Unit 6: Longer Fiction or Drama II

Foil Characters

Similarities

• Foil characters are two characters in a literary work who have opposing characteristics to highlight the traits of each other.
• The similarities between foil characters are primarily found in their basic character traits, such as values, beliefs, and motivations. \n

Opposition

• Opposition in foil characters refers to a literary technique used to highlight the contrast between two characters.
• Foil characters are two individuals who have contrasting qualities that serve to emphasize each other's differences. \n

Choices

• Choices are a common theme in literature as they often play a significant role in the development of characters and plot.
• Choices can reveal aspects of a character's personality, values, and beliefs.
  • They can also drive the narrative forward by creating conflict or tension.
• In many cases, choices present characters with difficult decisions that require them to weigh their options carefully before making a decision.
  • These choices may have far-reaching consequences that impact not only their own lives but those around them as well.

Actions

• Actions in literature refer to the physical movements or behaviors of characters within a written work.
• These actions can serve various purposes, including advancing the plot, revealing character traits, creating imagery and setting a mood.

Speech

• Speech in drama refers to the dialogue spoken by characters on stage or in a film.
• It is an essential part of any dramatic work and plays a crucial role in developing character, advancing the plot, and conveying themes.

Flashback

• A flashback is a literary device that takes the reader back to an earlier time before the present moment in the narrative.
• It can be used to provide context or background information about a character, event, or situation.
• Flashbacks are often triggered by something in the present story that reminds a character of their past experiences.
• They can be presented in different ways such as through dialogue, inner thoughts of characters, dreams or memories.

Foreshadowing

• Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author hints at or suggests future events that will occur later on in the story.
• This can be done through dialogue, description of setting, and other elements of the narrative.
• Foreshadowing is used to build suspense and anticipation for what's to come, as well as to add depth and complexity to characters and their motivations.
• It can also create a sense of inevitability or fate, as if events are already predetermined even before they happen.

In medias res

• "In medias res" is a Latin phrase that means "in the midst of things." In literature, it refers to starting a story in the middle of an action or plot instead of at the beginning.
• This technique can create suspense and intrigue for readers, as they are immediately thrown into the story without knowing all of the background information.

Stream of Conciousness

• Stream of consciousness is a literary technique that depicts the continuous flow of thoughts and feelings in a character's mind.
• It involves writing in an unstructured, free-flowing manner without any filter or editing to capture the innermost thoughts and emotions of a character.
• This style often includes fragmented sentences, non-linear narratives, and sensory descriptions that mimic the way our minds work when we think or daydream.
• The stream-of-consciousness technique aims to provide readers with insight into characters' motivations, beliefs, fears, anxieties and desires by presenting uninterrupted internal monologues rather than organized plot lines or dialogues between characters.

Narrating and Reading Bias

Tone

• When it comes to narrating, tone plays a crucial role in setting the mood and conveying emotions.
• The tone of narration can be formal or informal, serious or humorous, sarcastic or sincere, depending on the content and context.

Narrative Bias

• Narrative bias refers to the tendency of individuals to interpret and remember events in a way that fits into a pre-existing narrative or story.
• This can lead people to filter out information that doesn't fit their established beliefs or expectations, and also leads them to selectively seek out information that supports their existing narrative.

Style and Structure

Archetypes

• Archetypes are universal symbols and characters that represent recurring patterns of human behavior in literature, art, and culture.
  • In style and structure, archetypes can manifest in various ways.
• In terms of structure archetype examples include plot structures like tragedy which involves the downfall of a morally upright character due to their tragic flaw; comedy which features light-hearted situations leading toward happy endings; rags-to-riches storylines where protagonists start out poor but through hard work become wealthy or successful; coming-of-age stories that depict young people transitioning into adulthood through conflicts with authority figures or personal growth experiences.

Metaphors

• Metaphors are a powerful literary device used in both style and structure to convey meaning beyond the literal words on the page.
• In terms of style, metaphors can be used to create vivid imagery in the reader's mind, allowing them to better understand and relate to the text.
• For example: "Her hair was a golden waterfall cascading down her back." This metaphor not only paints a picture for the reader but also suggests that this person has an abundance of luxurious beauty.

Literary Argument Components

Evidence

• Evidence is an essential component of any argument, as it provides support for the claims being made.
• Evidence can take many forms, including statistics, studies, personal anecdotes or experiences, expert testimony and other sources that are relevant to the topic at hand.
• When making an argument, it's important to not only present evidence but also to evaluate its quality and relevance. Good evidence should be credible (i.e., from a trustworthy source), provide accurate information and logically connect back to the claim being made.

Commentary

• Commentary in literature refers to the analysis and interpretation of a literary work.

• It involves examining various elements such as character development, plot structure, themes, symbols, language use and other literary devices used by an author in their writing.

• The purpose of commentary is to give readers a deeper understanding of the text they are reading.

• By analyzing these various elements within a piece of literature, we can gain insight into the author's intentions and explore different interpretations or meanings that may not be immediately apparent upon first reading.

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