Literary Literary ElementsElements

Casey DiehlCasey DiehlClayton FischerClayton FischerPablo Olazabal Pablo Olazabal

SatireSatire• What is it?What is it?

– The use of witty, ironic humor ironic humor to ridicule/expose people’s weaknesses– Includes:Includes: Irony, Sarcasm, Burlesque, Parody, Exaggeration, & Juxtaposition

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– SARCASTIC + IRONIC = SATIRESATIRE

• Example:Example:Saturday Night LivePolitical CartoonsQuotes:Quotes:

Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count

the votes decide everything. the votes decide everything. (Josef Stalin)

Death solves all problems: no man, no problem. Death solves all problems: no man, no problem. (Joseph Stalin)

Marriage is the chief cause of divorceMarriage is the chief cause of divorce. (Grouch Marx)

StructureStructure• What is it?What is it?

– Framework/organization of a work of literature– Has 3 principles: series, contrast & repetition

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– Just like a house’s “structure” is how the building is builthow the building is built, literary “structure” is how the how the

author “built” the workauthor “built” the work

• Principles:Principles:SeriesSeries

Things that follow one after another*Order:Order: Chronological, flashbacks, flash forwards

ContrastContrastBeing strikingly different that something else..*Highlights characteristics

RepetitionRepetitionReoccurrence of an action/event*EMPHASIZES elements

Example:Example:Shakespearean SonnetShakespearean Sonnet = has 14 lines, written in iambic pentameter, has a specific rhyme scheme•Very constrained form!•A poem written with the STRUCTURE of a Shakespearean sonnet:

•Alludes to Shakespeare/his works•May have a “constrained” tone

AmbiguityAmbiguity• What is it?What is it?

– Something that is not clearly good or bad; a “gray area”; unclear meaning

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– ““Ambi” Ambi” means two/both, and “guous” “guous” sounds like “guess”– So, “ambiguous” means its any wild guess, it could be either,it is unclear

• Examples:Examples:Jay GatsbyJay Gatsby - He purely loves Daisy, and devises a plan to see

Her by getting rich, moving near her and throwing lavish parties. However,the way he gains his money is impure, so he is neither completely goodnor completely bad.

““We saw her duck” “I promise I’ll give you a ring tomorrow”We saw her duck” “I promise I’ll give you a ring tomorrow”

Connotation/Connotation/DenotationDenotation

What is it?What is it?– Connotation:Connotation: the idea or feeling you get from a word

– Denotation:Denotation: the literal meaning of the word

How to Remember!How to Remember!D

enotation starts with “D” and is the Dictionary meaning of a word

Connotation starts with “C” and is the Cultural or emotional meaning of a word

Examples:Examples:Stop SignDenotation: STOPConnotation: Risk! (of accident or ticket)

SnakeDenotation: SnakeConnotation: Someone who can’t be trusted

ParableParable• What is it?What is it?

– A simple storystory used to illustrate a moral lessonmoral lesson, general truthgeneral truth or religious principalreligious principal

• How to Remember!How to Remember!• ParableParable sounds like sounds like “Parallel”“Parallel”• Things that are Things that are parallelparallel are similar, just like are similar, just like parablesparables are comparable to real are comparable to real

situationssituations

• Example:Example:– ““The Prodigal Son” The Prodigal Son”

A man gives his two sons their shares of his estate. The younger son leaves with the money and squanders it on worthless things. He runs out of money, and tries to earn food by cleaning pig pens. Eventually, he goes home to his dad, where he is welcomed with open arms and a big celebration feast. The older son, who never left, becomes envious. He had never left and had not received treatment like that. The father replied that there had to be a celebration because the son who was ‘dead’ is now ‘alive’, was lost, and now is found.

This parable is from the Bible and is used to teach that no matter what we have done, Jesus, like the father in the story, will always welcome us ‘home’ with open arms

ParodyParody• What is it?What is it?

