Further notes on fiction

12/8/2016 Further Notes on Fiction
http://learn.lexiconic.net/furtherfictionnotes.htm 1/15
Setting
In a movie, the setting carries a real impact and establishes a certain
atmosphere or mood. Consider what Titanic would be like without the
pressure put on the characters by the inevitablyrising waters, or Saving
Private Ryan if the setting had not emphasized destruction, chaos, and
pain. Setting is equally important in a work of fiction.

Setting fixes the time and place of a story, and can play a major role in
developing the story's character and conflict. Sometimes it supports or
defines the values and concerns of the characters. Two stories about
moral conflict could differ noticeably if one were set in Victorian times
and the other one were set in today's time. It is important to consider
the setting in developing a true sense of the character and conflict.

Setting can affect a story's atmosphere and our reaction to it. A
desolate, dark setting leads to a sense of oppression and a feeling that
events will likely turn out badly. A story set on a bright spring morning,
however, leads us to feel optimistic about the results of the conflict.
Setting, in fact, is the most common and effective device used in
creating the atmosphere of a story. An outstanding example of this is
Stephen King's novel The Shining, set in an empty resort hotel in winter.
The story's eerie atmosphere could not be achieved if it were set in, for
instance, a motel in a seacoast resort at the height of the tourist season.
Character

There are a number of dimensions to character.
Dramatized or Described Characters
Characters can be dramatized, or they can be described. Children's
stories, and stories written for lessexperienced readers typically
describe characters, so the reader knows immediately what to think of
them and how to react to them.
Here is an example of character description, as one might find in a story
written for a relatively inexperienced reader.

Trevor pulled into the curb still going too fast, and stopped with a
noisy squeal of brakes. He stepped out of his sports coupe, and
walked over to Trudi. He was short and wiry, and looked like a weasel.
His hair was smeared with a nastylooking gel that reflected the sun
unpleasantly as he moved. As he came nearer, he smiled furtively,
and menacingly slid his hand into his jacket pocket. He was a nasty
customer.

Thoroughly dislikable, eh? A truly "bad guy." Here, by contrast, is an
example of character dramatization.

A black Porsche rounded the corner off the main road, and darted
into the alleyway with a shriek of tires. It rocked to a halt at the curb,
and the door opened. However, the driver stayed inside for at least a
minute; Trudi noticed that he was combing and smoothing his hair.
Finally, he stepped out of the car, wiped his hands on a tissue which
he tossed back into the car, gently closed and locked the door, and
turned towards Trudi, his face expressionless. Keys hanging from his
hand, he approached her. Only then, did his mouth crinkle into a
onesided smile, which his eyes did not share. He slipped his hand
with the keys into his jacket pocket, and left it there; she wondered
if he had something he wanted to hand her.


Notice here that nowhere does this paragraph say that the driver was a
dislikable person; instead, it relies on details of what he does in order
to lead you to a certain conclusion.

Rounded or Flat Characters
Another dimension of character is depth of characterization: is a
particular character rounded or flat? A rounded character is a complex
person whom one might meet in everyday life, possessed of virtues and
vices, and is both likable and dislikable. A flat character is like a full
size cardboard cutout of a person one might see standing in a store
display smiling fixedly at passersby, but with no life in them. Flat
characters are usually completely sympathetic (good) or completely
unsympathetic (bad).

If you have read George Orwell's Animal Farm, reflect now on the
characters. You may discover that all of them are flat. This is one of the
characteristics of fables, and Animal Farm is an allegorical fable.
If you have read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist Montag
is a rounded character. We may grow impatient at his indecision and
his edginess, but we identify with his concerns over the value system
of his society, and his increasing resolve to turn his back on everything
and follow his own personal code, even if he becomes an outcast in so
doing.

Static or Dynamic Characters
A third dimension to consider is whether characters are static or
dynamic. Static characters don't change as the story unfolds; they are
always the same. The characters in most juvenile fiction are static,
because very young and inexperienced readers find that keeping track
of the growth of a character's perceptions and awareness is so much

work that it hampers their enjoyment of the story. If you are familiar
with the Harry Potter stories, you will remember that, barring Harry
Potter himself, no one seems to change very much.

A dynamic character, on the other hand, changes during the course of
the story, either positively or negatively. Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet is a good example of a dynamic character. At the start of the
story, she is a naive and obedient little girl of thirteen who finds herself
propelled abruptly into the adult world of arranged marriages. By the
end of the story, she is resourceful, in command of her own actions—
even to the extent of lying about her plans—and courageous.
Admittedly, she makes some recklessly inappropriate decisions, but she
has the fortitude to make them and stick by them, something that the
Juliet of Act I would not have been able to do.

