Monday, August 15, 2011

The Diamond Necklace

Visit these links for you to understand the story......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIZnWyu_8MI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK1csiCmaeE&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY6ri5L-KRU&feature=related





Type of Work

.......“The Necklace,” published in 1881, is a short storyamong the finest surprise-ending stories in any language. It is a compact, neat little package with just the right amount of character and plot development and nary a wasted word. It is one of many of Maupassant’s short stories that earned him recognition as a master of the genre. 
Setting
.......The action takes place in Paris, France, in the second half of the nineteenth century. Specific locales include the residence of the Loisels, the home of Madame Jeanne Forestier, the palace of the Ministry of Education, Paris shops, and the streets of Paris, including the Rue des Martyrs and the Champs Elysées. 
Characters
Mathilde: Pretty young woman born into a common, middle-class family. She yearns for the wealth, privileges, and fashions of highborn young ladies. 
Monsieur Loisel: Government clerk whom Mathilde marries. 
Madame Jeanne Forestier: Friend of Mathilde. She allows Mathilde to borrow a necklace to wear to a gala social event. 
Housemaid: Girl from Brittany who does the Loisels' housework. Her presence reminds Mathilde of her own status as a commoner.
Jeweler: Dealer who provides a replacement necklace. 
Monsieur and Madame Georges Rampouneau: Minister of Education and his wife, who invite the Loisels to a party. 
Child With Madame Forestier: See number 5 under "Unanswered Questions" for information about this character. 
Plot Summary
By Michael J. Cummings...© 2006
.......Even though Mathilde is pretty and quite charming, she has none of the advantages of upper-class girls: a dowry, a distinguished family name, an entree into society, and all the little fineries that women covet. Consequently, she accepts a match made for her with a clerk, Monsieur Loisel, in the Department of Education. 
.......Her home is common and plain, with well-worn furniture. The young girl from Brittany who does the housework is a constant reminder to Mathilde of her own status as a commoner. But she dreams of having more: tapestries, bronze lamps, footmen to serve her, parlors with silk fabrics, perfumed rooms, silver dinnerware, exotic food, jewelry, the latest fashions.
.......One evening, her husband presents her an envelope containing a special surprise. He is sure it will please her. Inside the envelope she finds a card inviting her and her husband to a social affair as guests of the Minister of Education, Georges Rampouneau, and his wife at the palace of the Ministry of Education.
.......But Mathilde is not at all pleased, for she has nothing to wear. When her husband asks her what it would cost to buy her suitable attire, she says four hundred francsthe exact amount he has set aside to buy a gun to shoot larks at Nanterre with friends. However, he agrees to provide the money, and she buys a gown. When the day of the fête draws near, Loisel notices that Mathilde is downcast and inquires into the cause of her low spirits. She tells him she has no jewels to wear. As a result, others at the party will look down on her. But her spirits brighten when Monsieur Loisel suggests that she borrow jewels from her friend, Madame Jeanne Forestier.
.......Wasting no time, Mathilde visits her friend the following day. Madame Forestier, only too willing to cooperate, opens a box and tells Mathilde to choose. Inside are glittering jewels. Mathilde selects a diamond necklace so beautiful that it quickens her heartbeat.
.......At the party, Mathilde is the center of attention. Handsome men of high station ask who she is and line up to dance with her. Not until 4 a.m. do the Loisels leave the palace. On their way out, Mathilde’s husband puts a wrap on her shouldersan article of clothing from her everyday wardrobe. To avoid being seen in it, she hurries out against her husband’s wishes. He wants to wait for a cab to arrive. Out in the cold, they search for transportation, wandering toward the Seine. In time, they find a cab, and it takes them to their home on Rue des Martyrs. In her bedroom, Mathilde stands before a mirror and removes her wrap to gaze upon the woman who has enchanted so many men. Then she notices to her horror that the necklace is missing. She and her husband search through their belongings but cannot find it. After they conclude that the necklace must have come off on their way home, Monsieur Loisel goes out to search for the cab they rode in. He returns at 7 a.m. after failing to find it. Visits to the police and the cab company, as well as other measures, also leave them empty-handed. 