– A humorous, A humorous, satirical imitation satirical imitation of a person, event, or serious work of of a person, event, or serious work of literature designed to ridicule or criticizeliterature designed to ridicule or criticize

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– ““Parody” Parody” sounds like sounds like “parrot-y”“parrot-y”– Just like a Just like a parrot parrot repeats things people say repeats things people say in a funny way, in a funny way, parodiesparodies retell an story with a retell an story with a humorous interpretation.humorous interpretation.

• Example:Example:– Movies: Movies: “Scary Movie”, “Austin Powers”“Scary Movie”, “Austin Powers”– Music: Music: Songs by Weird Al YangkovichSongs by Weird Al Yangkovich– Television: Television: SNL re-enactments of presidentialSNL re-enactments of presidential debatesdebates

Rhetorical Rhetorical QuestionQuestion

• What is it?What is it?– A question asked in order to make a statement or produce an effect, not not

expecting an answer.expecting an answer.

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– Rhetoric: Rhetoric: The art of effectiveeffective or persuasivepersuasive speaking or writingwriting

– So, a RHETORICALRHETORICAL question is a question that is designed to be effectivedesigned to be effective or persuasive, and notnot necessarily answeredanswered.

• Example:Example:– Am I my brother’s keeper?– Have you gone crazy?– Am I talking to a wall?– Why me?

EpigramEpigram• WhatWhat is it? is it? A SHORT POEM

– a short poem ending with a witty thought– Has 4 units: scene, act, line/stanza, chapter

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– EPIC GRAM = something that is EPIC is phenomenal, but a GRAM is small

• Example:Example:“Sir, I admit your general rule,

That every poet is a fool,But you yourself may serve to show it,

That every fool is not a poet.”(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Epigram Epigram (units)

• SceneScene– Series of actions in a play, setting does not change

* A scene is like a couple paragraphs in a book

• ActAct– Series of scenes in a play

* An act is like a chapter in a book

• Line/StanzaLine/Stanza– A STANZA is made of several LINES

* A stanza is the ‘metrical unit’ or verse of a poem

• ChapterChapter– Subsection of a book

ArchetypeArchetype• What is it?What is it?

– The original model original model or pattern from which copies are made or from which something develops.

– A symbol, theme, setting, symbol, theme, setting, or character that recursrecurs in different places in literature.

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– “Archetype” sounds like “prototype”, which is the original model of something

• Example:Example:– Colors: Colors: redred =passion, blood, sacrifice, greengreen =growth, hope, jealousy, blackblack =death,

mystery, evil, whitewhite =purity, innocence, yellowyellow =enlightenment, wisdom– Seasons: Seasons: SpringSpring =new life, SummerSummer =growing up, maturing, excitement, FallFall =aging,

dying, Winter Winter =death)– Snake: Snake: symbol of evil, deceptiveness, corruption

FOILFOIL• What is it? What is it? A CHARACTER

– Character who contrasts anothercontrasts another (usually protagonist or antagonist)

– The CONTRAST helps HIGHLIGHTHIGHLIGHT the characteristics the characteristics of the other character

– GOOD vs EVIL OR OR Weak vs Strong OR OR Leader vs Follower

• How to Remember!How to Remember!– FOILFOIL has a lot of has a lot of contrastcontrast to it; the dark parts to it; the dark parts highlight highlight the light partsthe light parts of the foil and make it look shinier of the foil and make it look shinier

• Example:Example:Harry Potter Harry Potter Sherlock Holmes Sherlock HolmesDumbledoreDumbledore (the protagonist) (the protagonist) is portrayed asis portrayed as Dr. Watson serves as a foil character forDr. Watson serves as a foil character forthe “good” strong, and positive character,the “good” strong, and positive character, Holmes’ brilliance. Holmes says, “InHolmes’ brilliance. Holmes says, “InWhere Voldemort Where Voldemort (the antagonist) (the antagonist) is the “evil”is the “evil” noting your fallacies I was occasionallynoting your fallacies I was occasionallycharacter who fights against all thingscharacter who fights against all things guided towards the truth.” Watson givesguided towards the truth.” Watson givesgood.good. Holmes an opportunity to show off hisHolmes an opportunity to show off his

superior talent for observation.superior talent for observation.