You may be more familiar with the character of Rose in the movie
Titanic. Like Juliet, she moves from unquestioning obedience to
forceful management of her own destiny. This maturing process is an
indicator that she is a dynamic character.
Point of View
In interpreting fiction, point of view can be thought of as "where are the camera(s) and
the microphone(s)?"
The major points of view used in fiction are:
Omniscient (3rd Person)
Limited omniscient (3rd Person)
Objective (3rd Person)
First person

3rd Person Omniscient
In omniscient point of view (which means "allknowing"), there is

nothing the narrator cannot show the reader. The narrator's awareness
can range anywhere for information that adds to the story. The
following sample is written in the omniscient point of view.

Example
Will jumped down from his pony. A sharp stab jolted his
ankle as he landed. Damn, he thought, all I need is to have
my leg give up and 111 be out here in that woods with that
thing, unable to fight it or get away.
The scent of horror bloomed in the consciousness of the
pony behind him. A white flash of panic exploded through
it, and Will ducked aside as it reared, cutting at the air with
its hooves before subsiding, shuddering, to all fours.
Not three metres south of them, a sluglike mass, bigger
than an elephant, heaved turgidly among the shadowy
trees. "Food! Food! Food!" ran through its awareness, as the
scent of warm blood bathed its sensors, and it began to
ooze like a flowing shadow towards Will and the pony.
In (the third person) omniscient view, the author knows all the characters, can be
sympathetic to them, and can portray their personalities directly.
Because of this, it's possible to have the highest possible degree of
control over the effect of the story on the reader; there is no
uncertainty in the example above as to why the pony rears, and it's
obvious that something nasty is about to happen.

The reader has access to much information (the camera and mike can
be anywhere and everywhere. This makes it easy to orchestrate a
complex work such as a novel, and makes foreshadowing simple.
However, in short fiction, the omniscient point of view is cumbersome.
It can overload you with information, and make the story creaky and
slow rather than focused upon a single unified effect.


3rd Person Limited Omniscient
Limited omniscient point of view is limited to one major figure,
typically the protagonist.

Example
Will jumped down from his pony. A sharp stab jolted his
ankle as he landed. Damn, he thought, all I need is to have
my leg give up and I'll be out here in that woods with that
thing, unable to fight it or get away.
Suddenly, with a scuffle and a quavering scream the pony
reared, its nostrils flaring. Will ducked aside as it cut at the
air with its hooves before subsiding, shuddering, to all fours.
As the pony quieted, he heard an eerie sound from the thick
bush to the south. At first it sounded like someone dragging
a dead horse through the undergrowth, but the sound was
accompanied by a faint liquid pulsation as if someone was
blowing slime bubbles and popping them.

Limited omniscient has the same strengths as omniscient, but doesn't
generate the same mass of detail. Generally, limited omniscient point
of view takes you into the thoughts and experiences of only the
protagonist.

3rd Person Objective
The third person objective point of view is related as it might have been picked up by a
video camera focused on the events described.

Example

Will jumped down from his pony, stumbling almost to the
ground as his left leg gave way. Muttering to himself, he
regained his balance, steadying himself with one hand on
the saddle.

With a sudden quavering scream the pony reared, its
nostrils flaring. He ducked aside as it cut at the air with its
hooves before subsiding, shuddering, to all fours.
Abruptly, Will cocked his head to his left, looking southward
towards the bushes. He stood in a strained position, as if
listening for something or someone.

The o bjective point of view is the most like a screenplay, or a stage drama.
Characters' thoughts and motivations remain a mystery unless they are
spoken aloud or acted out.

First Person
With first person point of view, the narrator tells the story as
something personally experienced, "I" speak of "my" adventures and
thoughts.

Example
I jumped down from the pony. A sharp stab jolted my ankle
as I landed. Damn, I thought, all I need is to have my leg
give up and I'll be out here in that woods with that thing,
unable to fight it or get away.

With a sudden quavering scream the pony reared, its _
nostrils flaring. I barely had time to duck aside as it cut at the
air with its hooves before subsiding, shuddering, to all fours.
Suddenly I heard an eerie sound from the thick bush south

of me. At first it sounded like someone dragging a dead
horse through the undergrowth, but the sound was
accompanied by a faint liquid pulsation as if someone was
blowing slime bubbles and popping them.

First person makes for very effective fiction, but the use of "I" has
limitations, because the character who is telling the story can't reveal
any more information than he himself knows. No character in a story
can see inside any other character.

