Learn How To Read Literature: Elements of Fiction

In this lesson, you will learn the difference between plot and story. I will illustrate the difference between plot and story by examining variations of the "Cinderella" story as told by both Disney and the Brothers Grimm.

In this lesson, you will learn about the five stages and two pivotal moments of plot structure:

1. Exposition

2. Inciting Moment

3. Rising Action

4. Climax

5. Resolution

6. Falling Action

7. Denouement

In this lecture, you will hear an alternate version of "The Story of the Three Bears." (Download the text to follow along.)

In this lecture, you will learn how to diagram the alternate plot of "The Story of the Three Bears." Downloadable plot diagram included in this lesson for use in this exercise and for your personal use later.

In this lecture you learn the difference between the author and the narrator. We will discuss and author's distinguishable style, individual bias, and literary objective. I will illustrate these concepts with examples from Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and Ernest Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro."

In this lecture, you will learn about the three elements of point of view:

1. Person (Perspective)

2. Distance (Vantage Point)

3. Tone (Attitude)

In this lecture, you will learn how biographical information can sometimes cause confusion and how to avoid it.

In this lecture, you will learn the three elements of setting:

• Time
• Place
• Nature of the environment

You will also learn how setting can facilitate or shape the action or the characters in a story.

In this lecture, you will learn how authors use descriptive language to engage the five senses.

1. Sight

2. Taste

3. Hearing

4. Touch

5. Smell

We will analyze the use of descriptive language in the opening stanza of "The Eve of St. Agnes" by John Keats.

In this lecture, you will learn how setting contributes to the mood of a story. Here we will return to the opening stanza of "The Eve of St. Agnes" and examine how the descriptive language creates a specific atmosphere or mood within the story telling enviornment.

In this lecture, you will learn how setting contributes to characterization. Using examples from Jack London and Flannery O'Connor, we will discuss how environmental factors contribute to the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the characters within a setting.

In this lecture, you will learn how to identify the four methods of characterization:

1. Physical attributes

2. Speech and behavior

3. Internal thoughts and feelings

4. Reactions and opinions of others

In this lecture I define each of these methods and provide original examples.

In this lecture, you will learn how an author uses direct and indirect characterization to develop a character. Using examples from Flannery O'Connor, this lecture will demonstrate the difference between characterization that is explicitly stated and characterization that must be inferred.

In this lecture, you will learn how to identify flat and round characters. Using examples from the alternate version of "The Three Bears" and Shakespeare's Hamlet, we will discuss the complexity of characters.

This lecture will discuss the difference between static characters and dynamic characters. In literature, some characters change and some do not. If characters change, there is a reason. Here you will learn how and why characters change.

The subject of symbolism is usually the most frustrating and intimidating to my students. They often view symbolism as a ridiculous treasure hunt sponsored by their over intellectual instructors, or as a secret language they are not privy to. Neither of these is true. In this lecture, we will discuss public and private symbols.

In this lecture, you will learn why writers choose to include symbolism within their writing, and how readers benefit from this decision. We will discuss how symbols:

1. have emotional impact

2. make writing more memorable

3. convey multiple layers of meaning

In this lecture, you will learn how to locate and investigate symbols within a work of literature by noting:

1. repetition
2. correlation
3. juxtaposition

In this lecture, you will learn the definition of figurative language, the difference between metaphor, simile and allegory. We will also discuss the purpose of allegory and look at an example. A downloadable copy of Everyman is included in this lecture.

In this lecture, you will learn what a theme is and the four areas of human experience that can be depicted within a theme:

1. The nature of humanity

2. The nature of society

3. Nature of humankind’s relationship to the world

4. Nature of our ethical responsibilities

In this lecture, you will learn how to identify theme in a work of literature.