王卉老师的材料文学知识+写作话题.docx
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王卉老师的材料文学知识+写作话题.docx
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王卉老师的材料文学知识+写作话题
I. theelementsoffiction
Asyoureadmoreworksoffiction,youwillbeginpayingcarefulattentiontoelementssuchasplot;character;setting;pointofview;style,tone,andlanguage;symbolandallegory;andtheme.Bylookingattheseelementsyouwillbeabletounderstandandappreciatethestorymorefully.Thefollowingguidelines,designedtohelpyouexploreworksoffiction,focusonissuesthatareexaminedindepthinchapterstocome.
Lookatthe plot ofthestory.Howdotheeventsinthestoryrelatetooneanother,andhowdotheyrelatetothestoryasawhole?
Whatconflictsoccurinthestory,andhowaretheseconflictsdevelopedorresolved?
Doesthestoryincludeanynoteworthyplotdevices,suchasflashbacksorforeshadowing?
Analyzethe characters ofthestory.Whataretheirmoststrikingtraits?
Howdotheseindividualsinteractwithoneanother?
Whatmotivatesthem?
Arethecharactersfullydeveloped,oraretheystereotypeswhosesolepurposeistoexpressasingletrait(good,evil,generosity)ortomovetheplotalong?
Identifythe setting ofthestory.Atwhattimeperiodandinwhatgeographiclocationdoestheactionofthestoryoccur?
Howdoesthesettingaffectthecharactersofthestory?
Howdoesitdeterminetherelationshipsamongthecharacters?
Howdoesthesettingaffecttheplot?
Doesthesettingcreateamoodforthestory?
Inwhatwaydoesthesettingreinforcethecentralideasthatthestoryexamines?
Examinethenarrative pointofview ofthestory.Whatpersonorpersonsaretellingthestory?
Isthestorytoldinthefirstperson(usingIorwe)orinthethirdperson(usinghe,she,andthey)?
Doesthenarratorseefromvariousperspectives,oristhestoryrestrictedtotheperspectiveofoneperson?
Isthenarratoramajorcharactertellinghisorherownstoryoraminorcharacterwhowitnessesevents?
Howmuchdoesthenarratorknowabouttheeventsinthestory?
Doesthenarratorpresentanaccuratepictureofevents?
Doesthenarratorunderstandthefullsignificanceofthestoryheorsheistelling?
Analyzethe style, tone,and language ofthestory.Doesthewritermakeanyunusualuseofdictionorsyntax?
Doesthewriteruseimaginativefiguresofspeech?
Patternsofimagery?
Whatstylesorlevelsofspeechareassociatedwithparticularcharacters?
Whatwordsorphrasesarerepeatedthroughoutthework?
Isthestory'sstyleplainorelaborate?
Doesthenarrator'stonerevealhisorherattitudetowardcharactersorevents?
Arethereanydiscrepanciesbetweenthenarrator'sattitudeandtheattitudeoftheauthor?
Isthetoneofthestoryplayful,humorous,ironic,satirical,serious,somber,solemn,bitter,condescending,formal,orinformal—ordoesthetonesuggestsomeotherattitude?
Focuson symbolism and allegory.Doestheauthoruseanyobjectsorideassymbolically?
Whatcharactersorobjectsinthestoryarepartofanallegoricalframework'!
Howdoesanobjectestablishitssymbolicorallegoricalsignificanceinthestory?
Doesthesameobjecthavedifferentmeaningsatdifferentplacesinthestory?
Arethesymbolsorallegoricalfiguresconventionalorunusual?
Atwhatpointsinthestorydosymbolsorallegoricalfiguresappear?
Identifythe themes ofthestory.Whatisthecentraltheme?
Howisthisideaorconceptexpressedinthework?
Whatelementsofthestorydevelopthecentraltheme?
Howdocharacter,plot,setting,pointofview,andsymbolsreinforcethecentraltheme?
Howdoesthetitleofthestorycontributetoreaders'understandingofthecentraltheme?
Whatotherthemesareexplored?
II. Theme
Themesareideasaboutthehumanconditionthatwedrawfromworksofliterature—notjustfromfictionbutfromliteratureinallgenres.Thefollowingdiscussioncontinuesthetreatmentof"truth"inliterature.Hereweofferguidelinesforstatingthemesandstrategiesforidentifyingthem.
Guidelinesforstatinganddescribingtheme
1.Subjectandtheme. Althoughthetermssubjectandthemeareoftenusedinterchangeably,theyaredifferent.Thesubjectiswhattheworkisabout.Youcanstatethesubjectinawordorphrase:
"ThesubjectofShakespeare'sSonnet116islove."Incontrast,themeiswhattheworksaysaboutthesubject.Statingathemerequiresacompletesentence,sometimesseveralsentences:
"AthemeofSonnet116is,'Loveremainsconstantevenwhenassaultedbytempestuouseventsorbytime.'"
2.Referencetorealityoutsidethework. Athemeappliestotheworldoutsidethework.Theclaim,"RapidchangeinRipVanWinkle'senvironmentthreatenshisidentity,"isthoughtfulandinteresting,butitdoesnotstateatheme.Itappliesonlytosomethinginsidethework.Statethemessotheyrefertorealityoutsidethework:
"RipVanWinkle'sexperienceshowsthatenvironmentcausesmanypeopletofeeltheiridentityisthreatened."likeallclaimsabouttheme,thisoneseizesuponconcretesituationswithintheworktomakegeneralizationsaboutrealityoutsidethework.Literaturethusbecomesaformof"philosophy"—universalwisdomaboutthenatureoftheworld.
