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NarrativeElementsofLiteratureandFilm

ElementsofNarrative
Oneofthestartingpointsforinterpretingandwritingaboutimaginativeworksistoanalyzethe
elementsofnarration.Herearesomequestionsthatmayleadyoutoconsiderhowthevarious
elementsareworkinginaparticulartext.
Themesthecentralmeaningofatext
Whatisthisworkabout?Whatevidencecanyouprovidetorevealthisisso?Howisthemeexpressed
throughcharacteroraction,scenesorlanguage,thesocialandmaterialconditionswithinthetext?
Whatissuesorideasareraised?Aboutindividualsandtheiremotional,privateorpoliticallives?About
socialorracialjustice?Aretheideaslimitedtomembersofthegrouprepresentedbythecharacters
(age,class,race,nationality,dominantculture)?Aretheseideasapplicabletogeneralconditionsof
life?Whatvaluesareembodiedintheidea?
Characters
Howareideasintheworkexpressedbycharacter?Whatactionsbringoutimportanttraitsofthe
character?Isthischaracterrealisticallydepicted?Ifnot,isthecharactersupposedtorepresentan
idea,belief,orvaluesystem?Howisthecharacterdescribed?Whyisthisimportant?Towhatextentdo
thetraitsandthecharactersactionspermityoutojudgehim/her?Isthecharacterconsistentor
inconsistent?Believableornot?Dimensionalorstereotypical?Hasthecharacterchangedinanyway
fromthebeginningofthenarrative?How?
PlotandStructureselectionandarrangementofincidentsthatgiveastoryfocus.Howandwhydo
certaineventshappen.
PLOT:Aretherecharactersthatcomeintoconflictwitheachother?Oristheplotdrivenbyinternal
motivationand/oroutwardcircumstances?Iftheconflictstemsfromcontrastingvaluesoridea,what
aretheseandhowaretheybroughtout?Whatdilemmadoestheprotagonistdealwith?Howdoesshe
dealwithit?Whatobstaclesdothecharactersovercome?Dotheyrealizetheirgoals?Isthere
resolutionintheend?
Structure:Istheworktoldinflashbackordoesitproceedchronologically?Whateffectdoflashbacks
have?Aretheredifferentnarrativethreadsorinterlockingnarrativesused?Aretherestorieswithin
stories?Howdotheyreverberate,highlight,respondtothemesinthemainnarrative?Istherea
climax,ahighpointofthestory,thatleadstoresolution?Wheredoesthetensionlieinthestory?
Betweencharacters?Betweenconflictingperspectives?Betweencontrastingvalues?Doesthework
withholdanycrucialdetailsuntiltheend?Howdoestheworkend?Openendedorclosed?
Settingcultural,social,physicalcontextofstory'saction.
Typesofsettings:naturalworld:weatherandclimate,geography,animallife,seasonsandconditions.
Objectsofhumanconstructionandmanufacture:personaleffects,interiorsandexteriors,possessions,
buildings.Historicalandculturalconditions:perceptionsandvaluesofsociety,assumptions,prevalent
ideasortrends.Howdoessettinginfluencecharacter?Createmood?Whatcultural,religious,and
politicalconditionsareassumed?Howdoobjectstakeonimportanceandsymbolicmeaning?How
importantaresoundorsilences?Howdoweatherconditionshighlightthemes?
PointofViewwhoistellingthestoryandhowdoesthataffecthowitistold
Isonecharactertellingthestory?Oraretheremultipleperspectives?Doesthenarratordisclose
anythingabouthim/herselfthathe/shedoesntknowthroughactionsormannerismsordialogue?Is
thereanauthorialvoice?Onethatisseparatefromthecharacter'spointofview?Onethatisdifferent
inlanguageortone,thatjarsorintrudesintothenarrative?Doesthepointofviewshiftatall?Dowe
gettoseetheinteriorlivesofoneorallofthecharacters?Ordowerelyontheiractions,responses,
anddialoguetounderstandthem?Whatisthespeakersleveloflanguage?Doesthespeakeror
narratorexplainthingstothelistener?Isthereavoiceoverinthefilm?Isthepointofview
constructedtowardmakingyouthinkacertainway?Ordoesitallowforreaderinterpretation?
Tonehowwritersanddirectorsrevealattitudesorfeelingsthroughtheiruseofelements.Writeruses
techniquesandmodesofpresentationsuchashumorandirony.Lookatdialoguetofindsuggestionsfor
theauthorsattitudetowardshis/hercharacters.Whatpartsoftheworkarefunny?Whatkindof
humorisbeingused?Satireorslapstick?Istherehumorbasedonmiscommunicationorincongruity?
http://homes.lmc.gatech.edu/~dpiano/Narrative%20Elements.htm

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NarrativeElementsofLiteratureandFilm

Whatironiesdoyoufindinthestory?Istheironyconnectedtophilosophiesofmarriage,family,
society,politics,religion?Howdothecharacterscomeacrosstoyou?Ifyoudontlikeone,whynot?
Whataboutthemisgivingyouanegativeimpression?
Symbolism(visualandverbal)thewaysthatwritersuselanguagetoexpresscomplexideasvia
imagerytheuseofthesensestoevokeideasthroughmentalpicture,andfigurativelanguageuseof
languagethatisconnotative,thatalludestosomeothermeaningthanwhatitis.Examplesare
metaphorsandsimiles,allusionsandreferences.Whatobjectsorimagesintheworksaresymbolicand
why?Whatmeaningsdotheyhave?Whattypesofimageryprevailandwhy?Imageryofimprisonment
oroffreedom.Arereferencesmadethatyoudontunderstand?

http://homes.lmc.gatech.edu/~dpiano/Narrative%20Elements.htm

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