Development of Character adds richness, life, meaning, and
depth. Authors have five basic means of developing characters which are
discussed in detail in "characters in Literature." These
strategies are direct statement, dialogue, dramatic scene, comparison/contrast
with other characters, and associations with other elements. The types of
characters included in a text might include some of the following: type -
damsel in distress, lonely cowboy, action hero, etc.; foil - one- dimensional,
used for highlighting primary characters; protagonist - main
character; antagonist - opponent(s) of main character.
Development of Setting - Like all human beings, narrative characters
do not exist in isolation. The gain identity by interacting with other
characters and also their surroundings. The
purpose of setting is to set realism for the story. It can reveal character,
organize the story, and set the atmosphere. Setting
includes any number of the following environments:
* natural - includes the outdoors, geography, seasons, creature,
time,
and conditions
* manufactured -
includes buildings, possessions, objects, and other and conditions
concrete man-made things.
* political - includes historical and political beliefs held by an
individual or group of individuals in a given place in time.
* cultural/temporal - includes historical and cultural assumptions.
The narrative must have a predetermined purpose. Consider, for example,
the following statement: "The king died, and then the queen died." This
isn’t a plot because it lacks causation and motivation. "The king died, and
then the queen died of grief." This
is a plot because it shows one thing (grief) controls another, which in this
case is the desire to live (E. M. Forester, Aspects of the Novel).
In a well-structured story, one thing precedes another not simply
because of time but because effects follow causes. Conflict is at
the center of plot - it causes character to make decisions, take action, or
respond in ways that make up stories. The various types of conflict
(internal, personal, social, and environmental) are discussed in detail in
"Characters in Literature."
Exposition - opening, introductions, setting the
groundwork
Complication - onset of major conflict Crisis - separation between what has gone before and what will happen after
Climax - consequence of crisis; high point or logical conclusion of all that has gone on before; no new plot is introduced after
Resolution - brings narrative to a satisfying and rapid end
Theme is "the point of the story" which can be developed using
any or all of the above and other elements of literary style such as symbolism
and more. Theme is the message that you want your reader to understand by
having read your narrative, i. e. "love conquers all", "don’t
ever give up", "when life gives you mud, make mud pies", etc.
Narration
What Is Narration?
Narration tells a story. Narratives can be fact or
fiction. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," Carl Sandburg's
biography of Abraham Lincoln, and most articles in Time and Newsweek
are narratives. Business and government reports often have a section labeled
"narrative" which provides background information about a condition
or problem. Narratives can be told in first or third person. Narratives, like
description, can be objective or subjective.
The Writer's Role
Third Person
In narratives, the writer may be a reporter or
recorder of events using the third person:
The Ableson Company was founded in 1910 by
Frank and George Ableson, both of whom had worked for Union Pacific. Their firm
perfected the steam regulator, which became standard equipment on all
locomotives by 1920. The San Francisco firm
expanded during the Twenties and built facilities in Oakland,
St. Louis, Atlanta,
New York, and Boston. During the Depression, the Ableson
brothers, both suffering from heart disease, sold the firm to National Gear and
Brake.
Third person narratives may be objective or
subjective. The writer's tone and attitude is developed through the choice of
words and details. Biographies, for example, may be favorable or negative.
First Person
In first person narratives, the writer is often the
main participant or actor, usually focusing on personal reactions to events:
Having lived in Manhattan my entire life, I knew nothing
about horses. I had never been to a race track or a circus. I never liked
Westerns. My only contact with horses was a single carriage ride in Central Park one muggy July afternoon. When my sister
invited me to her horse farm in Washington,
I offered to earn my keep by helping out. Only then did I realize how delicate
those lumbering beasts are. I learned that horses required more care than my
fragile-looking but hearty little Bichon Frise.
Not all first person narratives are subjective. Often
the writer is an objective reporter of events, an eyewitness recounting his or
her observations:
I met Frank Minton as soon as he was
discharged from the hospital. He felt lucky to be alive. His seatbelt had kept
him from going through the windshield, and he had only a swollen cheek and some
double-vision to indicate he had survived a nearly fatal crash. But in the
weeks that followed, I began to notice strange after effects. Frank forget to
return phone messages. One afternoon, while writing out payroll checks for his
staff, he repeatedly asked me the date. I watched as his pen froze over the
yellow checkbook. He would then flip back to check the spelling of a friend's
name. At the piano, he played the same bar over and over again, seemingly
unable to proceed to the next. It would be months before any of us were willing
to accept the painful fact that his jazz career was over.
The narrator may serve as an objective eyewitness or a
subjective commentator, injecting personal opinion and interpretation.
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