《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(13周)
《Short Stories》 讲义
《Short Stories》讲义在文学的广袤天地中，短篇小说（Short Stories）犹如一颗颗璀璨的星辰，以其独特的魅力闪耀着。
它们或许没有长篇巨著那般宏大的篇幅和复杂的情节架构，但却能在有限的文字里，传递出深刻的情感、独特的见解和引人入胜的故事。
短篇小说的一个显著特点就是其篇幅的精炼。
相较于长篇小说，短篇小说需要作者在更短的篇幅内塑造鲜明的人物形象，构建引人入胜的情节，并传达深刻的主题。
这就要求作者具备高超的文字驾驭能力和谋篇布局的智慧。
比如，莫泊桑的《项链》就是一篇经典的短篇小说。
故事以女主人公马蒂尔德借项链参加舞会为开端，因丢失项链而辛苦还债为发展，最终揭示项链是假的为结局。
整个故事紧凑而又充满戏剧性，在短短几千字内，将马蒂尔德的虚荣、命运的无常以及社会的现实展现得淋漓尽致。
再看欧·亨利的《麦琪的礼物》，一对贫困的夫妻为了给对方送上一份珍贵的礼物，分别卖掉了自己最宝贵的东西，然而最终的礼物却都失去了实用价值。
这样的情节既温馨又充满了讽刺，让人在为他们的爱情感动的同时，也对生活的无奈有了更深的思考。
短篇小说的魅力还在于其情节的巧妙构思。
好的短篇小说往往能在开篇就迅速抓住读者的注意力，然后通过巧妙的情节转折和发展，让读者始终保持着紧张的阅读状态。
例如，芥川龙之介的《罗生门》，以一个破败的城门为背景，通过一个仆人的心理变化和选择，展现了人性的复杂和黑暗。
从一开始仆人的犹豫，到最后为了生存而放弃道德，每一个情节的推进都让人意想不到，却又在情理之中。
而在契诃夫的《变色龙》中，通过对警官奥楚蔑洛夫围绕一条狗的态度反复变化，将其见风使舵、趋炎附势的丑态刻画得入木三分，让人在捧腹大笑的同时，也对社会的丑恶现象有了深刻的认识。
短篇小说的人物塑造同样至关重要。
由于篇幅限制，作者无法像在长篇小说中那样对人物进行全方位的细致描绘，但却可以通过抓住人物的关键特征和典型行为，使人物形象鲜明而生动。
比如鲁迅的《孔乙己》，仅仅通过孔乙己站着喝酒却穿着长衫、“排出九文大钱”等几个典型的动作和细节，就将一个深受封建科举制度毒害的读书人的形象呈现在读者面前，让人对他的可怜与可悲感同身受。
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第三周)
Story 2 Discussion
Story 2 Discussion
Plot summary Who: Peyton Farquhar —a plantation owner of the South; a slave master Where: Owl Creek Bridge
When: during the Civil War
Omniscient point of view
• Definition: a narrator knows everything about all the characters. (all-knowing) • Such a narrator is free to move and to comment at will, and can tell us what characters say and do as well as their thoughts and feelings. • E.g. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
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story 2 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
—Ambrose Bierce —Plot
Adapted film 猫头鹰桥事件 La Rivière du hibou (1962) 导演: 罗伯特· 安利可 编剧: Ambrose Bierce 制片国家/地区: 法国 语言: 英语 上映日期: 1962 片长: 28分钟
• Third-person narrator does not appear as a character in a story. • Third-person narrator may see into the minds of all characters, a single character, or none of the characters but merely describes events from the outside. • A) omniscient point of view • B) limited omniscient point of view • C) objective or dramatic point of view
英文经典短篇小说阅读与赏析课件
The star guided the three men to a manger ( /ˈmeɪndʒə/马槽) where they discovered the child.
The men offered the child their gifts: gold（黄金）, incense （乳香） and myrrh（/ mə/殁 药）. This event is known as
But later Jim gives Della a beautiful set of combs, which proves to be of no use for her now.
Then, Della gives the chain to Jim, but is told that Jim has sold his gold watch to get the money to buy the combs for her hair.
Part I Comprehension and appreciation
Time: On Christmas Eve
Event: Buying gifts
Characters: Della and Jim (Magi)
About the plot Logic: Beginning-Development-Result
the Adoration of the Magi.
That night, God told them in
their dreams to ignore Herod's
orders. The next day the Magi
left secretly.
