Thursday, October 9, 2014

Literary Elements: Setting & Characterization

Authors craft worlds, similar to ours, in in the physical setting there is a chance for us to interpret a set of norms and beliefs held by characters. In each place, larger cultural points of view can be looked at as a common "worldview."  Within that worldview, each character has their own mindset--just as we do in our real world.  To find thematic understanding of what is being said about a place, you have to analyze the connections between people and place. Here are a following ways to start:
  • How does an author portray the place? Does the narrator seem to like/dislike the place? 
  • Who are the main characters; how are they characterized; what happens to them? How do they view the setting?
Characterization: the intended view an author wants the reader to get about a character...
  • Appearance – how you physically describe them; what you emphasize about their looks
  • Language – how they talk and what they talk about; accent, dialect, references they make, length of sentences …
  • Behavior – define by actions, how they interact with other characters; how they treat themselves 
  • Internal & External Thoughts – providing a character’s rationale for actions help shape the reader’s view

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