Literary Elements

Literary Elements

Using literary elements to understand a historical movie.

The Elements...

• Prologue

• Expository Phrase

• Voice

• Symbol

• Foreshadowing

• Flashback

• Irony

Literary Elements continued

• Foil

• Opposition

• Archetype

• Motif

• Characterization

• Climax

• Denouement (Resolution)

Open Ended

How many of these do you know or think you know? (prologue, expository phase, voice, symbol, foreshadowing, flashback, irony, foil, opposition, archetype, motif, characterization, climax, and denouement)?

Prologue

A prologue is an introductory scene of a film that introduces the audience to the film, its characters, the tone, and/or pertinent themes. This scene should be able to stand on its own, and it should function as its own separate story with a beginning, middle, and end. Prologues can take different forms in film.

Open Ended

Share a good example of prologue from a movie you have seen.

Expository Phrase/Exposition

Exposition is a literary term that refers to the background information the audience needs to know for the world of your story to make sense. ... Exposition includes anything from character introductions to set details and dialogue and is most common at the beginning of the story.

Open Ended

Share a good example of exposition from a movie you have seen.

Voice

In literature, the voice expresses the narrator or author's emotions, attitude, tone and point of view through artful, well thought out use of word choice and diction. ... The sound of someone's voice is just a physical characteristic, whereas a literary voice is a part of writing and storytelling.

Open Ended

How do you think movies use this literary element?

Foreshadowing

A literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. ... Throughout the history of cinema and TV, screenwriters and filmmakers have used foreshadowing as a means of engaging the audience with the story.

Example of Foreshadowing

In the Shining, Jack's crochet tie foreshadows the maze that features prominently as the film's denouement.

Flashback

A flashback (sometimes called an analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point in the story. ... In film, flashbacks depict the subjective experience of a character by showing a memory of a previous event and they are often used to "resolve an enigma".

Open Ended

Share a good example of the use of flashbacks from a movie you have seen.

Three Flavors of Irony

• Dramatic irony is the existence of information presented to the audience that we learn before the characters in a story do. When the audience knows something the characters don’t, dramatic irony becomes present, as the characters will act in opposite ways than they should.

• Situational irony is when someone does something opposite of what we expected them to do in a specific situation.

• Verbal irony is the difference between what is said and what is meant. You say one thing but mean the opposite.

• A foil character is someone who contrasts with another character – usually the main character – to highlight their qualities. Some stories also use a subplot as a foil to the main plot

• Unlike the Antagonist, the foil is not necessarily working in opposition of the protagonist

• An example comes from "Of Mice and Men"; George and Lennie are best friends. They are also physical and emotional opposites: George is small and lean, Lennie is big and strong.

Poll

Is this an example of the foils literary element?

• yes

• no

Opposition

A literary device that compares two opposite things to make a moral teaching or just to teach (sometimes teach a deeper meaning)

Example?

"Not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more."

Archetype

• An archetype is a universally understood symbol which others copy. Archetypes are used in myths and storytelling across different all different cultures.

• The "Hero" is a classic archetype. Think Captain America as a perfect example.

Motif

A motif is a repeated narrative element that supports the theme of a story. A motif in film can be presented in a number of ways like physical items, sound design, lines of dialogue, music, colors, and symbols. Any motif used will vastly improve your story if it has narrative significance.

Open Ended

Watch this clip. Look for an example of a recurring element in this trailer for the Sixth Sense (which is an excellent movie for thriller and horror buffs, BTW)\

Share what you think is the motif here...

Characterization

• Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

• Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. 

• Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character.

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Indirect Characterization Types (Think STEAL to help you remember them)

• Speech - what the characters say

• Thoughts - what is revealed through the character's private thoughts and feelings?

• Effect on others - What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character? 

• Actions - What does the character do? How does the character behave? 

• Looks - What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

A climax is the most intense, exciting, or important point of a movie. It marks the amalgamation of all the scenes that came before it and includes most of the payoffs within the film.

 Wilbur is declared the winner at the county fair, and his life is saved (the farmer will not butcher him). 

A little girl has been looking for her lost dog. She hears a bark coming from around the corner, and she looks around to see . . .

Denouement 

The denouement is an aspect of the narrative that gives context and resolution to a major theme, relationship or event in a story. ... Unlike a story's epilogue, the denouement is essential.

The Denouement

The denouement is an aspect of the narrative that gives context and resolution to a major theme, relationship or event in a story. ... Unlike a story's epilogue, the denouement is essential.