Massacre of the Innocents /ˈmæsəkə(r) / /ˈɪnəsnt /
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第一周)(12英本2班) (1)
Today‟s Agenda
—about the instructor
—about the course —class website
—Chapter 1 Plot (I)
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A woman is sitting in her old, shuttered house. She knows that she is alone in the whole world; every other thing is dead. The doorbell rings.
Story? Essay? Poem? Play?
Novel
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Read the following paragraphs
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About the course
Expected duration: 16 weeks Overview Selected readings of English short stories is a class that uses famous short stories in both American and British literature to help students enhance their reading ability, get to know the cultures of foreign countries, and most importantly, master the basic literary criticism skills. Students in this course will focus on the function and significance of basic elements of the short stories upon various selected readings.
Reading Short Stories-英语短篇小说课件
Theme
-- major idea
-- presented indirectly -- diverse
Techniques of Short Story
a. b. c. d. Allegory Central symbols Scenic technique (objective point of view) Irony (language and theme) --verbal irony --satirical irony --situational irony Unreliable narrators Epiphany (Designate an event in which the essential nature of something – a person, a situation, an object – was suddenly perceived) Interior monologue Stream of consciousness Flashback
The End!
2. Development of Short Stories in America
19th century (stereotyped pattern) --The tale of unified effect of Poe --Surprise-ending story of O. Henry 20th century (formula was broken) --Chehkov: stories with effect on mood and evocative description --Maupassant: „twist‟ ending, a restrained tone, impeccable use of detail
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第十五周)
Irony
What Is Irony? Common forms
Review
What Is Irony?
Definition of Irony
Irony is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant, the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense.
Situational Irony
situational irony
“It’s no use going to see little Hans in winter,” the miller used to say to his wife. “when people are in trouble we must leave them alone and not bother them, that is my idea of friendship and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till spring comes, and then I shall visit him and he will give me a large bouquet of primrose, and that will make him very happy.” “You think so much about others,” said his wife. “it’s pleasure to hear what you say about friendship. I am sure the priest himself cannot say such beautiful things as you do, though he lives in a three-storeyed house, and wears a gold ring on his little finger.” (Oscar Wilder: The Devoted Friend)
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第十四周给学生的)
Symbols
Related literary terms —allegory —metaphor —analogy
Symbols
柯尔律治曾说过：“一个思想，在这个词的最高意 义上，只有一个象征才能传达。”象征又分为寓言 式象征和非寓言式象征。寓言式象征是指象征物与 被象征物不是靠暗示和联想，而是靠固定的替代， 这样的象征往往形成一个固定的型式。非寓言式象 征则是在特定语境下，靠暗示和联想而实现的象征。 象征还可分为公共象征和私设象征：公共象征是某 种文化传统中约定俗成的，读者都明白是何所指的 象征。而私设象征则是指作者在作品中靠一定的方 法建立起来的象征。
Instructor: Esther Lv
2nd December, 2014
Week 14
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Discussion on story 13
Historical background • The effects of the Gold Rush were substantial. San Francisco grew from a small settlement of about 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852. Roads and other towns were built throughout California. In 1849 a state constitution was written, and a governor and legislature were chosen. Overnight California gained the international reputation as the "golden state". Generations of immigrants have been attracted by the California Dream.
英语短篇小说阅读指导ppt课件
Focusing on emotions
Setting: outside the station the night before
This part of the story is told in flashback(倒叙).
That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle as he did so, leaving them no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with … possession???
Focusing on emotions
Setting: on the way home
Tip: Read emotions through characters’ interaction!
英语短篇小说阅读指导PPT课件
2019/12/28
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Guidance on reading short stories
---focusing on emotions
把握短篇小说中的情感表达
2019/12/28
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A sample of a short story
• Setting: when and where • Characters: who • Plot: what • Theme: the message of the story
苏州工业园区星海实验中学 许毅颖
2019/12/28
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Warm-up activity—sentence relay game
210E:n054321d1098765432
2019/12/28
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Warm-up activity—sentence relay game
• 1. Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do. • 2. Love is like war: easy to begin but hard to stop. • 3. Hope is being able to see light despite the darkness. • 4. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. • 5. When anger rises, think of the consequences. • 6. Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness.
Focusing on emotions
Setting: outside the station the night before
英美短篇小说文本分析与鉴赏
第9周： Katherine Mansfield, Miss Brill
第10周：主题 （Theme） Kurt Vonnegut , Harrison Bergeron
第11周： Frank Stockton, The Lady, or the Tiger?
