HOW THE HECK TO READ LITERATURE

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HOW (THE HECK) TO READ LITERATURE

• Demystifying literature and learning how to read
  (again)

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Activity
• Next period we will be having symbolism
  show-and-tell. Feel super sophisticated and
  mature by bringing in a meaningful object and
  sharing it with the class. Be sure to pick an
  object that is significant and special to you
  an object that is more than just what it appears
  to be to everyone else.
• Do NOT expect credit for junk you dredged up from
  you locker right before class began.

3
SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• What is it?
• A symbol is something that stands for something
  else.
• Symbolism can be a person, place, thing, or idea
  that represents something else. It has a deeper
  meaning a message or connotation that is not
  obvious or directly related to the symbol itself.
  

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Slippery Symbolism

• Symbols have both literal and figurative
  meanings.
• Example Spring is a literal season but it is
  usually a symbol of rebirth or youth. Autumn is a
  literal season but is a symbol of death or dying.
  Why?

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Slippery Symbolism

• Symbols have properties similar to those of the
  abstract idea it stands for.
• Example A river can symbolize life because both
  a river and life are fluid and forward moving
  both have a source and an endpoint. Rivers
  literally nurture life they give us water to
  drink and help our food grow.

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Examples
• Storm
• Sunshine
• Red Rose
• Wilted Rose
• Black
• White

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Example from Literature
• Something was slithering toward him along the
  dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the
  sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of
  terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least
  twelve feet long. Horrified, transfixed, Frank
  stared as its undulating body cut a wide, curving
  track through the thick dust on the floor, coming
  closer and closerit was following the spitting,
  hissing noises made by the cold voice beyond the
  door, and in seconds, the tip of its
  diamond-pattered tail had vanished through the
  gap.
• There was sweat on Franks forehead now, and
  the hand on the walking stick was trembling.
  Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to
  hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an
  impossible ideaThis man could talk to snakes
• The cold voice was coming from the ancient
  armchair before the fire, but Frank couldnt see
  the speaker. The snake, on the other hand, was
  curled up on the rotting hearth rug, like some
  horrible travesty of a pet dog (HP4 / 14-15).

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Think back on the Garden of Eden. What role did
  the serpent play in the story?
• Compare the snake symbolism from this modern
  story to the snake found in the most ancient
  literature we have today the Bible.
• Why might snakes have such a bad rap? What
  about their physical traits could have led to
  them becoming symbols for evil? Can you think of
  a better symbol for evil?

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Food for Thought / Discussion
• To what extent is language symbolic?

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SLIPPERY SYMBOLISM

• Questions to Ask
• Do symbols have to be physical objects?
• Can anything be a symbol?
• What makes something a symbol? Are there specific
  things to look for? What are the criteria?
• How can I be sure its really a symbol and Im
  not just letting all the English class poison my
  brain?
• CHECK UP
• How comfortable do you feel with symbols?
• Show me with fist to 5.

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Slippery Symbolism

• Activity (2)
• Groups will create five symbols (not mentioned by
  me or the class).
• Brainstorm and then on the paper I hand out
• Draw your symbols on the front
• On the flip side, explain your symbols in words
  by making a Symbols Key
• Remember Symbols need to physically mimic some
  of the characteristics of the things they
  represent (ex life as a flowing river). Create
  at least 10 symbols.

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Irritating Images

• Activity
• Pick one object you see in this room and jot down
  two descriptions of it (3 sentences each), one
  very simple and one very dramatic.
• 5 minutes.
• Partner with the person next to you. Both read
  simple descriptions to each other, then dramatic
  descriptions.

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Irritating Images

• Class Discussion
• How did you feel about the object when your
  partner read the first, simple description?
• How did you feel when they read the dramatic
  description?
• If you were writing a story, which type of
  description would you use? Why?
• How did the way you saw the object change when
  your partner read the dramatic description? Did
  it suddenly seem more interesting?

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Irritating Images

• What is it?
• An image is a word or words that refer to an
  object perceived by the senses or to sense
  perceptions themselves.
• Examples Colors, shapes, lighting, sounds,
  tastes, smells, textures, temperatures, visuals.

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Irritating Images

• Lets make it simpler
• Imagery is usually visual, consisting of
  descriptions of objects, characters, or settings
  as they are seen by the eye.
• Images are LITERAL things that help set the
  mood of create the feel of a story.