3.Themeasdilemma. Thememaypresentanintellectualdilemmaratherthana"message"thatneatlysolvesthedilemma.RobertPermWarren'snovelAUtheKing'sMen,*forexample,raisestheproblemofmoralityinpolitics.How,thenovelseemstoask,canpoliticalleadersinademocraticsocietydogoodwhencitizensareapathecicandeasilymisled?
Thecharacterwhoembodiesthisquestionisawell-meaningandgiftedpoliticianwhousescorruptandviolentmeanstoattaingoodends.Bytellinghisstory,Warrendramatizesthequestion.Butheneverreallyanswersit.Youcannotpullaneatmoraloutofthestoryofthischaracter'sriseandfall.Rather,tostatethe"theme"ofthisnovel—oronetheme—youneedtosummarizeasaccuratelyasyoucantheproblemWarrenpresentsinthewayhepresentsit.Youcouldexplainhowtheproblemisworkedoutinthisonecharacter'slife,butyoucouldnotnecessarilygeneralizefromthattoallpeople'slives.Orthegeneralizationmightbethatpoliticsismorallycontradictory,neversimplyrightorwrong.
4.Multiplethemes. Inmanyworks,especiallycomplexones,theremaybeseveral,evencontradictorythemes.AsubjectofTolstoy'sAnnaKareninaissacredloveversusprofanelove.Butanother,equallyimportantsubjectissocialentrapment.OnethemeofAnnaKarenina,then,seemstobethatpeopleshouldnotabandon"sacred"commitments,suchasmarriageandparenthood,forextramarital"loves,"nomatterhowpassionateanddeeplyfelttheymaybe.ThisthemeemergesfromAnna'sdesertionofherhusbandandchildforCountVronsky.Analternatethemeisthatpeople,throughlittlefaultoftheirown,canbecometrappedinpainful,long-lasting,anddestructiverelationshipsthattheywantdesperatelytoescape.ThisthemeemergesfromAnna'smarriage.Whenshewasveryyoung,Annamarriedanoldermanwhomshenowrealizesistoopetty,prim,andself-absorbedtosatisfyhergenerousandpassionatenature.Sodiscordantisherrelationshipwithherhusbandthatitseemsnoless"immoral"thanheraffairwithVronsky.Tolstoy,inotherwords,drawscomplex,evencontradictorylessonsfromAnna'sadultery.Sheisnotsimplythesinfulperson;sheisalsothedrivenperson.Thiscombinationoftraitscharacterizestheconditionofmanypeople.
5.Alackofthemes. Someworkshavenoclearthemes.Theymaydisplayimages,actions,atmosphere,andcharactersthathavenoapparentrelationshiptotheworldoutsidetheworks.Ortheirideasmaybeincompletelydeveloped.Don'tfeel,then,thatyouhavetostatethemesinaworkwhentheydon'tseemtoexist.
6.Awork'sthemesvs.ourvalues. Whenwritingaboutawork'sthemes,ourtaskistorepresentthemfairly—withwell-supportedexplanationsofwhatwethinktheyare.Todothis,however,isnotnecessarilytoagreewiththem.Youarealwaysfreetodisagreewithauthors'worldviews.
7.Themesandtheauthor. Arethethemeswedetectinaliteraryworkequivalenttotheauthor'sideas?
WayneC.Boothsaysno,theyarenotthesame.InTheRhetoricofFiction,hearguespassionatelyfortheexistenceofthemesinworksofliterature.Aworkembodiesa"valuesystemwhichgivesititsmeaning"(112).Theauthor's"voice,"whichestablishesthisvaluesystem,"isneverreallysilenced.Itis,infact,oneofthethingswereadfictionfor"(60).ButBoothmakesanowwell-knowndistinctionbetween"real"authorsand"implied"authors.Hereasonsthatrealauthorsarerhetoricians.Theycraftworksofliteraturetopersuadeusoftheirvalues.Inordertopersuade,theyprojectanidealizedconceptofthemselvesineachoftheirworks.Boothcallsthisidealizedauthor,manifestedbythework,theimpliedauthor:
"The'impliedauthor'chooses,consciouslyorunconsciously,whatweread;weinferhimasanideal,literary,createdversionoftherealman;heisthesumofhisownchoices"(73-75).
Boothseemstoimplythatwecansetasidetherealauthorand,instead,attributethevaluesofaworktoanimpliedauthor,whoseexistencewegleanfromtheworkitself.The"JaneAusten"ofhernovelsisnottherealJaneAustenbutthe"implied"author,uniquetoeachnovel.
ButwemightcounterBooth'sargumentbysayingthattheidentityofanyhumanbeingismultiple.Weallplaydifferentrolesinlife.Wearedifferentasfamilymembersfromhowweareatschoolorwork.Whenwemakesalespitchesorpoliticalspeeches,weadvanceversionsofourselvesthatwehopewillsitwellwithouraudience.Whyaren'tthese"selves"allreal,allpartofouridentity?
Whycan'tweassumethatthe"self"anauthorprojectsinaliteraryworkisanaspectoftherealauthor,justastheselveseachoneo
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