第16周：复习 （Review）
（1）每个要素的第一篇故事以教师讲授为主，辅以小组讨论和课堂问答
（2）每个要素的第二篇故事由学生作小组展示，教师补充并进行小组讨论
（1）出勤：10%
（2）课堂参与：10% （课堂回答问题和小组讨论参与情况评估）
（3）小组展示：10%
（4）论文：10%
（5）期末考试：60%
开课院系
英语语言文学系
通选课领域
是否属于艺术与美育
否
平台课性质
平台课类型
授课语言
英文
教材
自编讲义；
The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction,R. V. Cassill,W. W. Norton & Company. Inc,1978,Story and Structure,Laurence Perrine,Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers,1983,
英文简介
This course aims to introduce the seven basic elements of short stories and how these elements contribute to the creation of an artistic whole. Students will also acquire knowledge of the most famous writers and learn more about the western cultures through reading the selected short stories. The course covers 15 short stories that are put in seven sections: plot, character, setting, point of view, theme, symbol, and style. Students will be required to apply what they have learnt to the oral and written analysis of the story by doing an oral presentation and writing a term paper. They are encouraged to speak about what they’ve read, and then share their ideas and questions with the classmates and the teacher.
英文短篇小说,提供英语短篇小说在线阅读与下载!
三一文库（）〔英文短篇小说,提供英语短篇小说在线阅读与下载!〕*篇一：《英语短篇小说选读》教学大纲《英语短篇小说选读》教学大纲作为一门选修课，《英语短篇小说选读》主要面向英语专业本、专科学生，同时兼顾非英语专业各科英语成绩优异并对英语文学感兴趣的学生。
本课程旨在通过引导学生仔细研读英语短篇小说，欣赏其精美的语言和深邃的思想，提高学生的语言素养，帮助学生了解西方的思想与文化，培养学生阅读、欣赏英语文学作品、撰写读后感和简短评论的能力。
课时安排：每周两次，每次两小时，共授课一学期使用教材：姜晓梅（编著）《英语小说名篇赏析》，世界图书出版公司，1999年10月，西安具体教学内容：Chapter1IWanttoKnowWhybySherwoodAndersonChapter2TheDarlingbyAntonChekhovChapter3ARoseforEmilybyWilliamFauknerChapter4TheSnowsofKilimanjarobyErnestHemingwayChapter5TheCapandtheAnthembyO.HeyChapter6ArabybyJamseJoyceChapter7TheMagicBarrelbyBernardMalamudChapter8LifeofMaParkerbyKatherineMansfieldChapter9TheNecklacebyGuydeMaupassantChapter10TheStoryofanHourbyKateChopin参考书目：叶华年《英语短篇小说导读—结构与理解》，华东师范大学出版社，1999《英国短篇小说选》（上、下），上海译文出版社，1982王佐良，刘承沛《美国短篇小说选》，商务印书馆，1984 *篇二：外国短篇小说选读分惊异，瞪大眼珠子看守着。
不久，挂上暂停使用的牌子，忙着要把粪便挑走??终于到了傍黑时分，厕所租金达八贯之多，粪便挑走了五担。
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第十周)
Story 7 A Day’s Wait
Writing style
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Setting
Definition
The location and time frame in which the action of a short story takes place.
