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Introduction I. Why do we have such course? English literature is one of the compulsory and most important courses. However, the English literature courses offered are merely taught at the level of learning general information and developing literal understanding. Admittedly, such courses help them/you a lot in their/your acquisition of the English language. But the function of English literature reaches far beyond that. In reading English literature, a student should have the power to discern how human beings translate their experience into artistic expression and representation; how writers, through their creative impulses, convey to us their insights into human destiny and human life; and how social concern is involved in a specific form of human imagination. In addition, students should elevate to the level of cultivating a curiosity for the unknown, thinking cogently and logically, expressing themselves clearly and concisely, and observing the world around them critically and objectively. But most students are still at a loss as to how they can effectively analyze a literary work by themselves in any of these respects, even though they have read plenty of excerpts from representative works in the British and American literary canon. And they tend to have little idea what role the beginning part plays in the whole story, how the plot develops and comes to resolution, in what way point of view determines a readers understanding of the story, and how the images and symbols are related to the theme. Upon consideration of these factors, we have such course with the intention of cultivating both students literary sensibilities and their /your critical power when reading English short stories and novels. II. Introduction about reading a story 1. What is Story? “Yes oh, dear, yesthe novel tells a story.” This is Forsters remark, which is worth special attention, for he is someone in the trade and with rich experience. In his Aspects of the Novel he lists “story” as the first aspect. People reading novels for stories usually ask questions like “what happened next?” and “and” what would he do next?” These questions attest to the two basic elements of a story. The one is the event and the other the time. A story is a series of happenings arranged in the natural temporal order as they occur. Story is the basis of the novel, and indeed the basis of narrative works of all kinds. 2. The structure and functions of a story Plot; character; point of view; theme; style 3. What is Fiction? Fiction, the general term for invented stories, now usually applied to novels, short stories, novella, romances, fables, and other narrative works in prose, even though most plays and narrative poems are also fictional. (P. 83. Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms) 4. The Story and the Novel To read novels for story is nothing wrong, but nothing professional either. “One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.” The remark by the French writer jean de La Bruyere (16451696) is also true of the reader. If the purpose of the novel is only to tell stories, it could as well remain unborn, for newspapers and history books are sufficient to satisfy peoples desire for stories about both present and past, and even about future. In fact, many newapapermen have been dissatisfied with their job of reporting and come into the field of novel writing. Defoe, Dickens, Joyce, Hemingway and Camus were among the most famous and the most successful converts. Even historians may feel obliged to do more than mere stories or facts. Edward Gibborns Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is praised not only for its multitudinous facts and rationalistic analysis, but more for its beauty of narrative style. In telling stories, the novelist aims at something higher or he intends to add something to the mere “facts.” As indicated in the definition of the novel, what makes a novel is the novelists style (personalized presentation of the story) and interpretation of the story. Chapter One Plot I. What is Plot? 1. According to Aristotle what are the six elements of the structure of tragedy? Tragedy as a whole has just six constituent elements and they are plot, characters, verbal expression, thought, visual adornment, and songcomposition. For the elements by which they imitate are two (verbal expression and songcomposition), the manner in which they imitate is one (visual adornment), the things they imitate are three (plot, characters, thought), and there is nothing more beyond these. 2. What is Plot under the pens of modern novelists and storytellers? And how to understand “Plot” in a story? (“”ppt: The queen died, no one knew why, until it was discovered that it was through grief at the death of the king.P. 6 It suspends the time-sequence, it moves as far away from the story as its limitations will allow.) The story and the character alone can not make a novel ye. To make a novel, a plot is prerequisite. A look at the examp
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