*** for more information, consult your textbook on pages 4-5
Narrative is a term which applies to both fiction (not a true story) and nonfiction (true story). The term, itself, means "story."
Setting refers to the time and place of the action.
Characterization occurs in four ways:
- what a character says about himself / herself
- what a character does
- what other characters say about a character
- what a narrator says about a character
Plot refers to the course of action for a narrative (see diagram below)
Dialogue is the conversation between or among characters
Point of view concerns the perspective from which a story is told, usually in one of the following forms:
- 1st person (one of the characters directly involved in the action tells the story)
- 3rd person limited (a narrator with limited knowledge tells the story)
- 3rd person omniscient (a narrator with unlimited knowledge of all characters tells the story)
Theme refers to the underlying meaning or insight for a narrative
Types of fiction:
- novels (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- novellas ("The Metamorphosis")
- short stories ("The Monkey's Paw")
Writers of nonfiction present information for one of three reasons:
- persuasion
- information
- entertainment
When reading nonfiction, students should:
- recognize whether the information is organized in order of importance, chronological order (the order in which they occurred), or spatial order (how the topics relate to one another)
- identify the author's purpose
- distinguish between facts and opinions
- evaluate whether the author adequately supports his/her argument
The tone of a piece refers to the author's attitude toward a subject and/or its readers
The perspective of a piece refers to the author's point of view on the subject, including any opinions in the piece