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—A green filed dotted with flowers
—A dingy valley
—A tropical jungle —A small house crowded with furniture
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Photo by 55Laney69 - Creative Commons Attribution License https:///photos/42875184@N08 Created with Haiku Deck
Setting
Functions of setting
Instructor: Esther Lv
4th November, 2014
外国短篇小说教学讲义
提问答疑 谢谢观赏
我的叔叔于勒
我这位于勒叔叔一到那里就做上了不知什么买卖，不久就写信来说， 他赚了点钱，并且希望能够赔偿我父亲的损失。这封信使我们家里人 深切感动。于勒，大家都认为分文不值的于勒，一下子成了正直的人， 有良心的人。
果然，10年之久，于勒叔叔没再来信。可是父亲的希望却与日俱增。 母亲也常常说："只要这个好心的于勒一回来，我们的境况就不同了。 他可真算得一个有办法的人。“
外国短篇小说
谈莫泊桑的“讽刺”
组 员 分 工
目录
1 选题&理由&思路 2 文本1 3 文本2
4 总结
莫泊桑的“讽刺”
讽刺对象 讽刺手法 讽刺目的
结论
我们这次的大主题是“外国短篇小说”，短篇小说，顾名思义就是文 章长度较短的小说，和阅读长篇小说不同，阅读短篇小说时的每个动 作，每个描写，都可能有深刻的寓意蕴藏其中，莫泊桑就是这样，我 们阅读时发现，他总喜欢在只言片语中用讽刺的手法，从而道出他想 表达的中心，我们小组便对他是如何讽刺的，又讽刺了什么展开了研 究。
比喻
母亲突然很暴怒起来，说："我就知道这个贼是不会有出息的，早晚 会回来重新拖累我们的。现在把钱交给若瑟夫，叫他去把牡蛎钱付清。 已经够倒楣的了，要是被那个讨饭的认出来，这船上可就热闹了。咱 们到那头去，注意别叫那人挨近我们！"
我的叔叔于勒
文章通过了对比、比喻等手
法，说明于勒以前将家里财 产挥霍一空，菲利普夫妇都 很唾弃他，然而他写信说他 发迹了，要回来还债了，忽 又变得可爱起来了，然而最 后发现他不过是个流浪汉时， 菲利普夫妇却像躲瘟神一样 避开了他。
这里表面上讽刺了菲利普夫
妇的虚荣于势利，实际上是 以笔代刀来抨击当时社会的 黑全相同的。到现在，我们花了十
英语短篇小说阅读指导 ppt课件
Initial understanding
Is the story organized in such an order?
Setting
Characters
Plot
Outside the __s_ta_t_io_n___ the
night before
an old man a policeman
3
Guidance on reading short stories
---focusing on emotions 把握短篇小说中的情感表达
4
A sample of a short story
• Setting: when and where • Characters: who • Plot: what • Theme: the message of the story
The policeman arrested the old man for possession.
In the _p_r_i_so_n____ an old man The old man was policemen released from prison.
On the way ___h_o_m_e___
Tip: Read emotions through the setting!
sad, not respected, abandoned, lonely,
hopeless, …
*faded yellow shirt … windowless room … *The only source of heat came from … the plastic mattress and the rough blanket the blank-faced police woman had handed him. *The policeman dramatically held the blue plastic bag at an arm’s length to the old man … *… the Seiko watch that had stopped working the day his beloved Evelyn left. *No one spoke to him as he walked slowly towards the exit. 7
英语短篇小说教程全册配套优质PPT电子教案
Comment on the following statement:
Israel Zangwill, an English writer, says something about the “truth” of fiction. Do you agree to this opinion?
“In Literature, everything is true except names and places; in history nothing is true except names and places. ”
The Random House Dictionary definition of the word “fiction”:
The class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form.
The four main categories of literature:
Do you agree to this opinion?
“Autobiography is fiction, for in the process of writing the author will have inevitably created a fictitious character.”
The former has two levels of understanding, the narrative level and the authorial level, or the surface level and the deep level of understanding;
The former allows different interpretations; The former requires imaginative participation on the
英语短篇小说赏析 教学大纲2013-2014
英语短篇小说赏析教学大纲与教学计划英美短篇小说赏析是一门专业素质教育任选课，供英语专业高年级学生选读。
通过阅读和分析英语小说，促进学生语言基本功和人文素养的提高，增强学生对英语文学和西方文化的了解。
David LIN – Associate Prof, Master of ARTS 2014/2/23目录Course Introduction (1)Course Objectives (1)Course Related Information: (1)Teaching Schedule: (2)Recommended Text Book (3)Assessment Summary (3)Assessments (7)Assessment 1. Contrast Two Short Stories (7)Stories Analysis Worksheet (8)Marking Guide (9)Assessment 2 Read, study and analyse short Stories (10)Assessment 3. Story Writing (14)Course IntroductionA short story is usually a brief fictional narrative in prose concentrated on a single effect, for example, the creation of mood rather than the telling of a story, which is conveyed in a single significant episode or scene and involving a limited number of characters, sometimes even only one, with words of 3000 to 20000 in general. Whether long or short, a work of fiction is usually made up of certain identifiable devices or elements, each of which contributes to the making of an integrated and unified whole. In relation to the major elements of fiction, we generally refer to plot, character, setting, point of view, theme, style, tone, symbolism and allegory.This course is designed to introduce these fundamental elements to the students who major in English Literature in detail with illustrative readings provided so that they may be better able to analyse, understand and appreciate what they are reading.Course Objectives-Apply Fiction approaches to contrast two different short stories. The approaches may include but not limited to: plot, characters, setting, point of view, theme, style, tone, symbolism, and allegory.