Reading for Understanding

Plot versus Theme

Most of your reading up to this time has been in an attempt to uncover the plot. A plot is:

• The plan, design, scheme or pattern of events in a play, poem, or piece of fiction. . . . the organization of incident and character in such a way as to induce curiosity and suspense in the reader. . . .(Cuddon, 718).
• Plot: The sequence of events that reveals the action. The plot is the structure of a narrative.

  The plot may be organized in many ways. It may be a chronological approach. This is the oldest narrative form and, perhaps, the easiest to use and understand. Quite often, when using this form, the author begins with an explanation of what the story is about. This is followed by a series of actions that lead to a climax. The author may finish the piece with an explanation or a "moral," but the action ceases at the climax. An outline of this form might look like this:

  1. Situation- Any necessary background or explanations of the purpose/theme of the story.

  2. First Action-the first important thing that happens

  to the character. It may even be an attempt to solve a

  problem.

  3. Second Action- may be an outgrowth of the first or

  it may have been caused by the first action.

  4. Third and Subsequent Actions- Any number of incidents may occur before the high point of action, or the climax is reached.

  5. Climax-The highest point of action and the final action. All plot lines are resolved.

  6. Falling Action- There may be a summing up or "moral"

  to the story. If so, this acts as a conclusion to the story.

  Conflict

  Most stories revolve around conflict. Conflict happens when one tries to resist or overcome some opposing force. Frequently conflict is the reason for the action of the story. There are four types of conflict:

  1. A person and his/her conscience.

  2. A person opposing or resisting another person.

  3. Natural Forces that have to be overcome by man.

  4. A person being opposed or opposing society or culture.

Theme

However, now you are expected to look more deeply at the individual pieces of literature. Toward that end, the first discovery I expect you to make is the discovery of theme. Theme is simply:

• ...the major idea of a story. . . .(Henderson, 12).

The theme is the moral of the story which should offer us some insight into human behavior. Themes usually allow us to learn about ourselves, our cultures, our world, or our aspirations. Please remember that the theme is your interpretation, which can never be wrong. However, for your interpretation to be right, you must provide evidence from the literature to support your argument.

Narrative Structures

Narrative is the study of story. What one studies when studying narrative are how all the components (Plot, Theme, Character, Setting, Point of View, and Imagery) come together to form a narrative structure. This narrative structure is created by the means in which the components of the story are combined. Once we see certain components, we can usually categorize the story into a narrative form or (genre). Examples of genres include:

• Science Fiction
• Romance
• Westerns
• Adventure
• Mystery
• True Crime
• Comic Book
• African American
• Appalachian

The list is relatively endless, but being able to categorize a narrative is vital because once the reader can categorize the narrative, they automatically know what to expect. This is called narrative expectation. For instance, if you are watching a movie and a giant robot appears to fight the evil Emperor Ming, then you will probably expect the story to be science fiction. Each genre has expectations about characters, plot, setting, imagery, and theme. The person who creates the narrative creates meaning either by living up to the reader's genre expectations (and thus reinforcing what the reader already believed about the genre) or flouting those expectations (and thus creating new associations and meanings). The best example of flouting expectations comes in humor and satire where stock characters act in ways that are not expected.

Characters as archetypes

• Character: Characters are the people who are involved in the action of the narrative. Characters may also be animals or non-animate objects that the author anthromorphizes. If the characters are to be realistic and lifelike, the author must describe their actions, thoughts, words, and what others think of them.

Each author creates each character to serve as a symbol of some belief, world view, or group. As such, it is important to question what the author is trying to say by their portrayal of each character. Authors often rely on archetypal characters; by that I mean characters that are so familiar to you that they carry meaning with them. For instance, when an author introduces a Step-mother we know, from the narratives we have heard all our lives, that she is going to be evil. Comic books provide the most obvious examples in their portrayals of heroes and villains. We instantly recognize them because the heroes are always attractive and brilliantly colored in primary colors while the villains are ugly, deformed, and drawn in dark colors. We also instantly know that the Hero stands for good and the status quo while the villain stands for evil and chaos.

Setting

Setting is also a means that the author uses to convey meaning. This one is pretty obvious. If the story is set in an old dilapidated mansion where the murders happened....the story will probably be a ghost story. Just watch any episode of Scooby Doo. The author chooses a setting to set a mood and context for the story.

Imagery and Symbolism

Authors put every word in the story for a reason. When some object is repeatedly described (Rosebud in Citizen Kane) the author wants you to see that object in the light of the story in hopes that you will understand the subtle meaning they are trying to create. When you read The Lottery, notice both the imagery Jackson evokes and the symbolism used. A discriminating reader will see that even the title can do this (A Rose For Emily).

Point of View

Point of View (POV) is merely of a way of saying that you are going to consider who the narrator of a story is and their motive for telling the story. This narrator is not the author. Rather they are a creation of the author. In some stories, the narrator is obvious, the author tells you who is telling the story. Sometimes, the narrator is almost invisible and you must ask yourself "Who is telling this story, and Why?' Knowing the narrator's point of view and their motive for telling the story can add new and critical meaning to your interpretation of the text.