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Irritating Images

• Example
• A description of clouds literally means that the
  weather is cloudy, but it can also evoke an
  emotional atmosphere for example, a description
  of clouds can be used to create a sense of
  sadness.

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Irritating Images

• WAIT A SECOND! It sounds to me like image and
  symbols are the same thing
• Yes, they are closely related. The difference is
  that images are LITERAL things that help create
  mood, whereas symbols are LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE
  things that add layers of meaning to the story.

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Irritating Images

• Example from Literature
• The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in
  rich purple.at last they reached the top of the
  staircase and found themselves in a small box,
  set at the highest point of the stadiumA hundred
  thousand witches and wizards were taking their
  places in the seats, which rose in levels around
  the long oval field. Everything was suffused with
  a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come
  from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth
  as velvet from their lofty positionGold writing
  kept dashing across the gigantic blackboard as
  though an invisible giants hand were scrawling
  upon the blackboard and then wiping it off
  again (HP 4 / 96)

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Irritating Images

• What things does J.K Rowling describe in this
  excerpt?
• What adjectives does she use to transform those
  things from mundane (boring / everyday / average)
  to magical?
• What words would you use to describe the image
  she creates here?

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Darned Diction

• Its simple. Diction is the choice of words used
  by an author.
• There are no accidents in good writing. Each word
  is carefully chosen to achieve a certain effect.
• Just like a athlete plans how to execute a play
  or a painter purposefully places each brush
  stroke in the right place, an author picks words
  and phrases intentionally and carefully.

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Darned Diction

• How the author says something tells us a lot
  about what he/she is trying to say.
• Diction can be
• Simple or dramatic
• Common / everyday or advanced
• Sparse or detailed
• To-the-point or exaggerated

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Darned Diction

• Think of it like this Diction is like food.
• A veggie platter with sautéed tofu is totally
  different than a prime rib steak with mashed
  potatoes and gravy, even though both are meals a
  person eats for dinner. Both achieve the same
  purpose (to fill you up), but they do it
  differently. In the same way, all authors are
  trying to tell a story, but they do it
  differently. The way people eat reveals something
  about their personality and preferences, just
  like the way an author writes reveals something
  about what they are trying to say.

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Darned Diction

• Example from Literature
• Snape finished calling the names of the class.
  His eyes were blackcold and empty and made you
  think of dark tunnels.
• You are here to learn the subtle science and
  exact art of portion-making, he began. He spoke
  in barely more than a whisper
• Snape put them all into pairs and set them to
  mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept
  around in his long black cloak, watching them
  weigh dried nettled and crush snake fangs
• (HP 1 / 137-138)

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Darned Diction

• The author never said this was a bad guy, yet
  somehow with just a simple description of him in
  action we already know hes evil. How come?
• There are 6 words in this passage that reveal
  something more about Snape than just the color of
  his clothes, the way he talks, or his teaching
  style. What are they?

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Darned Diction

• You can think of diction as literary language.
  Literary language is expressive it communicates
  tone, attitude, and feeling. It does so
  purposefully and deliberately. It wants to create
  an aesthetic experience, a world of its own.
• Everyday language wants to get things done. It
  usually doesnt draw attention to itself, doesnt
  try to be beautiful or emotionally evocative. Its
  job is describe and explain.

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Darned Diction

• Food for Thought / Discussion
• Do you think characters in a good story should
  use literary language or everyday language? Why?
• Do you think the narrator in a good story should
  use literary language or everyday language? Why?

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Darned Diction

• Activity
• Describe these objects as if you were trying to
  sell them.
• Describe these objects as if it they were
  terrible.
• Catch YOU MAY NOT SIMPLY SAY THIS _________ IS
  AWESOME OR TERRIBLE. You can only DESCRIBE its
  physical attributes, while using DICTION to clue
  your reader into the way you really feel about
  it.

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Darned Diction
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Darned Diction
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Darned Diction
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Darned Diction

• Questions to Ask
• How is diction different from the text itself?
• Why is it important to notice differences in
  diction?
• What kinds of things can diction clue us into
  about a story?
• How many kids of diction are there?
• What is the difference between literary language
  and everyday language?
• CHECK UP
• How comfortable are you with diction?
• Show me with fist to five.

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Silly Settings

• Activity
• Sketch a floor plan of your house.
• Fill in some furniture, major things around the
  house, and important people who live there or
  visit.
• Label each room with a single, vivid memory (ex
  dining room Christmas dinner with family every
  year / kitchen mom and I baking cookies
  together / stairs sliding down the banister and
  breaking my arm).
• Explain how the setting in which so much of your
  life happens has affected you as a person. Is the
  setting good / bad, familiar / new, happy / sad,
  safe / scary, etc.? How has living where you live
  changed your life? 6 sentences.