-Apply Fiction approaches to analyse a short story.-Write a short story (a slice of life) applying the approaches.Course Related Information:Course Code 41070103 Course Name: Appreciation of English Short Stories Credits 1.5 Teaching Hours 24Major English Course Feature ElectiveRevised Feb 2014Teaching Schedule:Week ContentFiction StudiesHome Readings Title Author(s)1 Plot The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Stephen Crane Christmas Day in the morning (Pearl S. Buck)2 Characters Two Kinds Amy Tam The Catbird Seat (James Thurber)3 Setting To Build a Fire Jack London A Horseman in the Sky (Ambrose Bierce)4 Point of view A Clean, Well-lighted Place Ernest Hemingway The Broken Globe (Henry Kreisel)5 Theme Yellow Woman Leslie Silko Rain (W. Somerset Maugham)6 Assessment 1: Contrast two short stories from the home readings by analysing plot, characters, settings, point of view and themes. 30%7 Style My Oedipus Complex Frank O’Connor Haircut (Ring Lardner)8 Tone The Horse Dealer’s Daughter D. H. Lawrence Luck (Mark Twain)9 Assessment 2. Analysing Mark Twain’s story – Luck. Write an analysis essay discussing the story’s plot characters, setting, point of view,theme, style and tone. Word limit: 1200 (30%)10 Symbolism The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck The Egg (Sherwood Anderson)11 Allegory Old Rogaum and his Theresa Theodore Dreiser Everything that Rises must converge (F. O’Connor)12 Assessment 3. Write a short story based on your own slice of life, applying the fiction approaches of plot characters, setting, point ofview, theme, style, tone, symbolism, and allegory. Length: two pages of A4 size, 40%2Recommended Text BookLiuchen, LIN (2009) An Approach to Fiction (2nd Edition), Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education PressAssessment SummaryOne作业号：311632Contrast two short stories in analysing fiveapproaches: plot, characters, settings,point of view, and themes.Complete the worksheet in no less than1000 words30% Week 64月4日23:59Two作业号：311636Analyse one given short story, and write anessay discuss about plot, characters,setting, point of view, themes, style, andtone.Word limit: 120030% Week 94月25日23:59Three作业号：311638Write your own short story (slice of yourlife), applying the fiction approach by plot,characters, setting, point of view, themes,style, tone, symbolism, and allegory.Use MS Word processor to complete yourdescriptive writing. Your work should be noless than two A4 size pages, using the fontof Time and New Roman in font size of 12,by 1.5 spacing line.40% Week125月16日23:59All the assessments must be uploaded online. First, student has to sign-up online.Click here to sign upTo sign up you must provide true information, your real Chinese name, real student ID and select institute name and your cell-phone number. 注意，在注册时，学生一定要提供真实信息。
《Short Stories》 讲义
《Short Stories》讲义在文学的广袤天地中，短篇小说（Short Stories）犹如一颗颗璀璨的明珠，以其简洁而有力的笔触，展现出丰富多样的世界。
短篇小说虽然篇幅不长，但却蕴含着深刻的思想、动人的情感和精彩的情节，能够在有限的文字里给读者带来无尽的遐想和深刻的触动。
短篇小说的一个显著特点是其紧凑的结构。
与长篇小说不同，短篇小说没有足够的篇幅去慢慢铺陈和展开复杂的情节线索。
它需要作者迅速抓住核心冲突或问题，并以高效的方式推动故事的发展。
这就像是一场精彩的短跑比赛，在短距离内爆发出全部的能量和魅力。
比如，莫泊桑的《项链》就是一个很好的例子。
整个故事围绕着女主人公玛蒂尔德借项链、丢项链、赔项链这一简单而紧凑的情节展开，却深刻地揭示了虚荣的代价和生活的无常。
作者在有限的篇幅内，通过精准的描写和巧妙的情节设置，让读者迅速沉浸在故事中，与主人公一同经历喜怒哀乐。
在人物塑造方面，短篇小说同样有着独特的魅力。
由于篇幅的限制，短篇小说往往不能像长篇小说那样对人物进行全方位、多层次的细致刻画。
但这并不意味着短篇小说中的人物就会显得单薄。
相反，作者需要通过简洁而富有表现力的手法，勾勒出人物的鲜明特征和性格特点。
以欧·亨利的《麦琪的礼物》为例，男女主人公为了给对方送上一份惊喜的礼物，各自做出了牺牲。
在这个简短的故事中，作者通过对他们行动和心理的简洁描写，让读者清晰地感受到了他们之间深厚的爱情以及善良、纯真的品质。
情节的设计在短篇小说中至关重要。
一个引人入胜的情节能够迅速抓住读者的注意力，并让他们一直保持阅读的兴趣直到故事的结尾。
短篇小说的情节往往具有强烈的戏剧性和转折性，能够在短时间内给读者带来强烈的情感冲击。
像契诃夫的《变色龙》，通过描写警官奥楚蔑洛夫在处理“狗咬人”事件中的反复无常，其态度随着狗主人身份的变化而不断改变，情节的巧妙设计让读者在对这种丑态的嘲笑中，深刻地感受到了当时社会的黑暗和人性的扭曲。