The Theme Statement
A theme statement aims at giving the reader a better understanding of
some large aspect of life. It is not, however, a moral or a lesson. Good
fiction avoids preachiness, and obvious statements such as "Out of
sight, out of mind."

A theme statement can be a sentence or a short paragraph. Something
like "Searching for truth," or "Death," is not a theme statement,
though these expressions can be the lens through which the theme can
be recognized and put into a statement.

To understand the theme of a work of literature, ask, "What does this
work reveal or imply?" rather than "What does this work teach?" The
theme of "The Carnival Dog, the Buyer of Diamonds," for example,
would not be, "Young people should always obey their parents," or
"Honour your father and mother." It might read something like this:

Young people and their parents often have different attitudes toward
life. This difference can lead to conflict. Ultimately, each person must
choose how they will achieve contentment, because death is just as
certain as life.

Universality of Theme
A theme statement must be a broad enough idea that it can be applied
to life in a general sense, not only to the people in the work, but to the
reader, to the student, and to all humankind.
Conflict
The easiest method to arrive at a theme statement for a work of
literature is to look at the conflict in it.

Conflict is fairly straightforward in a short story, but complex in a
novel. Basically, it deals with a central figure or protagonist who is
attempting to reach a goal. This central figure meets opposition from
the antagonist, which may be a person, a group of people, the forces of
nature, or even him or herself.

The three main types of conflict are:
• Character versus nature
• Character versus character(s)
• Character versus self

Because a novel is much longer and more complex than a short story,
it contains more characters and deals with a relatively great number of
events or situations. Thus, there are likely to be several conflicts in a
novel.

Each time a conflict occurs, that incident is called a crisis; the plot is a
sequence of crises, leading to a major crisis when the protagonist either
overcomes the antagonist, or is defeated. The series of intensifying
crises is called the rising action; the final crisis is called the climax.
Usually the climax comes near the end of the story, although it may be
earlier and be followed by a sequence of diminishing crises called the
falling action. The conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist
leads the reader to the theme. This is especially true as the story
approaches and reaches the climax. To generate valid theme
statements, trace the rising action as the conflict intensifies and from
the events at the climax decide how the story connects to the theme
key words supplied earlier.
Style
To describe style, it is necessary to explain the techniques the writer has
used, and describe how he or she has created a particular voice and
given the work a particular tone. For example, a person might explain
the style of the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty as follows:

The writer's use of rhythmic language and end rhyme gives the piece
a cheerful, playful tone. The simple words and short line lengths
create a childlike voice that is interestingly at odds with the literal
events the main character's tragic death by falling off the wall.

Style, then, is the result of the author's choice of diction, figurative
language, and sentence structure. In other words, style can be any
distinctive way an author uses words. Look for things like diction
(sound/formal vs. informal vs. slang language), sentence structure
(short vs. long sentences vs. intentional fragments), regular vs. irregular
rhythm, and figures of speech (i.e. figurative language like metaphors and

similes.)
One of the hallmarks of a mature writer is control of style. The most
proficient writers can write in a variety of styles, just as a skilled piano
player can play a Mozart piano concerto in the manner of the late eighteenth
century, then play a Fats Waller jazz piece, and do both effectively. Style for
a pianist involves a great deal more than simply hitting the right notes; likewise,
style for a writer is more than simply arranging words into statements.
Style should be consistent throughout a piece; inconsistencies indicate
lack of control or at least lack of awareness of style.
Diction and Style
Diction deals with the literal meaning of words (their denotation),
their emotional loading and figurative meaning (or connotation), and the sound of the words
(rough or smooth). Most immature writers settle for getting the literal
meaning right and don't worry about the rest. However, it's interesting
to look at two passages that mean approximately the same thing.

I hate it when I have to walk through a crowd of teen punks at a bus
stop. They look me up and down. Their eyes are empty. Their faces
are blank. They don't move out of the way for me. I feel that they
want to hurt me.

I strongly dislike the necessity of walking through gatherings of
alienated youth at bus shelters. They slide their expressionless eyes
over me without reaction, keeping their faces neutral as though I was
nonexistent. They decline to recognize my need to walk on the
sidewalk. It appears certain that they desire to cause me bodily harm.

Which of these passages has more impact?


