Literary Elements How long should your summary be? A general rule is to keep it to about one-fourth to one-third of the story's original length. So, if your original story is two pages long, a summary should be about half a page. Now read this passage and study the summary of it that a student wrote. Excerpt from "The Bohemian Girl" I by Willa Cather "Go wash your hands, Eric," called Mrs. Ericson. "I've got cob corn for supper, Nils. You used to like it. I guess you don't get much of that in the old country. Here's Hilda; she'11 take you up to your room. You'll want to get the dust off you before you eat." = -! = j.r i, Mrs. Ericson went into the dining-room to lay another plate, and the little girl came up and nodded to Nils as if to let him know that his room was ready. He put out his hand and she took it, with a startled glance up at his face. Little Eric dropped his towel, threw an ann about Nils and one about Hilda, gave them a clumsy squeeze, and then stumbled out to the porch. During supper Nils heard exactly how much land each of his eight grown brothers g farmed, how their crops were coming on, and how much livestock they were feeding. His ff mother watched him narrowly as she talked. "You've got better looking, Nils," she il remarked abruptly, whereupon he grinned and the children giggled. Eric, although he was fi eighteen and as tall as Nils, was always accounted a child, being the last of so many sons. E His face seemed childlike, too, Nils thought, and he had the open, wandering eyes of a little i; boy. All the others had been men at his age. 'a' t t;, iai/,l.a#j Student's Summary In this excerpt from "The Bohemian Girl" by Willa Cather, the narrator describes a dinner scene u'ith the Ericson family. It appears that Nils has come home to visit, as evidenced by his mother's doting on him. While they eat, they recount the progress of the farm to Nils, as Eric sits by quietly. The passage describes Eric as childlike even though he is old enough to be considered a man. -\s luou can see, this summary covers well the main points of the passage. It sticks to just what's in the passage, and it tells everything you need to know to understand the plot. Tneue Theme is the underlying message of a written work that usually reflects a certain outlook on iife. The theme should not be confused with the central idea of a story which is basically what ne story is about on a surface level. Themes are not directly stated. They are gradually implied rr revealed throughout the story. Sometimes you have to make inferences based on what you irou,and have read in the story. (inferences will be covered in more depth in chapter 6.) \\hen you are looking for a literary theme, you might consider how the main character changes u'hat is leamed in the course of the story. Here are some tips to finding the theme of a story. Page 29
,i ilrr lti illlir Chapter 2 How to Find the Theme I Read the entire passage. 2 Think about the deeper message it portrays. 3 Try to sum up that message in one sentence. 4 Make sure the message you choose fits the eilir"epassage, not just one part. For example, think about the theme of this passage. Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under rljul;tu'o o"" Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood_shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five_Nines that dropped ;#;; behind. Y.,g.nntinethe clumsy helmets just in time; U* someone still was yelling out and srumbling, ff And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime... "' through the misty panes and thick ro;n, green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. $ In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, il He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 't ^some smothering dreams you too could pace # Behind the wagon thar we flung him in. F i; *O watch the white eyes writhing in his face, #'His hanging face, like a devil,s sick of sin X? If you could hear, at every jolt. the blood
Literary Elements Come gargling from the froth-comrpted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.* *Translation It is sweet and right to die for your country. E? &t Y1 ta Ytt r.r; '11 t3 {3 v; i* d1. f,.). +r i.,j tl, 8 N- N\ '. -.- L- F- -.(a [' -= -- c L-- Ḻ = L- >- =- ra cc Which of the following statements is the best theme for the passage? A Death should not be feared. B The living and the dead form bonds of love. C Never speak badly about the dead. D War is often wrongly idealized and glorified. What is Owen trying to say in this poem? The language and details he uses in the poem provide us some clues. He describes the soldiers as weak and exhausted. They "trudge," "coughing like hags," "lame" and "blind." The soldiers who have lost their boots in the mud are "bloodshod"-that is, their feet are caked in blood. The imagery used to describe the poisoned man is even grislier. Owen compares him to a man drowning "guttering, choking, drowning." His "white eyes [are] writhing in his face," and blood comes "gargling from the froth-comrpted lungs." After painting such a grotesque, horrific picture with these images, the speaker says that anyone who had seen such a nightmare would not glorify war. Here we reach the theme of the passage. For centuries, people, especially young people, have held idealized visions of war, seeing it as a path to glory and adventure. Owen, an English poet who fought in World War I, says the Latin saying is a lie used to deceive "children" who don't know the ugly reality of war. 4t (o) I >; Page 31