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Silly Settings

• As weve seen, settings play a huge role in
  developing people. In the same way, settings
  affect characters in stories.
• Settings can be
• Positive or negative
• Safe or scary
• Happy or sad
• Boring or exciting
• Dangerous or safe
• Mundane or magical
• Beautiful or ugly
• Or anything else you can imagine

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Silly Settings

• What is it?
• Settings are the places where the story takes
  place.
• There can be many settings in a story or a single
  setting. Usually, though, even if a story has
  multiple settings, there is one primary setting.
• Ex You visit your friends houses, get your
  teeth cleaned at the dentist, go on family
  vacations, help you mom grocery shop, hang out at
  the mall, etc., but most of the important things
  in your life probably happen either at home or at
  school.

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Silly Settings

• Why are settings important?
• They affect the characters and the plot.
• Ex A character in Victorian England probably
  cant fly, but Harry Potter can because he lives
  in a magical setting.
• They help set mood / tone / feel / atmosphere.
• Ex Horror stories are set in creepy places
  because a creepy setting helps the story seem
  even scarier. Monster movies set in sunshiney
  forests with ponies and rainbows weird and not
  cool.

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Silly Settings

• They can clue the reader into upcoming events.
  They can be cheats.
• Ex A big thunderstorm or the sudden setting of
  the sun can signal danger for the characters (who
  happen to be stranded on a lonely desert road).
• They can serve as symbols.
• Ex Characters who are rich and shallow live in a
  big mansion covered by a façade of brick.
  Characters that are hiding something live in a
  house full of hidden rooms and locked doors.

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Silly Settings

• Example from Literature
• Harry had never even imagined such a strange
  and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and
  thousands of candles that were floating in midair
  over four long tables, where the rest of the
  students were sitting. These tables were laid
  with glittering golden plates and gobletsDotted
  here and there among the students, the ghosts
  shone misty silverHarry look upward and saw a
  velvety black ceiling doted with stars.
• (HP 1 / 116-117)

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Silly Settings

• What does this setting tell you about the castle
  where Harry will be living?
• What sense does it give you about Harrys
  future here?
• Is this a positive or negative place? How do you
  know?
• Do you think the main character will like it
  here? Why or why not?

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Cranky Characterization

• Activity Discussion
• Write down the names of two favorite characters
  (one from a book, one from a movie).
• Jot down at least five reasons why they are your
  favorites.
• Share profiles of favorites as a class. What
  patterns of characterization pop up in many
  favorite characters?
• What are some famous characters that have or will
  endure the test of time? Why are they so
  popular? What about them makes them amazing?

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Cranky Characterization

• Activity (2)
• Divide into small groups. Each group picks a
  name
• Ursula, Jordan, Linus, Dagny, Delilah, Baron, Jo,
  Fred, Dallas
• Take 10 min. to create a persona for your name
  (use computer paper do NOT include names of
  group members). Include the following
• A) Physical description and age
• B) Behavior traits / personality
• C) Body and facial language / habits
• D) Fashion traits
• E) Language characteristics
• F) Special talents / hobbies / interests
• G) Favorite things

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Cranky Characterization

• Groups pass in papers and I share characters with
  the class.
• Characters are randomly switched and two groups
  (with new characters) get together.
• Each pair of groups writes a brief script
  involving their two characters. Pick one
• An incident at school
• A social situation (dance, concert, trip to
  theater)
• An unexpected meeting

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Cranky Characterization

• You MUST maintain the characters personality,
  behavior, and linguistic traits throughout the
  script.
• Pass computer paper profiles back up and I will
  display them again for everyone to see.
• Act out your script in front of the class. Class
  figures out which characters are represented.

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Cranky Characterization

• Debrief and Discussion
• Were the groups successful in sustaining
  characterization in 1) their scripts and 2) their
  performances? Why or why not?
• As a group, was it difficult to create an entire
  character?
• To what degree was your character believable?
  When you saw your character acted out by another
  group, did that change your opinion?
• Do you think you could create and sustain several
  believable characters throughout an entire book?

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Cranky Characterization

• What is it?
• Characterization is the way an author develops a
  character / reveals information about a
  character.

