English 1302, Paper 4: Research Paper and Analysis of Elements of Fiction
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION:
What person POV are the stories told from? Reliable and objective or not? Neutral? What does the POV reveal about the characters, their motives, emotions, personality traits, etc.? How limited are the narrator’s perceptions? What limits the narrator’s perceptions?
Why does the narrator choose certain language, report the details that she/he does, reveal the characters in the manner that she/he does, offer or not offer interpretive comments, and/or tell the story in a certain order? Does the narrative voice create irony (dramatic, situational, verbal)?
Why did the author choose this particular setting for the story? How is physical setting described? Does the description shed light on any other elements (character, conflict, etc.)? Could the setting be symbolic of something else? How does setting influence plot or characters?
Does the setting establish a mood or atmosphere? Setting includes time period, history, geographical location, milieu, the entire cultural environment in which the story is set. Setting has physical, social, and figurative aspects.
What dominant symbols do you notice in the story? What do they mean in the overall context of the plot, characterization, conflict, pov, or any of the other elements? Choose at least ONE significant symbol from each story and analyze what it signifies.
Describe the effects that these elements of fiction produce and how they shape or support the novel’s themes. You may and should use the literary criticism to support your analysis of the three elements of fiction.