Chapter 2 RecunnENT THEMES rn LnenRruRe Some situations or feelings are shared by all people no matter when and where they live. Literature often focuses on these recurrent themes of common human experience. Also called universal themes, they deal with human experiences found in all eras and cultures. Some of the most common recuffent themes include the following Theme Good always wins over evil Recurrent Themes in Literature Work Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings trilogy) Power comrpts. War forces men to change. Nature works by its own set of laws. Julius Caesar The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings trilogy) The Hunger Games All Quiet on the Western Front The Call of the Wld Julie of the Wolves Individuals must think for themselves. Anthem 1984 Coming of age is a dicult process. Crime doesn't pay in the end. Overcoming adversity Jane Eyre A Tree Grows in Brooklvn Crime and Punishment "The Tell-Tale Heart" Gone with the Wind Angela's Ashes Coming to terms with death The Book Thief "Death Be Not Proud" (Donne) Sacrifice is a part of love. Of Mice and Men The Gospels Page 32
Practice 2 Plot, Flashback, Foreshadowing, and Theme RL 1,2,5, 10 Literary Elements Excerpt from "The Spectre Bridegroom" by Washington Irving There was a great family gathering at the castle, on an affair of the utmost importance it was to receive the destined bridegroom of the baron's daughter. A negotiation had been carried on between the father and an old nobleman of Bavaria, to unite the dignity of their houses by the marriage of their children. The preliminaries had been conducted with properpunctilio. The young people were betrothed without seeing each other; and the time rvas appointed for the marriage ceremony. r tfl. 1[& L,Jlr u L i $i The castle was in a tumult of preparation to give him a suitable welcome. The fair bride had been decked out with uncommon care. The two aunts had...quarreled the whole morning about every article of her dress. The young lady had taken advantage of their contest to follow the bent of her own taste; and fortunately it was a good one. She looked as lovely as youthful bridegroom could desire; and the flutter of expectation heightened the lustre of her charms. The baron was no less busied in preparations. He had, in truth, nothing exactly to do but he was naturally a fuming bustling little man, and could not remain passive when all the u'orld was in a hurry. He worried from top to bottom of the castle with an air of infinite anxiety; he continually called the servants from their work to exhort them to be diligent; andbuzzed about every hall and chamber, as idly restless and importunate as a blue-bottle tl1' on a wartn summer's day. In the meantime the fatted calf had been killed; the forests had rung with the clamor of the huntsmen; the kitchen was crowded with good cheer; the cellars had yielded up whole oceans of Rhein-wein and Ferne-wein; and even the great Heidelberg tun had been laid under contribution. Every thing was ready to receive the distinguished guest with Saus und Braus in the true spirit of German hospitality-but the guest delayed to make his appearance. Hour rolled after hour. The sun, that had poured his downward rays upon the rch forest of the Odenwald, now just gleamed along the summits of the mountains. The baron mounted the highest tower, and strained his eyes in hope of catching a distant sight..'f rhe count and his attendants. Once he thought he beheld them; the sound of horns came loating from the valley, prolonged by the mountain echoes. A number of horsemen were far below, slowly advancing along the road; but when they had nearly reached the foot 'en ; i rhe mountain, they suddenly struck off in a different direction. The last ray of sunshine parted-the bats began to flit by in the twilight-the road grew dimmer and dimmer to [ -. r ieu'; and nothing appeared stining in it but now and then a peasant lagging homeward his labor. i =..r '' E M-- ".^.rnst&,trt;r'";'"nt?$* "si 3 i6$' Ylil wi Bf sfr #l gl f{$ H!& v,!ri xlt $ gli qlr '6 Page 33
Chapter 2 Night closed in, but still no guest arrived. The baron descended from the tower in despair. The banquet, which had been delayed from hour to hour, could no longer be postponed. The meats were already overdone; the cook in an agony; and the whole household had the look of a garrison that had been reduced by famine. The baron was obliged reluctantly to give orders for the feast without the presence of the guest. All were seated at table, and just on the point of commencing, when the sound of a h-orn from without the gate g*. noti.. of the approach of a stranger. Another long blast filled the old courts of the castle with its echoes, and was answered by the warder from the walls. The baron hastened to receive his future son-in-law. The drawbridge had been let down, and the stranger was before the gate. He was a tall, gallant cavalier, mounted on a black steed. His.