.......At her husband’s suggestion, Mathilde writes to Madame Forestier, telling her that the necklace clasp has broken and that it is being repaired. This ploy will buy time. Next, they decide that their only recourse is to replace the necklace. Going from jeweler to jeweler, they search for a facsimile. They find one in a shop in the Palais Royal. The price: 36,000 francs. To raise the money, Loisel uses all of his savings and borrows the rest, writing promissory notes and signing his name on numerous documents. Then the Loisels buy the replacement, and Mathilde takes it in a case to Madame Forestier. The latter expresses annoyance that it was returned late, then takes the case without opening it to check its contents.
.......Thereafter, the Loisels scrimp and save to pay their debt. After they dismiss their housemaid, Mathilde does the work herself, washing dishes and linen, taking out the garbage, and performing other menial labors. She also wears common clothes and haggles at the market. Monsieur Loisel moonlights as a bookkeeper and copyist.
.......Ten years later, they are out of debt. They have paid back every borrowed franc and sou. By this time, Mathilde is fully a commoner, with rough hands, plain clothes, and disheveled hair. And she looks older than her years. Occasionally, she thinks back to the day when she wore the necklace and when so many men admired her. What would have happened if she had never lost the necklace? 
.......One Sunday on the Champs Elysées, she encounters Madame Forestier walking with a child. When Mathilde addresses her, her friend does not recognize herso haggard does Mathilde look. After Mathilde identifies herself, she decides to tell Madame Forestier everything. What could be the harm? After all, she has paid for the necklace, working ten long years at honest, humble labor to fulfill her obligation. Madame Forestier then holds Mathilde’s hands and says, “Oh, my poor Mathilde. But mine was false. At most, it was worth five hundred francs!”
.Style.......In "The Necklace," Maupassant makes every word count, each one contributing to the overall effectiveness of the story. He provides only minimal details to further the plot and describe the important characters. The result is a simple, easy-to-understand story that moves smoothly and swiftly from beginning to end. Details that he leaves out allow the reader to interpret the events and the characters in his or her own way. One may compare "The Necklace" to a painting with subtle shades of meaning. Maupassant himself remains aloof from his characters, passing no judgments on them, neither praising nor condemning them. For example, it is up to the reader to decide whether Mathilde is a victim of bad luck (or fate) or of her own warped perception of the world as a place where success and recognition result from wealth and status. 
Fate vs Free Will
.......Is Mathilde a hapless victim of fate or a victim of her own desires and the choices she makes to fulfill them? In the opening sentence of the story, Maupassant introduces the notion of fate as a controlling force:
    Original French: C'était une de ces jolies et charmantes filles, nées, comme par une erreur du destin, dans une famille d'employés. Literal Translation: She was one of those pretty and charming girls, born, by a mistake of destiny, into a family of employees (common middle-class workers). 
He expands on this idea when Mathilde borrows a necklace of imitation diamonds in the mistaken belief that they are real. Finally, comes the coup de grâce: She loses the necklace and replaces it with a lookalike necklace made of genuine diamonds. She and her husband  work ten years to pay for it only to discover that the original necklace was fake in the first place. All of these developments suggest that Mathilde is the plaything of fate. However, Maupassant also points out early on that Mathilde longed to live like the highborn. Fashionable clothes, jewels, a home with spacious rooms and tapestriesall were badges of success, according to Mathilde's distorted view of the world. In further developing this ideathat it was perhaps Mathilde's own yearnings, not fate, that got her into trouble, the narrator says, 
    Original French: Elle eût tant désiré plaire, être enviée, être séduisante et recherchée. Literal Translation: She had so much desire to please, to be envied, to be enticing, to be sought after. 
In the end, the reader is left to decide for himself whether Mathilde's downfall was of her own making or fate'sor a combination of both. 
Translations by M.J. CummingsClimax
.......The climax of a literary work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax of "The Necklace" occurs, according to the first definition, when Mathilde discovers that she has lost the necklace. According to the second definition, the climax occurs at the end of the story, when Madame Forestier informs Mathilde that the lost necklace was a fake.

