V C E LITERATURE STEPS TO SUCCESS Anne Mitchell
2 FEATURES OF LITERARY TEXTS The features of various kinds of texts are described in this chapter. Before you engage in a more in-depth analysis and start working on your Literature outcomes, you should read through this information carefully, focusing on the text types that are relevant to your course. Do this in conjunction with your second readings. NOVELS It might be useful to start with the type of text that has been set for your first outcome, and then read the information relating to the other texts when you need to. It is widely accepted that novels written in English, as we Note that the information about novels in this section know them today, first appeared in the early 18th century is also relevant to short stories. with texts such as Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (published in 1719) and Gulliver s Travels by Jonathan Swift (published in 1726). Defoe s work marked the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre, and while novels were not held in very high regard at first, over the years the novel increasingly became accepted as an important art form. Genre As you know, there is a variety of genres of novels, such as crime, romance, comedy, fantasy, science fiction, historical them as well as follow them. fiction, magic realism, gothic horror, and mystery/thriller, to name a few. New genres appear all the time, such as chick lit and queer literature. Different genres have their own unique conventions, which limit what the text can say and help to convey the views and values expressed in the text. It also means that we have certain expectations when we read or view texts belonging to a particular genre. Some examples of generic conventions are listed below. Romantic fiction Note that generic conventions are not fixed. Novels can resist Not to be confused with 'romance fiction'. See page 26. ) There will be resolved or unresolved sexual tension. ) Fidelity and constancy in the relationship are valued and will be rewarded. ) There will be complications in the relationship, but these complications will be resolved. ) Usually, the romantic relationship will have a happy ending. ISBN: 978 1 4586 6479 2 2 FEATURES OF LITERARY TEXTS 23
Crime fiction ) If the detective thinks logically, the truth will be revealed and the criminal will be caught. ) The detective will be brave, tough, intelligent and street-wise. ) There will be clues and mysteries along the way and the denouement will be plausible, but not predictable. Fantasy ) The forces of good will triumph over evil. ) There will be male and/or female heroes who save others from disaster. ) The hero may be a reluctant hero. Gothic horror ) There will be monsters, nightmares, dark places and death. ) The protagonist may suffer not only physical pain, but also psychological and emotional pain. ) Innocence will be threatened. EXERCISE 1 1 What is the genre of the novel you are studying? List the title, author and genre below. 2 What conventions would you expect the novel to have, given its genre? 3 As you study the novel, think about whether or not it fulfils the expectations of its genre. 4 Think about what happens if a text does not live up to the reader s expectations. For example, why would the author of romantic fiction not provide a happy ending? How would you feel about this? Would you feel somehow cheated? Why/why not? 24 VCE LITERATURE STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 1 4586 6479 2
Novels vary in genre, subject matter, language and style, but they all have certain features in common and these are described below. Settings Within the novel, and also in other narrative texts, there will be a number of different physical environments inhabited by the characters. These environments may have an impact on the characters and the plot, and may add mood or atmosphere. The physical landscape may take on symbolic significance and reflect the emotional state of the characters. The landscapes and houses in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, for example, reflect the natures and personalities of the characters who live there. EXERCISE 2 Draw up a grid or table of the various settings in the novel, play, film or short story that you are studying for an analytical outcome and add information about how the settings influence the characters. Your table might have the following columns: What are the main settings? Who lives there? Why is the main character there? What significant events occur there? What impact does this setting have on the main character and other characters? The table is available as a template and can be found in the online resources. Is there a symbolic aspect to the setting? For example, if you were studying Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, you would complete details about the following settings (and you might consider the symbolism of the names of these places): ) Gateshead Hall ) Moor House ) Lowood Institute ) Ferndean Manor ) Thornfield Hall Settings should not be confused with sociohistorical contexts (see page 68). ISBN: 978 1 4586 6479 2 2 FEATURES OF LITERARY TEXTS 25
Plot The writer, EM Forster, in Aspects of the Novel, explained the difference between storyline and plot in the following way: A story is a narrative of events, arranged in their time sequence. Plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality. The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died and then the queen died of grief is a plot. Sometimes there will be a main plot and one or more subplots. If there is a subplot, questions to ask include: ) Why is there a subplot? ) How is it linked to the main plot? Is it through characters, events or some other literary device, such as a motif? ) Does the subplot reinforce, challenge, qualify or extend a key message or idea or insight gained through the main plot? Sometimes there will be several different plots running concurrently and readers must keep track of this complex arrangement. Works of the fantasy genre often do this. The epic fantasy novels by George RR Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire, are an example. (You might know the filmed version Game of Thrones.) In Martin s work, the complex plot structure gives us the point of view of multiple characters, as each chapter focuses on a different character. In this kind of narrative, it is a good idea to use a Who s Who concept map of characters as a bookmark! Any plot depends on some kind of conflict. Realist or naturalist fiction will draw on everyday life for conflicts. The short stories of Cate Kennedy are a good example. On the other hand, romance fiction will portray conflicts and events that are more dangerous or mysterious or adventurous than those in normal life. Joseph Conrad s Heart of Darkness is a good Be sure to differentiate between romance fiction example. This is not to be confused with the romance and romantic fiction. genre, or romantic fiction, which is essentially a love story. The exposition (or orientation) at the beginning of the story will introduce the characters and the plot. After a series of crises, culminating in a climax, the story will reach a resolution, or a denouement. There may be an unexpected twist at the end, and this must be plausible. You might know Roald Dahl s short stories he was a master of the sting in the tail kind of narrative. The events of the plot can be related in linear, chronological order, or in some other way. A circular narrative begins and ends at the same point in the story, but in between these bookends is usually a linear narrative. 26 VCE LITERATURE STEPS TO SUCCESS ISBN: 978 1 4586 6479 2
The typical structure of a linear narrative might look like this. LINEAR PLOT STRUCTURE OF A NARRATIVE Note that there will be more crises than this in a novel. Orientation establish setting establish characters launch the plot Resolve the crisis First crisis or problem Resolve the crisis Second crisis Climax (highest point of dramatic tension) Resolution or denouement all problems are resolved story s conclusion is plausible readers are usually satisfied A retrospective narrative begins at a particular point in the story and then takes us back in time (through a flashback) to explore the events that led to this point. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a good example. Foreshadowing is a narrative technique whereby readers are given some clue about an event that will occur in the future. This might be explicit (such as the witches prophecies in Macbeth) or symbolic (such as Duncan giving to Macbeth the title that once belonged to a traitor Thane of Cawdor). Think about the purpose of foreshadowing. Why is it used? How is it significant? Narrative voice and perspective When you read your texts for the second time, you should make note of key moments in the plot. Look for gaps in the plot. What are we not told about? Why not? Narrative voice refers to the teller of the story (the narrator), who sets up a relationship with the reader, influencing our opinions of characters and events. The events of the plot can be narrated by one of the characters in first person an identified narrative voice. Alternatively, the story can be told by an unidentified narrator in third person. This narrator can be omniscient (knowing everything about all the characters) or limited (following the perspective of one character only). Very rarely, a story will be narrated in second person ( you, your ). You can see this in the extract from the short story Dark roots from the collection of the same name by Cate Kennedy. In this story, the narrator is a 40-year-old woman with a much younger boyfriend. She is addressing both herself and the reader, commenting on her anxiety about her ageing appearance and suggesting that this obsession is shared by many other women. ISBN: 978 1 4586 6479 2 2 FEATURES OF LITERARY TEXTS 27