*nt.nun.e was pale, but he hacl a beaming, romantic eye, and an air of stately melancholy. The baron was a little mortified that he should have come in this simple, solitary style. ilis aignlty for a moment was ruffled, and he felt disposed to consider it a want of proper respect fbr the important.ocaslon? and the important family with which he was tl ue.onnected. He pacified himself, however, with the conclusion, that it must have been youthful impatience which had induced him thus to spur on sooner than his attendants. "I am sorry," said the stranger, "to break in upon you thus unseasonably-,, Here the baron intemrpted him with a world of compliments and greetings; for, to tell the truth, he prided himself upon his courtesy and eloquence. The stranger attempted, once or lwice, H' to stem the tonent ofwords, but in vain,, -^ -', w,-ar so ov he rrv bowed vv vy vu his ruj head ll\/(1(l and drru suffered SLIII9I-9U it lt to IO flow IlO\l '" on' By the time the baron had come to a pause, they had reached the inner court of the 7'{; castle; and the stranger was again about to speak, when he was once more intemrpted by *nrl?^rance.of the female iart of the ramity, leading forth the shrinking and blushing {'bride. He gazed on her for a moment as one entranced; it seemed as if his whole soul beamed forth in the gaze,and rested upon that lovely form. one of the maiden aunts ''t&,ylr!"0 Y6 tt\"ovv\wv something Dw'rvLrlluB in ur her uvr ear; sal; she Sne made ma0e an effort eiioft io to speak; Speak; her hef moisr moist blue blue eye was WaS }j gae_l shy glance of inquiry tinidl>iraised; on the stranger; and was cast aga; to ;; gtu19. The words died away; but there was a sweet smile playing about her tipr,'^a u 'frn?on dimpling of the cheek that showed her glance had not been unsatisfactory. It was.w, imrossible for a girl of the fond age of eighieen, highly predisposed for love and # matlmony, nor to be pleased with so gallant u ruuiliri. Y# Ta!'lill]1i rlvelv, the stranger guest maintained a most singutar and unseasonabte W gravtry' Hls countenance assumed a deeper cast of dejection as the evening advanced; and, # strange.as. it may appear, even the baron's jokes seemed only to render him the *orr*'-"' tr6. ;,T-tlll"lt*t]T-.t l'1"1 t]*.t!e ne w.as was lost in tn thoughi, thought, and at times there was a pefturbed and restless $ iry #wanderlngottheevethatheqnnkeer-nindhrrrilt the eye that bespoke a mind oraaoa Lr;- ^^--.^--^^r^,--..1.1 *Bi but ill at ease. His conversations with the bnde $ be.came more and more eamest and mysterious. Lowering clouds began to steal over the '# fair serenity of her brow, and tremors,o -n WYMWiJW,M,t#; }i,5j.,, through her iender frame. "' "'" si Page 34
Literary Elements All this could not escape the notice of the company. Their gayety was chilled by th-e unaccountable gloom of th. bridtgroom; their spirits were infected; whispers and glances were interchanged, accompanied by shrugs and dubious shakes of the head' The song and the laugh gr.*1.r, and less frequent; there were dreary pauses in the conversation, which *.r. uil.ngth succeeded by wild tales and supernatural legends. One dismal story produced aiother still morcdismal, and the baron nearly frightened some of the ladies into ilysterics with the history of the goblin horseman that carried away the fair Leonora' F. F ro t (on LIJ k O J & lof o zoo t c E o O I oo -J What does the foreshadowing in this story suggest? A The marriage ceremony will be completed on time' B The bridegroom has something horrible to say' C The bride is not attracted to her future husband' D The baron wants to call the whole thing off' Which of these could best be considered a subplot? A The baron's efforts in running the banquet B The killing of the fatted calf C The bridegroom's wandering eye D The negotiation with the old Bavarian nobleman Since this passage is building up to the main action of this story which plot element is most prominent? If you read the entire story you would find out that the bridegroom is pretending to be a ghost so he can "un..l ihe wedding, but he falls in love with the bride anyway' How could the theme best be described? A Ghosts are sometimes real. B Love is not real. C Parents just don't understand. D Love conquers all' c0 cg O E =o '- o O Page 35
Chapter 2 5 Il at the end of the story the bride were remembering the honid events from he wedding, what device would be used? A Flashback B Foreshadowing C Resolution D Subplot 6 Using your own paper, write a three- to four-sentence summary of this passage. Activity RL2 On your own paper, write the names of two movies, stories, books, or television sho\\.s i- r- share the same theme. Identify the theme, and explain how each work conveys that ther CnnnncrERtzATtoN characters are the people, animals, or things in a story. They can be old, young, male, fea,r T o^ l}f "l ul*ol anvthing or anvone! The writer of a story gives every.hu*,*l certain personaliry. Just as the main trait of a dog is its loyalty to its master, the tiaits of --erro characters make up their distinguishing personalities. They -ay orllerent \\'avs. be silly, serious, devoted. i-,nn,r,th;; ;;;i ;;;";h;; ; ;-. r Description Narration An author can tell how characters look, Or.rr as you might describe a friend of yours to someone. In Eudora wel.. shoft story "A worn Path," the narrator begins by describing the ma character, Phoenix Jackson, as an ord, rrnuil N.gio woman irersed.- plain but neat clothing. This is the telling of the story through u tp.u of the characters or could be an unknown observer. Tire speaker u.iil =- how other characters feel or think or will describe how they acr. In Stephen crane's The Red Badge of Courage,there is anunknown nar-r. who is limited to telling the story through the eyes of a young sordi; Page 36