If you identified the first passage, you are correct. It contains many one
syllable words which have negative connotations and hard consonant
sounds (e.g., hate, punks, empty, blank, hurt). In addition, all the
sentences are short and almost curt. By contrast, the second passage uses many
multisyllable words. This makes it flow smoothly, and so it seems mellower
in its impact than the first passage. None of the words in the second passage
have strong negative connotations. Further, its sentences are relatively long. The
general effect is one of smoothness and neutrality; it is hard to believe
that the second speaker is as distressed as the first.
Figurative Language and Style
Common figures of speech can be used in prose writing and poetry.
These words add impact and make the piece seem vivid, because they
appeal to the reader's imagination. Here is a passage without figurative
language, adapted from "The Painted Door" by Sinclair Ross:

She moved briskly, performing each little task with careful and
exaggerated absorption, thinking carefully about it, using it to keep
from thinking about the surrounding snow and silence. Above the
quiet, steady sound of her paintbrush against the bedroom door, the
clock sound became noticeable. Suddenly her movements became
precise and deliberate ... and she felt that she was not alone and that
someone was watching her. It was the silence again, which seemed
to be threatening, and always there.

Here is the same passage, with figurative language added in italics:

She moved briskly, performing each little task with careful and

exaggerated absorption, binding her thoughts to it, making a screen
between herself and the surrounding snow and silence. Above the quiet,
steady swishing of her brush against the bedroom door, the clock
began to tick. Suddenly her movements became precise, deliberate ...
as if someone had entered the room and were watching her. It was the
silence again, aggressive, hovering.

Look closely at the figurative language that was used to heighten the
impact of the story.
1. binding her thoughts to it is a metaphor showing how she used
work to keep her mind occupied, to keep out unwelcome
thoughts.
2. making a screen between herself and the surrounding snow and
silence is another metaphor, showing how the character uses
work to create a wall between her and both the silence inside
and the dangerous weather outside.
3. swishing is onomatopoeia, it imitates the sound of a loaded
paint brush spreading colour onto wood.
4. as if someone had entered the room and were watching her is a
simile that makes the reader more vividly conscious of how
uneasy the character feels.
5. ... the silence again, aggressive, hovering is an example of
personification in which the reader easily shares the
protagonist's fear of the invisible silence that is always with
her.

Sentence Structure and Style
Sentence structure, like diction, has an impact on the reader's
experience of a piece of writing, and consequently is an important part
of style. Long, flowing sentences, containing many phrases and
subordinate clauses, produce a mellow, flowing mood. If these are used
in a description of fast, urgent action, such as an account of witnessing

a plane crash, the reader is distanced from the action. By contrast, short
sentences produce a feeling of urgency, immediacy, and increased
tension.

Reading Activity
Reread the last two full paragraphs of "The Story of an Hour (The
Dream of an Hour)" in Horizons: Exploring Poetry, Prose, and Nonfiction
page 10. The author uses six sentences in twelve lines to show you
Mrs. Mallard's inner reverie about her husband's death. The passage is
optimistic, almost upbeat, and the reader experiences Mrs. Mallard's
increasing relaxation from the pressures of her marriage. The sentence
structure complements and enhances the content.

Now reread the rest of the story. The mood changes almost
immediately. The author uses twentysix sentences in twentysix lines
to lead up to Brently Mallard's return and Mrs. Mallard's climactic
discovery that she was not widowed. The reader is taken through
Mrs. Mallard's increasing excitement at her newfound freedom,
through her dashed hopes at the return of her husband, to her sudden
death when she realizes what she has lost. The many starts and stops
resembles the tension car passengers feel in stopandgo traffic
with a driver who is continually braking and accelerating.
Tone, Mood, and Voice
Tone is the emotional colouring of a piece of writing. It reflects the
author's attitude, and the feelings that he or she puts into the writing.
It can, for instance, be angry, demanding, or humorous. The author
controls the tone by choosing diction, sentence structure, and
figurative language that will heighten the desired effect on the reader.

Mood, by contrast, is the emotional feeling that the reader gets from

the writing. Usually the mood is clearly related to the tone, for the tone
of the author creates the mood of the reader. Mood, is also affected by
figurative language, sentence structure, and diction.

Voice is the role that the writer takes on while writing. A personal
voice is an expression of a writer's own thoughts and personality. For
example, a personal narrative about an event from the author's
childhood might be written as though the author were telling the story
in person. A persona is a voice created by the writer to help the reader
accept the ideas in the writing. For instance, a murder mystery might
be told from the point of view of a detective. The reader knows the
writer is not actually a detective, but the use of words and images from
the world of criminal investigation helps make the story come alive.
Or, an essay can be written in the voice of an expert, using impersonal
language and a tone of authority. In poetry, the voice may sound very
personal, but can actually be a persona the writer has created. There is
often no way for the reader to tell.

Further notes on fiction

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