilde; Tessie)
Round: We have a “full”
picture of the character’s emotions and intent (Salvation, YWP & Tell Tale Heart)
Flat: We do not feel or
experience the character’s emotions or inner thoughts for more than a few
sentences. (Samuel; Desireé’s
Baby; Lottery)
Methods of
Characterization:
·
Description: Physical
Picture (Mathilde;
Lottery228)
·
Action: What char. does gives us insight into him/her (Mr. Loisel; Tessie offers up her daughter.)
·
Dialogue: What char. says gives us insight into him/her
(Mathilde; YWP
husband)
·
Narration: What is told about char. reveals him/her
(Necklace; Samuel, the man who pulls the brake)
·
Combo: A complete picture is formed by using a combo (action and
narration: man in Samuel who pulls the
emergency brake).
Theme
·
“Moral significance [behind]
[…] the story”
·
The author’s vision of
the meaning of life
·
The author’s attempt to
challenge reality
·
Elements are
deliberately chosen by the author to emphasize this theme: All elements tie to theme in some way. The scholar’s job is to explore and explicate
this connection.
Do not confuse what the
story is about with the theme:
No: The YWP is about a
woman’s descent into madness.
Yes: The YWP shows the reader the disastrous
effects of isolating someone who is in mental distress. (Universal; does not
only pertain to the situation in the story.)
*Theme is created by the
combination of all of the other elements.
The way the author uses the other elements to create the theme of the
story is the key to the story.
Example:
Characterization: Dynamic
(changes for the worse)
Setting: Suggests where she really is; highlights isolation
Symbolism: Wallpaper
(confining)
Irony: Situational
(who really knows best; cure
makes her worse); Verbal (John’s
comments)
POV: Shows us
the degradation of her mental state
FS: Indicates what will happen due to isolation