Literary Elements

Literary Elements

Antagonist = The person/s in the story that opposes the main character or protagonist.
Conflict = The struggle that takes place in the story either within the character themselves or externally with other characters.  There can be several conflicts within the story.
Mood= The feelings that are created when reading the story, what feelings is the author trying to convey.
Tone=The attitude/viewpoint the author has toward the subject or the audience.
Plot = The development of what is happening in the story.
Protagonist =The main character/who the audience is invested in within the story.
Setting= Where the story takes place.
Theme=The underlying message presented by the author, there can be main within a story.

Theme is:
• Message stated or suggested by the author.
• Must be stated in a complete sentence.
• Must be a truism (ring true universally).
• Not necessarily singular (more than one).
• Something that can be demonstrated from the text (you can go to the text for evidence).

Theme is not:
• Subject
• Topic
• Summary
• An old saying
• A single word

The best way to teach theme is through a picture book for all ages. Steps include using the picture books as mentor text – short discussion with class over whole book/reading pieces at a time guiding discussion and feedback.  Have students practice on the their own with picture books looking for themes within groups and then individually.  This method is valid for all ages guiding and building upon the foundation of picture books to other forms of books.
To find a theme ask these questions – What message it the author trying to convey to readers? Is the message universal does it apply outside of the story to the world at large?

Literary Devices

Allegory = Using a story to reflex to a bigger meaning or concept beyond the story.
Allusion = When the author refers to an already known event, person, place, etc within the story and relates it to the subject matter. The reader is familiar with the reference and knows the connotation the author is trying to convey.
Archetype =A prototype used within literature were the reader can identify with the meaning, idea or character  because of how they are presented.
Deus ex Machina = An implausible concept or character presented in the story usually suddenly to resolve the story.
Hyperbole = When the author uses exaggerate words to convey meaning.
Imagery = The author uses words to give the reader a “mental image” of what is happening in the story through sensory details.
Metaphors = Making a comparison from one subject to another to convey similarities.
Motif = The overall themes/ideas that are presented in stories that are repeated within literature. Ex. Fairy God Mother - someone we don’t know is looking out for us and will intervene on our behalf.
Point of view = The viewpoint in which the story is told – first person, third person and inside or outside view of the story.
Similes = The author creating parallels between two unrelated things, ideas, etc. using ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘such as’.
Symbolism = The author giving an object deeper/symbolic meaning other than their literal use.

Connection to the textbook and how I will use it in the classroom or library. I will use the picture books with all levels to teach theme and share with team members the ease of teaching theme in this manner. When teaching theme explaining to students that a theme needs to be stated in a sentence to show the evidence of the theme. Teaching theme with depth and examples. Referencing where students can find the definitions and explanations of those literary elements and devices. Using these references as I am developing lesson plans.