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Themes
False Values
.......People should evaluate themselves and others on who they are intrinsically (that is, on their character and moral fiber), not on what they possess or where they stand in society. Mathilde Loisel learns this lesson the hard way. 
Real Values
.......Honesty, humility, and hard work are what shape character, not the clothes or jewels that a person wears or the high station into which he or she is born. 
Appearances Are Deceiving
.......Mathilde Loisel believed the necklace genuine the moment she saw it. Likewise, she believed that all the people at the party were real, genuine human beings because of their social standing and their possessions. The necklace, of course, was a fake. And, Maupassant implies, so were the people at the party who judge Mathilde on her outward appearance.
Unanswered Questions
  1. After paying off her debt, Mathilde wonders what her life would have been like if she had not lost the necklace. The narrator does not suggest an answer to this question. What do you think would have happened to her?
  2. Do you think Madame Forestier will sell the diamond necklace and return the Loisels' money?
  3. If Madame Forestier does return the money, will Mathilde save her share of it? Or will she spend it to fulfill her old longings?
  4. What will her husband do with his portion of the money?
  5. At the end of the story, the narrator tells us that Madame Forestier is walking with a small child? Why does Maupassant introduce a new character, about whom he tells the reader nothing, at this point in the story? Is it possible that the child is supposed is to represent a new generation of Parisians who will go on pursuing false values? Or does the child's presence at the end suggest something else? 
Essay Topics
  1. Write an essay that attempts to answer the first or fourth question under "Unanswered Questions." Support your position with logical reasoning and opinions gleaned from research. 
  2. Write an essay arguing for or against the view that Mathilde's yearning for wealth and social status, not fate, brought about her downfall. 
  3. In an informative essay, discuss to what extent French society in the nineteenth century imposed limitations on Mathilde's opportunities to earn money and attain social standing.
  4. Explain why "The Necklace" continues to enjoy widespread popularity with modern readers.
  5. Assume the role of a psychologist. Then write a psychological profile of Mathilde. 
  6. Would the men at the party admire Mathilde if they were aware that the necklace was fake and that she had few material possessions? Provide your answer in an essay supported by relevant passages from the story, as well as other evidence.





An Analysis of Guy de Maupassant's 'The Necklace'

