English point of view and theme

Irony

the contrast between what happens and what the reader expects to happen

Narrator or Persona

the entity who is telling the story; usually not the author

Point of view

the vantage point from which events are presented; refers to the narrator

First person

told from an inside perspective; usually the main character is telling the story about his own personal experiences; look for pronouns I, me, we, us, my, mine, our, ours

3rd person limited

told from an outside perspective; the narrator is not a character; can see into the mind of only one character (usually the protagonist)

3rd person objective (dramatic)

told from an outside perspective; the narrator is not a character; cannot see into the minds of any of the characters; no thoughts of the characters are revealed; tells the story only by presenting dialogue and recounting events; allows the reader to interpret the actions of the character without interference

Situational Irony

what happens is at odds with what readers expect

What is theme?

A theme usually makes a statement about the nature of life (People can't resist the power of love even when they know it may hurt them).

Theme

Is the major/central idea of the work

Dramatic Irony

readers know more about events than the character does

What four things should you keep in mind about theme?

1.) It is not merely the subject matter or a plot summary but is the meaning of the work. 2.) A theme extends beyond the story and should apply to you and/or your world. 3.) Stories may contain more than one theme. 4.) A theme need not be a moral (not a lesson, but a statement that pertains to life).

Unreliable narrator

1st person narrator who is self-serving, confused, mistaken, unstable or insane; intentionally or unintentionally misrepresents events and misdirects the reader

What is plot summary?

Centers on what happens (The story describes how a girl falls in love with a dangerous boy even though she knows she shouldn't).

What seven things should you look for when determining theme?

Look at the title Check narrator's or character's statements Check the arrangement of the plot Check for character changes Look at the story's conflict Look at the point of view Analyze the symbols

Who are themes determined by? Why?

The author and the reader, for every reader brings to a story different experiences. Therefore, themes need to be supported with a cross section of examples instead of isolated examples.

Stream of Conscience

This type of narrative presents an unedited sequence of thoughts at a critical moment in a character's life. "The reader is given the feeling of being immediately immersed in the flow of the protagonist's consciousness - his/her thought and felling as the follow one upon another by association."

What 4 questions should we answer when we consider the reliability of the narrator?

Who is telling the story? How much does the speaker know and tell? How would the story change if someone else were to tell it? Does the narrator contradict himself/herself, either directly or indirectly? To what extent can the reader accept the narrator's version of events and their meanings?

3rd person omniscient

all-knowing) told from an outside perspective; the narrator is not a character; sees into the minds of all of the characters

Verbal Irony

narrator says one thing and means another