ENG365 Issues in Literature
Week 1 Presentation 2
Writing about Short Stories
When you write about a short story, you’re
giving your reader your interpretation of the
text. What makes this valuable is that it
reveals how you respond to stories which
have entertained, instructed, and informed
you or affected you on a personal level.
The First Steps
You have read the story or poem…what
now? The next step is to communicate your
ideas about the literary piece you have read
to your audience. There are several steps
involved in this process; but, once you
understand the process, writing a perfect
academic paper will be a piece of cake!
Superficial vs Deep Reading
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When we read a story, we follow the events that
occur, hear the dialogue, and are (usually)
entertained in the process. This is a superficial
reading—the events that happen on the surface.
Deeper reading leads to interpretation and analysis.
This is seeing past the surface and looking for
deeper meaning. We get clues to the deeper
meaning from symbols, patterns, and clever use of
language by the author.
Use the Language of Literature
Remember the vocabulary from the “Elements of
Literature” Presentation
Plot
Character (Antagonist & Protagonist)
Setting
Theme (Subtext)
Symbol/Metaphor
Tone/Voice
Point of View
Getting Started
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One of the worst things you can do is put off the
reading of the story and writing of the paper to the
last minute. Some stories need time to ripen in your
mind, so reading them early is recommended.
Read, then reread the story. What pops out the
second time around? What theme do you see? What
deeper meanings do you think the story is trying to
get across? What clever, hidden message did you find
when you really looked at the story?
Take notes as you read.
The Thesis Statement
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A thesis statement is more than just a sentence that
says what your paper is about (that is a topic sentence
—don't get them confused).
A thesis statement is your argument—it is what you
are trying to prove in the paper.
When writing about literature, your thesis statement is
usually about the deeper meaning of the story—if you
see a deeper meaning, that means others don't, so
you must convince them. That's what you set out to
do in your thesis statement.
Developing a Thesis Statement
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What do you see in the story that is past the surface?
Can you argue this point? Is there support for it in the
story? Are there outside articles that support this?
Is this a broad idea or a very specific idea? If it's a broad,
general idea, how can you make it specific. The more
specific your argument is, the better your paper will be.
Remember to put the thesis statement in the first
paragraph of your paper. It should be prominent, not
hidden away. The thesis statement directs the reader's
attention and is the most important sentence in the paper.
Writing the Thesis Statement
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In academic writing, you should not use first person (I)
and definitely not second person (you). But there is a
trick to writing your thesis statement that (temporarily)
uses first person.
State what you're trying to prove in your paper in an “I
think” statement: I think the character of the Scarecrow in
The Wizard of Oz is an ironic reflection of the educational
institution.
Delete the words, “I think” and start the sentence with the
next word: The character of the Scarecrow in The Wizard
of Oz is an ironic reflection of education as an institution.
Writing the Paper I
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After writing the thesis statement, the bulk of the
paper is using examples from the story and outside
sources to support your thesis (your argument).
One thing that helps is to think of each example as a
“because”. You're presenting reasons why your
argument makes sense.
Use quotes in APA format (see “APA
Documentation” and “Using and Integrating
Quotes” presentations for more details).
Writing the Paper II
You don’t always have to have your thesis statement ready to
being writing!
– Sometimes it will come to you later on in the writing process. The
important thing to remember is that you have some ideas formulated.
Brainstorm! Free-write! Get those juices flowing! Above all, try not to get
discouraged.
• When you’re working on your first draft, concentrate on the
process of writing.
– Read the directions. What is the assignment asking? Highlight the main
points of the assignment. Make a formal outline of what you plan to do;
this may help you more than you think!
Writing the Paper III
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When writing the paper, give yourself plenty of time to
write it and revise it.
Start with the introductory paragraph, which contains
the thesis statement. After that, give examples (in the
form of quotes from the story), to support your
argument.
Remember to put quotes in quotation marks, cite in
APA format, and put your own words in the sentence
with the quote to introduce/integrate the quote into
your paper.
Writing and Revising
As you continue along in the writing process, you’re
going to make mistakes.
– At this point, don’t worry about correcting them. You
simply want to write! Get your ideas down on paper.
• When you’re finished with your first draft, print out
your draft (this is much easier than reading from a
computer screen).
– Carefully mark up any error with a pencil or highlighter.
You may even have thought of additional material to
add!
Tips for Livelier Writing
Vary sentence length by using complex and simple
sentences.
– Example: Because lichens grew on bare rock without evident
nourishment or the production of seeds, many people believed
they were stones caught in the process of becoming plants.
– Example: For a long time, people couldn’t understand how
they did it. Because lichens grew on bare rock without evident
nourishment or the production of seeds, many people believed
they were stones caught in the process of becoming plants.
• Note: Examples are taken from “Six Keys to Livelier Writing As
Illustrated by the Writing of Bill Bryson” by Dr. Daniel T. Mays
Be Specific
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Be specific in using language (nouns, verbs, adverbs, and
adjectives).
For example, instead of saying, “It went fast,” say what
went fast and how it did it.
“It” could be the car, the paper airplane, the beat of a
song, or a number of other things.
“Went” could mean drove, flew, swam, etc.
“Fast” is relative and could mean many things.
The beat of the music thumped like a train bearing
down on the crowd.
The boy with the jet-pack skimmed above the
ground at a speed of over a hundred miles per
hour.
