3. FICTION DEFINED (cont.)
• A FICTION IS A “MADE” STORY, AN
IMAGINED & INVENTED LITERARY
COMPOSITION DESIGNED TO ENTER-TAIN
(AND SOMETIMES INSTRUCT), TO MAKE
READERS FEEL AND THINK.
4. FICTION DEFINED (cont.)
• TODAY THE TERM “FICTION” IS USUALLY
APPLIED ONLY TO SHORT STORIES, NOVELS,
& NOVELLAS, BUT OTHER LITERARY FORMS
ALSO HAVE FICTIONAL ELEMENTS.
5. ANTIQUITY OF STORIES
• STORIES ARE A VERY ANCIENT HUMAN PRODUCT,
PRECEDING THE INVENTION OF WRITING, AND
THERE IS NO IDENTI-FIABLE “FIRST” STORYTELLER
OR WORK OF FICTION.
6. EARLY FORMS OF FICTION
• THE MODERN NOVEL & SHORT STORY WERE
PRECEDED BY MANY EARLIER FORMS OF FICTION,
SUCH AS MYTHS, LEGENDS, FABLES, FAIRY TALES,
PAR-ABLES, AND ALLEGORIES.
7. MYTHSMYTHS
• TELL STORIES OF THE ORIGINS &
EXPLOITS OF GODS & GODDESSES FROM
VARIOUS ANCIENT CULTURES, SUCH AS
GREECE, ROME, & SCANDI-NAVIA.
8. In 1687 in Connecticut,
Kit Tyler, feeling out
of place in the Puritan
household of her aunt,
befriends an old
woman considered a
witch by the
community and
suddenly finds herself
standing trial for
witchcraft.
9. LEGENDS
• RECOUNT THE AMAZING ACHIEVE-MENTS OF
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS OR EXAGGERATE THE
EXPLOITS OF ACTUAL PEOPLE (E.G., PAUL BUNYAN).
10. While her father is in
hiding after attempts on
his life, twelve-year-old
Cleopatra records in her
diary how she fears for
her own safety and hopes
to survive to become
Queen of Egypt some
day
11. FABLES
• USUALLY FEATURE ANIMALS WITH HUMAN TRAITS &
STATE AN EXPLICIT LESSON (E.G., SLOW BUT
STEADY WINS THE RACE, APPEARANCES ARE
DECEP-TIVE, ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES
ANOTHER).
12. FABLES (cont.)
• THE BEST-KNOWN
FABLES WERE WRIT-
TEN BY A GREEK SLAVE
NAMED AESOP (600
B.C.E.), AND INCLUDE
STORIES SUCH AS
ANDROCLES & THE
LION, THE TORTOISE &
THE HARE, AND THE
WOLF IN SHEEP’S
CLOTHING.
13. FAIRY TALES
• THIS FICTIONAL FORM OFTEN FEATURES
SUPERNATURAL BEINGS LIKE GIANTS, TROLLS,
& FAIRY GOD-MOTHERS.
• THEY ALSO FOCUS ON THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
GOOD & EVIL, WITH GOOD ALWAYS
TRIUMPHING, THOUGH SOMETIMES IN
GROTESQUE, VIOLENT WAYS.
14. FAIRY TALES (cont.)
• THE BEST-KNOWN
COLLECTION OF THESE
STORIES IS GRIMMS’
FAIRY TALES, WHICH
INCLUDES CINDERELLA,
LITTLE RED RIDING
HOOD, HANSEL &
GRETEL, RAPUNZEL,
AND OTHER WELL-
KNOWN FAVORITES.
15. ALLEGORIES
• SYMBOLIC STORIES THAT TEACH A MORAL
LESSON AND IN WHICH EACH CHARACTER,
ACTION, & SETTING STANDS FOR A SPECIFIC
MEANING.
16. ALLEGORIES (cont.)
• EX.: JOHN BUNYAN’S PILGRIM’S
PROGRESS (1678), IN WHICH A
CHARACTER NAMED CHRISTIAN,
WHO EMBODIES THE VIRTUES OF
CHRISTIANITY, JOURNEYS
THROUGH A WORLD OF
TEMPTATIONS & DANGERS (CITY
OF DESTRUCTION, VALLEY OF
HUMILIA-TION, ETC.) EN ROUTE
TO THE CELESTIAL CITY
(HEAVEN).
17.
18. CHARACTER
The people or animals
that take part in the
story.
MAIN CHARACTER:
who the story is
mainly about
MINOR CHARACTER:
the less important
characters in the story
19. PROTAGONIST
The HERO of the story
who is faced with a
conflict (usually the
main character).
20. ANTAGONIST
• Usually the villain
in the story (the
person, animal, or
creature who
creates conflict
for the main
character).
23. CONFLICTCONFLICT
A fight or difference in
opinion.
1. INTERNAL CONFLICT
• Takes place within a
character’s mind.
2. EXTERNAL CONFLICT
• The character struggles
with an outside force.
27. POINT OF VIEW
The vantage point from which a story is told.
1st
person
• the writer uses first-person pronouns (I or me) to tell
the story.
3rd
person
• narrator describes the events, but does not take part in
them.
3rd
person omniscient
• the narrator knows everything; encompassing.
28. Foreshadowing
• A writers way of hinting at what will come in the
story.
• A reader can make predictions based on the
information given.
29. Author’s Purpose
Authors have a purpose in mind when
writing: entertain, debate, analyze,
persuade, inform, etc.
They consider their audience when
deciding on a subject, purpose for writing,
and the tone and style in which to write.
30. Dialogue
• The words that
characters speak aloud
Tone
Shows the writer’s attitude toward his or her
subject (humorous, serious, impatient, sad, etc.)
31. Symbolism
• Something concrete—such as a person,
place, or object—that signifies something
more than just itself, something abstract,
such as a concept or an idea.
32. REALISTIC FICTION
• A story that tells
about characters
and events that are
similar to people
and animals in real
life.
33. SCIENCE FICTION
• A story that is set
in the future and
is based on
scientific ideas.
34. HISTORICAL FICTION
• A story that is set in the past
and portrays people, places, and
events that did or could have
happened.
FANTASY
A story that is not realistic,
sometimes the characters have
magical or supernatural
powers.