Literary Discourse: Elements of Literature

Introduction In a previous lecture, we discussed the meaning of Literature from different perspectives. We also saw the difficulty in determining the scope of the interesting subject. Today we examine certain features that a writer combines to produce a literary piece: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE. Indeed, appreciation of these elements would help us (to) maximize our understanding of and interest in Literature.

Learning Outcomes After working through this lecture, fellow learners/readers should be able to gain improved comprehension of: Theme Plot Characters Setting Conflict Structure Diction

Easy usage of these elements in a literary work It is important to note that the type of a literary piece determines the elements in it. For instance, elements of Drama and Fiction are different from those of Poetry, although some of the elements are common to all the literary genres. An example is THEME which is a prime element in literary works of all types.

Theme This refers to the central idea of a literary work. Normally, it reflects areas of concern to society like life, death, reality, fate, madness, sanity, love, education, etc. It also serves as the foundation on which the rest of the elements are built in the literary world. For instance, a TV drama on education as the theme features people (characters) talking about (dialogue) education. One literary work may contain many themes, depending on how an individual analyzes it. For example, a story of love theme may contain sub-themes of jealousy, betrayal, and hypocrisy.

Plot This is a storyline: a plan of action that centres on a conflict and that is brought to a kind of resolution. In other words, Plot is the serial arrangement of incidents, ideas or events in a story. It encompasses all the incidents and provides aesthetic pleasure. The story of a novel progresses through various plots and conflicts. Plots of drama are divided into Acts and Scenes, and those of fiction (are divided) into Chapters.

Characters Characters are the people or sometimes animals playing various roles in a story. Characters can be fictional or based on real, historic entities. They can be supernatural, mythical, and divine. They can also be personifications of abstractions. Many stories have two kinds of characters: major and minor. Major characters carry the burden of the Plot and take part in most of the actions. One of the major characters may be a PROTAGONIST, someone who has a problem to solve or a conflict to resolve before there can be a satisfactory ending. The protagonist’s problem may be caused by an ANTAGONIST, someone against whom the protagonist struggles to resolve the conflict.

Minor characters enrich a story or a play by providing the major characters with further complications. They also reflect character traits that amuse, puzzle and inform readers or viewers about the main idea of the literary piece. Characters, major or minor, can be round or flat. A round character is dynamic – capable of change and growth – and a flat character is static in the story.

Writers describe characters either directly or indirectly. When the description is direct, writers tell how the characters look and act, and when indirect, writers allow the characters to describe one another. For instance, in a 30-minute TV drama on Girl-child Education (Marzuq, 2004), a husband continually describes his wife as arrogant, while a brother describes her sister as disrespectful.

Setting Setting refers to the location, time, daily lifestyle of the characters, and climate of the story. Settings of literary forms have been changing according to the themes of the literary pieces. For example, Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies have the settings of palaces, castles, whereas modern and post-modern dramas have settings of houses of common people. A Setting can be a house, school, castle, forest, hospital or anywhere writers want to tell their stories.

Conflict Conflict is simply the element of struggle between two or among many opposing forces in a piece of literature. Be it a short story, drama or novel, Conflict plays an essential role. A Plot becomes intriguing when it has its share of inbuilt conflicts and twists. Conflict can be internal or external. It can take place between two persons, between the character and his or her psychology, between the character and circumstances or between the character and society. When conflict exists between two persons, it is described as MAN AGAINST MAN; between man and himself: MAN AGAINST HIMSELF; and between man and society or anything natural: MAN AGAINST NATURE. It is significant to mention that the MAN as used in this context is generic – representing both man and woman. This explanation is to prevent the charge of SEXIST LANGUAGE, which is undesirable to advocates of gender equality.

Structure Structure is the arrangement of a literary piece into meaningful units of coherence. A story's Structure can be examined in relation to its Plot. As the Plot is the sequence of unfolding action, the Structure is the design or form of the completed action. In examining Plot, we consider causality – how one action leads to or ties with another. But in examining Structure, we look for the shape that the story as a whole possesses. It stands to reason that both Plot and Structure are about coherent arrangement. However, Plot directs us to the story in motion, and Structure to the story at rest. Plot and Structure together reveal aspects of the story's artistic design.

Diction This refers to the choice of words by a writer. It is another essential element of a literary work. A playwright exhibits the thoughts of characters through dialogue. According to the Oxford Dictionary, "dialogue" is from the Greek word "dialogos" which, among other things, means "conversation." Shakespeare used dialogue to portray the thoughts, emotions and feelings of characters in his works. Dialogue provides clues to the backgrounds of characters and helps in advancing the plot. Fellow students should, therefore, note that dialogue plays an important role in CHARACTER APPRECIATION, an assignment often given to students of Literature at the Senior High and Tertiary levels. Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato used dialogue as the best way to instruct their students.

Conclusion Dear reader, it is pertinent to mention that there are other essential elements of literature that are not discussed in this lecture because of time and space constraints. However, students are encouraged to read beyond the syllabi at their levels to satisfy their literary ambitions and maximize their literary growth. Finally, it is significant to note that the way all these elements work together and the writer’s manipulation of language, ideas, and presentation constitute his or her STYLE. God is the best knower.

References Damrosch, David, & Gen. (Eds). (2004). The Longman anthology of British literature. (2nd ed.).New York: Pearson. Gorbert, E. P. J. (1991). Classical rhetoric for modern student. (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford UP. Holman, C. H. (1972). A handbook to literature. (3rd ed.). New York: The Odyssey Press. Marzuq, A. M. (Director). (2004). Sakina in tears [Motion picture]. Ghana: Accra. The Oxford advanced learner's dictionary. (1995). (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University. The Penguin dictionary of litera

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