This article is premised on the following guiding idea: Every sentence in every novel does something. In my opinion, this is one of the most important foundational ideas for helping students understand literary elements and their use in literary text. With every sentence, the author – through language – is doing something. The natural question that follows is: What is the author (or language) doing? For purposes of teaching literary analysis, there are five possible answers:
Going further, students can start learning about specific literary devices or tools authors use to make language more effective as it achieves one of the six answers above:
For example: Using the sun and the fact that it rose in the east and set in the west, he decided that the far side was the northern side of the ridge. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
If we ask “What is the author doing?” in the sentence, we quickly come to realize there are several possibilities:
sun, rose, east, west far side, northern side, ridge
Since setting is about location and time (environment and context), a quick look at the key words in the sentence suggests setting as the main element being developed by the author. Futhermore, since more than one literary element can be seen in nearly any sentence, students are encouraged to defend their choices. The very act of debating their choice provides a learning experience in itself. If a student makes a strong case for character development, for example, the teacher can recognize and reward the student’s success while still taking time to show why setting is likely the stronger choice.
For example, a student might say: “I see how the words point to setting, but I also think it’s showing us how Brian is learning to read the signs around him. This is character development.”
As the teacher, I would not correct this student’s observation because such observations are generally well received in essays. There isn’t always a single right or wrong answer when it comes to analyzing literature. There are, instead, stronger and weaker arguments.
This brings us back to our originating idea: Every sentence in every novel does something.
Sometimes literary analysis intimidates students because they are asked to enter the text to find examples of specific elements. For instance, a teacher will say, “Find an example of conflict in the chapter.”
Instead, by teaching students that every sentence in every novel does something, we encourage them to label every piece of the novel by asking: “What is this sentence doing?” Often enough, conflict will be the suggested answer. The process of defending why a particular element is being developed is literary analysis.
Take another sentence:
He shook his head again – wincing, another thing not to think about.
Key words: shook, head, wincing, not think
The words suggest an internal struggle or conflict.
Let’s try another one:
Slightly to the left and below the altimeter he saw a small rectangular panel with a lighted dial and two knobs. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
Key words: left, below, altimeter, small rectangular panel, lighted dial, knobs
The words suggest location or environment, which both make up setting.
Finally, one more: He ran from the shelter to the pines and started breaking off the low, dead, small limbs. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
Key words: ran, shelter, pines, breaking, dead, small limbs
Here we have a number of “location” words, but the stronger idea is in the action of the character, which is running and breaking off branches. Does this suggest a conflict? Is there a struggle we can point to? There is a sense of urgency in the running and breaking limbs. The reason he is running and breaking limbs is to feed the fire and keep it going. A kind of struggle against time is detected. We also see character development in how Brian realizes what he must do and starts doing it. There is nothing here to indicate theme. When a number of elements seem tossed together (or when no specific element rises obviously to the top of the list) we can safely call it part of the story’s plot development. The only other choice we have is “generate a response.” This answer can be added to any of our original five answers. The author may be attempting to raise reader intensity by having the main character rush to keep the fire going. Still, the overall aim is to develop the story’s plot or conflict. In the end, while writing about the novel, a student might say:
Paulsen sends the protagonist racing frantically into the brush to gather limbs because his fire is about to go out. In doing so, Paulsen pulls the reader into the intensity of Brian’s struggle to survival. If the fire goes out, Brian may not be able to get another one going. As the conflict develops, readers are drawn, wide-eyed, into the story.
This is literary analysis and composition combined. Empowering students to see all literature as intentional helps minimize the abstract haze often associated with literary analysis.
* * *
- Developing the plot.
- Develop a conflict.
- Developing a theme.
- Developing the setting.
- Developing a character.
A sixth possible answer, or category of answers, may be:
- Generating a response.
Going further, students can start learning about specific literary devices or tools authors use to make language more effective as it achieves one of the six answers above:
- The author may be using figurative language in the passage to help develop a conflict.
- The author may be using irony to develop the plot.
- The author may be using allusion to develop a theme.
- The author may be using hyperbole to generate a response.
For example: Using the sun and the fact that it rose in the east and set in the west, he decided that the far side was the northern side of the ridge. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
If we ask “What is the author doing?” in the sentence, we quickly come to realize there are several possibilities:
- Developing the setting of the story
- Developing the main character, Brian.
- Developing the plot.
sun, rose, east, west far side, northern side, ridge
Since setting is about location and time (environment and context), a quick look at the key words in the sentence suggests setting as the main element being developed by the author. Futhermore, since more than one literary element can be seen in nearly any sentence, students are encouraged to defend their choices. The very act of debating their choice provides a learning experience in itself. If a student makes a strong case for character development, for example, the teacher can recognize and reward the student’s success while still taking time to show why setting is likely the stronger choice.
For example, a student might say: “I see how the words point to setting, but I also think it’s showing us how Brian is learning to read the signs around him. This is character development.”
As the teacher, I would not correct this student’s observation because such observations are generally well received in essays. There isn’t always a single right or wrong answer when it comes to analyzing literature. There are, instead, stronger and weaker arguments.
This brings us back to our originating idea: Every sentence in every novel does something.
Sometimes literary analysis intimidates students because they are asked to enter the text to find examples of specific elements. For instance, a teacher will say, “Find an example of conflict in the chapter.”
Instead, by teaching students that every sentence in every novel does something, we encourage them to label every piece of the novel by asking: “What is this sentence doing?” Often enough, conflict will be the suggested answer. The process of defending why a particular element is being developed is literary analysis.
Take another sentence:
He shook his head again – wincing, another thing not to think about.
Key words: shook, head, wincing, not think
The words suggest an internal struggle or conflict.
Let’s try another one:
Slightly to the left and below the altimeter he saw a small rectangular panel with a lighted dial and two knobs. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
Key words: left, below, altimeter, small rectangular panel, lighted dial, knobs
The words suggest location or environment, which both make up setting.
Finally, one more: He ran from the shelter to the pines and started breaking off the low, dead, small limbs. (Hatchet, Gary Paulsen)
Key words: ran, shelter, pines, breaking, dead, small limbs
Here we have a number of “location” words, but the stronger idea is in the action of the character, which is running and breaking off branches. Does this suggest a conflict? Is there a struggle we can point to? There is a sense of urgency in the running and breaking limbs. The reason he is running and breaking limbs is to feed the fire and keep it going. A kind of struggle against time is detected. We also see character development in how Brian realizes what he must do and starts doing it. There is nothing here to indicate theme. When a number of elements seem tossed together (or when no specific element rises obviously to the top of the list) we can safely call it part of the story’s plot development. The only other choice we have is “generate a response.” This answer can be added to any of our original five answers. The author may be attempting to raise reader intensity by having the main character rush to keep the fire going. Still, the overall aim is to develop the story’s plot or conflict. In the end, while writing about the novel, a student might say:
Paulsen sends the protagonist racing frantically into the brush to gather limbs because his fire is about to go out. In doing so, Paulsen pulls the reader into the intensity of Brian’s struggle to survival. If the fire goes out, Brian may not be able to get another one going. As the conflict develops, readers are drawn, wide-eyed, into the story.
This is literary analysis and composition combined. Empowering students to see all literature as intentional helps minimize the abstract haze often associated with literary analysis.
* * *
0 comments:
Posting Komentar