Guy de Maupassant's 'The Necklace'
Commentary by Karen Bernardo

During the course of Guy de Maupassant's short story 'The Necklace,' the main character, Matilda Loisel, makes a number of ironic discoveries. In addition, there are other discoveries that the reader makes but Matilda does not. The discovery that forms the story's climax concerns the true nature of the necklace she has borrowed from her friend Mrs. Forestier. But this is perhaps not the most important lesson of this story.
As the story opens, Matilda, a young middle-class wife who aspires to join the upper ranks of society, is finally invited to a high-society affair given by her husband's employer. Hoping to impress her guests and thus 'fit in', she borrows a beautiful diamond necklace from her friend Madame Forestier. Unfortunately, during the course of the evening, the necklace is lost. Rather than confront her friend directly with the story of her carelessness, she and her husband scrape together every bit of money they can.
As de Maupassant explains, '[Mr.] Loisel possessed eighteen thousand franks which his father had left him. He borrowed the rest. He borrowed it, asking for a thousand francs of one, five hundred of another, five louis of this one, and three louis of that one. He gave notes, made ruinous promises, took money of usurers and the whole race of lenders. He compromised his whole existence, in fact, risked his signature without even knowing whether he could make it good or not, and, harassed by anxiety for the future, by the black misery which surrounded him, and by the prospect of all physical privations and moral torture, he went to get the new necklace, depositing on the merchant's counter thirty-six thousand francs.' Matilda then places the new necklace in the same case in which she had borrowed the old one, and returns it to her friend without explanation, hoping against hope that the deception will not be discovered -- which it is not.
Now comes the task of paying back all the money that the Loisels have borrowed. In order to do so, 'they sent away the maid; they changed their lodgings; they rented some rooms under a mansard roof.' A mansard roof is very steeply pitched, so that it is possible to have living quarters beneath it; by implication, living 'under a mansard roof' means they live in the attic. No longer is Matilda able to send her laundry out to be cleaned, or employ someone to wash the dishes and care for the house. Because houses in those days had no running water, she has to haul the water up the stairs to the attic herself. Her husband is forced to take on a second and even a third job. They are conscientious and hard-working, however, and by the end of ten years they have repaid every creditor.
But at what a cost! Matilda is no longer lovely and refined; she now looks old, haggard, and common. When she meets Mrs. Forestier in the street, her friend does not even recognize her. The story ends with Mrs. Forestier's revelation that the stones in the original necklace weren't even really diamonds -- they were 'paste,' or rhinestones. We have no way of knowing if Mrs. Forestier was able to refund Matilda's money. But would it matter? Ten years of Matilda's life have been robbed -- and for what? For an evening of vanity and pride.
The central discovery of the story -- that the jewels were fake -- is, therefore, not really the point of the story at all. The point of the story is that pride goeth before a fall -- and in fact, that a fall is precisely what pride will bring about. Matilda felt dissatisfied with her husband and his lifestyle because she was vain; she felt she was entitled to something better than the petty, bourgeois existence his income offered her. She felt she could not attend the Minister's party without a stylish dress and jewels because she was vain; she should never have sought to borrow a necklace so opulent she could not afford to replace it. She felt she could not tell Mrs. Forestier about the loss of the necklace -- even after it had been replaced -- because she was too proud, and also, by that time, too frightened. Over the ten years that it took Matilda to earn thirty-six thousand francs, she undoubtedly learns much about the hardships of life, but does she learn what has caused these hardships?
There is no real evidence that she does. As she sits, prematurely aged, before her window, she is not thinking of how vain and silly she had been as a young woman; she is daydreaming about how lovely and glamorous the Minister's party had been -- 'of that ball where she was so beautiful and so flattered.' She is not angry with herself for having been so stupid; she is simply puzzled at the way life works itself out: 'How would it have been if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? Who knows? How singular is life, and how full of changes! How small a thing will ruin one!' Matilda does not see her ruination as in any way being her own fault, but considers it a particularly cruel trick of fate.
Here is the point that what the reader's understanding of the story departs from Matilda's. We see only too clearly the reason for Matilda's downfall; she does not. We see that her vanity led her to seek to borrow the necklace to begin with; we see that her pride led her to try to conceal the fact from her friend. We see that the loss of Matilda's comfortable existence is due entirely to factors that could have been easily avoided. She does not. All Matilda understands at the end of this story was that life has played a cruel trick on her, and she has suffered ten long years for nothing. We, on the contrary, come to know the depths to which vanity and pride can drive one, and the terrible price one can pay.




Monday, August 1, 2011

Am Involved with Mr./Ms. Phrase....

THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
1. A phrase is a group of words without a subject and verb, used as one part of speech. (There are several types of phrases including the verb phrase, noun phrase, and prepositional phrase.)
2. The prepositional phrase consists of the preposition, its object, and modifiers of the object. The object of the preposition is always a noun, pronoun, or a group of words used as a noun.
To find the object of the preposition, first say the preposition, then ask, "Whom or what?"
s v
The coin fell (between the cracks.) Between is the preposition in the above sentence. To find the object of the preposition ask "Between what?" The noun "cracks" answers the question, so it is the object of the preposition.
3. Prepositional phrases are used as adjectives or adverbs.
A.. When prepositional phrases are used as adjectives, the phrase comes immediately after the noun or pronoun it modifies. The phrase answers one of the following questions about the word it modifies: Which one? What kind of? How many? Whose?
My check (for the dress) is in the mail.
The prepositional phrase, "for the dress," tells which check. The phrase is used as an adjective modifying the noun "check."
B. When prepositional phrases are used as adverbs, they may be found any place in the sentence. The adverb phrase tells how, when, where, or under what condition about a verb, adjective, or adverb.
The boy fell (on the steps.)
The phrase "on the steps" tells where the boy fell. It modifies the verb "fell" and is used as an adverb.
4. The following is a list of frequently used prepositions:
about away from beside during on underneath
above apart from besides except onto until
according to around between for out (out of) up
across aside from beyond from outside upon
after at by in (into) over with
against because of by means of including past within
along before by way of like through without
along with behind concerning near to
amid or amidst below despite of towards
among beneath down off under
M:\9-TLC\TLC Web Design\Handouts Worksheets\Grammar.Punctuation.Writing\Prepositional
Phrase.doc orange
Directions: Circle all the prepositional phrases in the following sentences.
1. After the movie the group of teenagers went to McDonalds for a burger.
2. Without sugar the blueberries were too sour for the dinner guests.
3. Sally worked from midnight to noon on her science project.
4. Over the river and through the woods to grandfather’s house we go.
5. He ate three boxes of popcorn with butter during the movie.
6. Despite his fear of water Jack saved the drowning puppy.
7. Janet took her lunch with her to the seminar.
8. At the Country Fair the child with the freckles won the talent contest.
9. For breakfast she likes bananas with strawberries.
10. Down the dark alley the cat chased a rat with long whiskers.
11. The police searched throughout the apartment complex for the escaped criminal.
12. During the summer Gordie fishes under the large oak tree beside Silver Creek.
13. By noon Jimmy decided a nap on the hammock would be nice.
14. Geese live in flocks while cattle live among herds.
15. Around the world music brings together people of all nationalities.
16. He likes movies about war; she prefers movies with a romantic theme.
17. Away from home for the first time Mary wrote numerous letters to her family.
18. Mud squished beneath her feet as Ann walked through the woods during a rainstorm.
19. The sculptures above the entrance (was, were) designed by a nineteenth century artist.
20. Inside the auditorium a group of dancers (was, were) practicing.
Note: Be certain you don’t confuse the object of the preposition with the subject. Doing so can result in subject/verb agreement problems. Choose the correct verb in sentences 19 and 20 above.


Appositives: Something More for Your Money

Phrases

An appositive is a noun or a pronoun that renames another noun or pronoun. Appositives are placed directly after the noun or pronoun they identify. For example:
  • Bob's car, a wreck, died a grisly death by the side of the interstate.
  • The appositive “a wreck” renames the noun, “car.”
  • Spot, a cat, should understand my moods.
  • The appositive “a cat” renames the noun, “Spot.”
  • She, my sister, is always late.
  • The appositive “my sister” renames the pronoun “she.”
Some appositives are essential to the meaning of the sentence; others are not. Be sure to use commas carefully to establish meaning with essential and nonessential appositives. Otherwise your sentences will not make sense, as these examples show:
You Could Look It Up
An appositive is a noun or pronoun that renames another noun or pronoun.
Confusing: Do you know my friend Bill?
Is Bill the friend or is the speaker talking to Bill?
Clear: Do you know my friend, Bill?

Appositive Phrases

Appositive phrases are nouns or pronouns with modifiers. Appositive phrases provide additional information and description to the sentence. As with solitary appositives, appositive phrases are placed near the noun or pronoun they describe. For example:
  • Columbia University, the second-largest landowner in New York City (after the Catholic Church), is part of the Ivy League.
  • David Prowse, the guy in the Darth Vader suit in the Star Wars movies, did not find out that his lines were going to be dubbed over by James Earl Jones until he saw the screening of the movie.
Appositives are great stylistic devices because they allow you to eliminate unnecessary words and put more information in one sentence. They can also help you …
You Could Look It Up
Appositive phrases are nouns or pronouns with modifiers. In grammar lingo, nonessential appositives are called “nonrestrictive.”
  • Create more graceful sentences.
  • Eliminate repetition.
  • Create a beat or rhythm in your writing.
  • Make your writing more interesting.
Here's an example:
Two sentences: Phineas T. Barnum was a great American showman. Barnum was near death in 1891 when a New York newspaper asked if he'd like to have his obituary published while he could still read it.
One sentence: Phineas T. Barnum, a great American showman, was near death in 1891 when a New York newspaper asked if he'd like to have his obituary published while he could still read it.