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Theme:
•The statement about views of life. •It is an abstract concept (general ideas) (particular)
Theme Versus Subject
• Subject: what a work is about. It can usually
• When you have stated the theme of a story, would you say that the theme of that particular story reinforces values you hold, or does it to some degree challenge them?
II. Difference between theme and
subject
1
2
Subject:
•The focal point of the story. •Such as fate, love, war, death, growth, racial prejudice, etc. (universal)
Instructor: Esther Lv 28th November, 2014 Week 13
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III. Finding the theme
How can we identify the theme of a story? • Asking questions
In other words, what specific details, characters, actions, incidents, etc, suggest the truth of the theme statement?
Today’s Agenda
—Chapter 6 Theme —The Unicorn in the Garden
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society? • Is the society flawed? • If so, how?
IV. Common themes
• Questions about humans and the world • Do characters control their lives? Do
E.g. “In Beauty and the Beast, Belle learns that true beauty comes from within.” “In Beauty and the Beast, we learn through Belle and the beast that true beauty comes from within.”
Requirements for stating a theme
2. The theme is a generalization about life based on the novel and the statement of theme should be true also of other people or life situation.
III. Finding the theme
• Is the title informative? What does it mean or suggest? Did the meaning change after you read the story?
• Does the main character in any way change in the story?
Misconceptions about theme
One novel has only one theme —sub-themes to the main theme —thematic ambiguity —democratic element
Great short stories frequently have more than one themes.
• What is the theme of a novel?
• Is it the main idea or the subject matter?
I. Definition of theme
• Generally speaking, theme is defined as the central or dominating idea in a literary work.
I. Definition of theme
• Key words: • Controlling • Unifying the whole story • Idea or insight • Abstract; generalized idea
I. Definition of theme
• It can be a broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work. The theme may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly.
Misconceptions about theme
Theme is a moral or a lesson —Be kind to your teachers —Honesty is the best policy
A theme is to enhance one’s awareness of life rather than simply to tell him how to behave.
• Do certain passages, dialogues or description seem to you to point toward the theme?
III. Finding the theme
• Do you find certain repetitions of words or of incidents highly suggestive and helpful in directing your thoughts toward a theme?
Requirements for stating a theme
1. A theme must be expressed in the form of a statement with a subject and a predicate.
E.g. Love of one’s country often inspires selfsacrifice.
Requirements for stating a theme
3. Over-generalization should be avoided. (Words like “always”, “never” ,“all” and “every” should be avoided.) Dos: —extract from a particular novel —some; sometimes; may Do not: —assumptions from your own past experience
Misconceptions about theme
Each novel has a theme; E.g. novels of horror
detective novels
Theme exists only in the novel that seriously attempts to reflect life faithfully or intends to reveal truth about life.
Requirements for stating a theme
4. The theme must account for all the major details and must not be contradicted by any details in the novel.
5. One should avoid reducing a theme to a clichéor platitude like “beauty is only skin-deep.”
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Contents:
• I. Definition of theme • II. Difference between theme and
subject • III. Finding the theme • IV. Common themes
Brainstorming
be expressed in one word. E.g. “Love” is a subject of Romeo and Juliet
• Theme: what the work says about the
subject. It should be a complete sentence or statement. E.g. “In Romeo and Juliet, we learn that adolescent romance can be a stronger force than family ties.”