ENG365
Issues in Literature
Elements of
Literature
Reading the Short Story
Since the dawn of time, human beings have been telling
each other stories. They have been passed down,
generation to generation – first on cave walls, then
verbally. And finally, the written word was invented.
Story and short story, however, are two separate
entities, with two different meanings.
– A story is a literary text or the events which are represented in the text.
– In contrast, a short story is the name of a particular literary genre. It is
short fictional prose, often involving one unified episode and is always
shorter than a novel.
– The earliest stories began as myths and legends. Can you think of an old
myth or legend? These can also include fairytales, fables, and parables.
Using the Language of
Literature
When reading short stories and novels, it helps to use the proper
term. This will show understanding of the main points so you
can get to the deeper meanings.
These elements are used in the analysis of short stories and novels:
Plot
Character
Setting
Theme or Subtext
Symbols and Symbolism
Metaphor
Allegory
Style (Tone and Voice)
Point of View
Reader
Plot
In literature, the plot of the story is more than just the
sequence of events that make up the story.
The plot is created by conflict and resolution. It is the why
of the story. Conflict is caused by a desire on the character's
part and an obstacle in the way.
• The plot answers what happens next and suggests why.
• The plot usually involves a struggle between opposing
forces.
– Example: In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s goal was to
return home. The obstacle was the Wicked Witch of the
West, and the resolution was melting the witch and using
the ruby slippers to get home.
Character
Characters are the people (and other beings) in a
story.
The protagonist is the main character. The
protagonist has the desire that starts the plot
rolling.
The antagonist is the character who is opposed to
the goals of the protagonist.
Characters can also be symbols and fill other roles.
The Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man in The Wizard of
Oz all symbolize different traits, while the Munchkins
—who are literally little people—represent those
who are often called the little people, those with no
power.
Setting
Setting is where the story takes place
Setting often determines genre. Genre means type or
category—a story set in the American West in the late
1800s would be a Western. A story set in a spooky old
mansion by a graveyard might be horror or Gothic
romance.
Direction can also carry symbolic weight. If characters are
heading west (especially at the end of a story), that can
mean death, since the sun sets in the west. Traveling
south can mean chaos or insanity (think of Huck and Jim
traveling south down the Mississippi in The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn), and going east may be a signal
that the unusual or exotic is ahead.
Irony
Irony is the unexpected
– Verbal Irony is when the words don't match the
reality. Example: Actor, Chill Wills got his
nickname “Chill” because he was born on the
hottest day of the year in 1902.
– Dramatic Irony is when the audience expects one
result, but something else happens, which
supports the message of the story. Example:
The irony in The Wizard of Oz was that Dorothy
could have gone home all along and didn't need
to go through her many adventures.
Point of View (POV)
In writing, we think of Point of View in simple terms: First
person (I, me); Second person (you); Third person (he, she,
they, names of people).
When analyzing stories, POV is seen in the same ways, but
there is variation. Third person can be omniscient (as in a
distant narrator), or limited (in the mind of one character), or
roving (going from character to character). First person or
limited (or biased) third person POV is common in most
stories.
The POV can tell how close the story is to the perspective of
the characters. A first person POV would be very close—it's a
way to see what the characters are thinking and feeling. An
omniscient POV would be useful for telling the history of a
town or country, but it wouldn't tell what the many people
there are feeling.
Style: Tone and Voice
Style is the way the author uses language.
– Rhetorical patterns
– Sentence length and complexity
– Word choice and placement
Tone: the unstated attitude of the author, how the author sets
the “mood”
• The tone could be very dark, or serious; or, the tone could be
light and humorous.
Voice is a style that is consistently recognizable as the author’s.
– Mood or even the narrator may change, but the voice remains
consistent.
– Voice comes from trying to sound like ourselves, not copying
others.
Deeper Meaning
In any story, we look for the deeper meaning.
This is called the theme or sometimes the
subtext—it is the meaning below the surface of
the text (the printed word). There are usually
subtle clues to the deeper meaning (the theme)
and those clues are seen in symbols.
Symbolism and theme can be found in all
literature, although not everyone looks for it.
Theme
The theme (or subtext) is the underlying
meaning of a story. It is the hidden
message that the reader must work at to
figure out. Example: In The Wizard of Oz,
the most obvious theme is “There’s no
place like home,” but other themes, such
as good triumphing over evil or the
importance of friendship are also
apparent.
Symbol/Symbolism
Symbolism is the use of one object to
represent something else. Also called
Metaphor.
Example: In The Wizard of Oz, the
Munchkins, little people, represented the
powerless farmers and workers in
America, while the Wicked Witch of the
West was symbolic of the land-owning,
strike-breaking, economic ruling class
Allegory
An allegory is symbolic story/extended
metaphor. It is usually a story that represents a
cultural myth (if the character sacrifices
him/herself, for example, the story is often an
allegory of Jesus). Speaks to the human
condition. Not a retelling or revision of another
story.
See “Week 5 Presentation: Allegory” for further
details.
Interpretation
Themes and symbols are what are called
Reader-Based, which means they can change
from person to person. There is no single correct
interpretation of them, as long as they can be
supported with examples from the story.
When analyzing a story, novel, or film, look for
clues to find the deeper meaning. The clues can
be symbols, the way the plot resolves, or even
lines of dialogue. Those examples will help
support your idea of what the theme is.
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