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Cranky Characterization

• Types of Characters
• Flat (defined by a single trait not much detail
  more like a caricature than a real person)
• Round (complex full of detail not easily
  defined like a real person)
• Give me examples of each

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Cranky Characterization

• Major Characters
• The protagonist(s) one of the most prominent
  figures in the storys action
• Minor Characters
• Build structural tensions in the narrative act
  as foil for the protagonist clarify emotional
  contexts of major characters illuminate motives
  of major characters enhance readers perceptions
  of background and setting deepen the plot with
  "side stories contribute to foreshadowing
  underscore a thematic statement expand readers
  perceptions of how narrative, characters, events,
  and theme function change rhythm and pace add
  comic relief.

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Cranky Characterization

• Example from Literature
• The table was almost hidden beneath all
  Dudleys birthday presents. It looked as though
  Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not
  to mention the television and the racing bike.
  Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a
  mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and
  hated exercise - unless of course it involves
  punching somebody. Dudleys favorite punching bag
  was Harry, but he couldnt often catch himAunt
  Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby
  angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like
  a pig in a wig.
• (HP 1 / 20-21)

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Cranky Characterization

• How is Dudley characterized? Does he seem to be
  round or flat? Why?
• Dudley is a minor character and we know Harry is
  a major character. How does Dudleys
  characterization reveal things about Harry?
• Why is Dudley in this story (he has very little
  to do with the actual plot of the book)? What
  purpose does his character serve?

49
Pesky Point of View

• Activity
• As you read this passage, imagine that youre a
  home buyer and write down any details (in ISN),
  positive or negative, that you think would be
  important if you were considering buying the
  house described.

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Pesky Point of View

• The two boys ran until they came to the
  driveway. See, I told you today was good for
  skipping school, said Mark. Tall hedges hid the
  house from the road so the pair strolled across
  the finely landscaped yard. I never knew this
  place was so big, said Pete. Yes, but its
  nicer now than it used to be since Dad had the
  new stone siding put on and added the fireplace.
• There were front and back doors and a side door
  which led to the garage, which was empty empty
  except for three 10-speed bikes. They went in the
  side door, Mark explaining that it was always
  open in case his younger sisters got home earlier
  than their mother.

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Pesky Point of View

• Pete wanted to see the house so Mark started
  with the living room. It, like the rest of the
  house, was newly painted. Mark turned on the
  stereo, the noise of which worried Pete. Dont
  worry, the nearest house is half a mile away,
  shouted Mark. Pete felt more comfortable
  observing that no houses could be seen in any
  direction beyond the huge yard.
• The dining room, with all the china, silver, and
  cut glass, was no place to hang out so the boys
  moved into the remodeled kitchen, where they made
  sandwiches

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Pesky Point of View

• Now, lets go back and reread the passage and
  write down any details, positive or negative,
  that you think would be important if you were
  casing the house in order to rob it.

53
Pesky Point of View

• During our second reading of this passage,
  because were thinking of robbing the house, we
  focus on very different details, and even when we
  focus on the same details, they have a very
  different meaning for us.
• Ex The privacy that is an asset for many home
  buyers becomes a liability in terns of the homes
  vulnerability to burglars. Merely changing the
  purpose for which we read can radically change
  the passage.

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Pesky Point of View

• In the same way, who tells a story and how they
  tell it greatly affects the way we read it.
• Ex That story could be told through the eyes of
  a burglar, through the eyes of the boys, or
  through the eyes of a home buyer. In each case,
  the story would be totally different.
• Details
• What we know about characters
• What we know about the plot
• Agenda / meaning / moral / point

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Pesky Point of View

• What is it?
• Who tells us the story and how it is told.
• Shapes what we know and how we feel about the
  events in a story
• Point of view is created by the storys narrator
  (the teller of the story). Our understanding of
  the plot and characters actions are filtered
  through his or her perspective.

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Pesky Point of View

• Arent the narrator and the author the same
  thing? NO! The author CREATES the narrative
  voice, but the two are distinct.
• Ex A Christian author could write a story told
  from the narrative voice of a Buddhist monk.

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Pesky Point of View

• 3 Types of Narrator (Its as easy as 1,2,3!)
• 1st Person (he, she, they does not participate
  in the action)
• 2nd Person (you makes the reader part of the
  story almost never used except in
  choose-your-own-adventure books)
• 3rd Person (I is a major or minor participant in
  the story)

58
Pesky Point of View

• 3 Types of 3rd Person Narrative
• 1) Omniscient (the narrator takes us inside the
  characters)
• 2) Limited omniscient (the narrator takes us
  inside one or two characters)
• 3) Objective (the narrator is outside the
  characters)

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Pesky Point of View

• Omniscient
• All-knowing
• Narrator can move the reader from place to place
  and pass back and forth through time, slipping
  into and out of characters.
• Tells us about characters thoughts and feelings
  as well as what they say and do.

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Pesky Point of View

• Example
• Jane felt vaguely nauseated as Nick told her the
  relationship was over. She wanted to cry, but
  tried to appear cold and unmoved so as not to let
  him know how she truly felt.
• Nick seethed with anger as Jane stared coolly up
  at him. He wanted her to feel pain like the pain
  she had caused him.
• Britt and Darren looked anxiously at the unhappy
  couple, pretending to be in conversation but
  really trying to ease drop on the break up. They
  were both worried about the heartache this would
  cause their friends and were confused as to why
  Nick was ending it so abruptly. Just yesterday
  they had seemed like the perfect couple

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Pesky Point of View

• Limited Omniscient
• Knows the thoughts and feelings of only one or
  two major characters.
• The reader has access to the thoughts and
  feelings of the character revealed by the
  narrator, but neither the reader nor the
  character has access to the inner lives of any of
  the other characters in the story.
• We are not told of anything that happens away
  from the character because the narration is based
  on his/her perception of things.

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Pesky Point of View

• Example
• Its over, Nick spat as he slammed his open
  palm on Janes car door. Ill never forgive you
  for what youve done.
• Jane felt vaguely nauseated as Nick told her the
  relationship was over. She wanted to cry, but
  tried to appear cold and unmoved so as not to let
  him know how she truly felt.
• As Jane chocked back her tears, she noticed Britt
  and Darren staring at them from across the
  parking lot. Why cant they just leave us
  alone, she thought angrily as she turned her
  face away.

63
Pesky Point of View

• Objective
• Narrator does not see into the mind of any
  character.
• Reports action and dialogue without telling us
  directly what the character feels and thinks.
• Detached and impersonal.
• Relies on lots of actions, speaking, and details
  to reveal character (like a movie or play).

64
Pesky Point of View

• Example
• Its over, Nick spat as he slammed his open
  palm on Janes car door. Ill never forgive you
  for what youve done.
• Jane winced as she felt tears spring into her
  eyes. She quickly averted her eyes so Nick
  wouldnt notice. When she looked back at him, her
  face was cold and blank.
• Britt and Darren kept glancing over toward the
  couple, confused looks on both their faces.

65
Pesky Point of View

• Back to 1st Person Narrative
• Narrator is IN the story.
• The I presents the point of view of only ONE
  character. Basically, the reader is restricted to
  the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of that
  single character.
• These narrators can see the world rightly or
  wrongly. They can be
• Reliable or unreliable
• Perceptive or naïve

66
Pesky Point of View

• Examples from Literature
• Identify POV
• If 3rd, which type?

67
Pesky Point of View

• Before Harry could reply, there was a soft
  knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse,
  came bustling in.
• Harry felt himself going red in the face. It
  was bad enough that hed passed out, or whateve
  he had done, without everyone making all this
  fuss.
• Im fine, he said, I dont need anything-
• Oh, its you, is it? said Madam Pomfrey,
  ignoring this and bending down to stare closely
  at him. I suppose youve been doing something
  dangerous again?
• (HP 3 / 89)

68
Pesky Point of View

• 1st person hold up 1 finger
• 2nd person hold up 2 fingers
• 3rd person hold up 3 fingers
• Why?

69
Pesky Point of View

• Now that weve established why this passage is
  third person POV, what type of 3rd person is it?
• Omniscient hold up 1 finger
• Limited omniscient hold up 2 fingers
• Objective holds up 3 fingers
• Why?

70
Pesky Point of View

• How does Madam Pomfrey feel about the fact Harry
  is injured again?
• How do we know this? Does she ever tell Harry or
  the reader how she feels?
• How does Harry feel about winding up in the
  nurses office again and passing out in front of
  the whole school?
• How do we know this?
• Which character do we have intimate knowledge
  about? Which character do we make assumptions
  about based on their actions or dialogue?

71
Pesky Point of View

• Activity
• In pairs, re-write this passage to make it 3rd
  person omniscient.
• Then, re-write it again to make it 3rd person
  objective.
• 10 min.
• Share with another pair to check if youve got
  POV down.