The Moment of Truth

Danger, Will Robinson
Don't set off essential appositives with commas.
Take My Word for It
Appositives, as with other parts of a sentence, can be compound. To create a compound appositive, connect the appositives with a correlative conjunction: and, but, or, for, so, nor, and yet.
As with appositives, appositive phrases come in two varieties: essential and nonessential. Don't set off essential appositives with commas, but be sure to set off nonessential appositives with commas.
Essential appositive: The famous British mystery writer Agatha Christie disappeared in 1924 and was missing for 10 days.
Nonessential appositive: Agatha Christie, the famous British mystery writer, disappeared in 1924 and was missing for 10 days.
One of the most common writing errors concerns misuse of commas with appositives and appositive phrases. Writers sometimes set off essential appositives with commas, but neglect those poor nonessential ones. You would never do that, would you? To make sure you're not guilty of that comma abuse, let's take a minute to practice, shall we? Add commas as needed to each of the following sentences.
  1. Isadora Duncan a great American dancer of the early twentieth century has become almost as famous for her death as her dancing.
  2. John Styth Pemberton an Atlanta pharmacist created the original Coca-Cola in 1886.
  3. Richard Nixon is the only American president who was forced to resign his office.
  4. King Louis XIV of France a ballet dancer from the time he was a teenager established the Royal Ballet Company.
  5. Robert Benchley the American humorist and critic was a member of the Algonquin table of noted wits.
  6. Nellie Melba a famous Australian soprano of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century gave her name to a snack food called “melba toast.”
  7. The centaur a mythological creature is said to feast on raw flesh and prodigious amounts of liquor.
  8. Alexander the Great died of a fever.
  9. Ferrets a domesticated variety of polecats were first tamed in 1500 b.c.e. by the Egyptians.
  10. Some people consider the number 13 unlucky.

Verbal Phrases: Talk Soup

Phrases

A verbal is a verb form used as another part of speech. Like Gaul, verbals come in three varieties: participles, gerunds, and infinitives. Each type has a different function in a sentence:
  • Participles function as adjectives.
  • Gerunds function as nouns.
  • Infinitives function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Although a verbal doesn't function as a verb in a sentence, it does retain two qualities of a verb:
You Could Look It Up
A verbal is a verb form used as another part of speech.
A participle is a form of a verb that functions as an adjective.
A gerund is a verb form used as a noun.
  •  
In the mood to add some participle action to your sentences? Here's how you do it:
  • The howling children disturbed the neighbors.
  • The present participle “howling” describes the noun “children.”
  • Fred Flintstone gave Barney Rubble a crumbling rock.
  • The present participle “crumbling” describes the noun “rock.”
  • The frozen candy bar broke her $900 bridgework.
  • The past participle “frozen” describes the noun “candy bar.”
  • Annoyed, Rita ate dinner by herself in the bathroom.
  • The past participle “annoyed” describes the noun “Rita.”
Don't confuse participles and verbs. Participles aren't preceded by a helping verb, as these examples show:
  • The sputtering car jerked down the road. (participle)
  • The car was sputtering down the road. (verb)
Participle phrases contain a participle modified by an adverb or an adverbial phrase. The whole kit and caboodle acts as an adjective, as these examples show:
  • Swimming slowly, I didn't notice the shark on my tail.
  • The participle phrase “swimming slowly” describes the pronoun “I.”
  • Annoyed by its heavy breathing, I told it to get lost.
The participle phrase “Annoyed by its heavy breathing” describes the pronoun “I.” However, the participle phrase can also be placed after the word it describes. In that case, it is usually set off by commas, as in this example:
  • “My sister, burning the toast, looked distracted.”
Like appositives, participles and participle phrases are an indispensable part of the writer's bag of tricks because they allow you to create concise and interesting sentences. Use them to combine information from two or more sentences into one sentence. Notice how much more punch the following sentence has when it is combined by using a participle:
Two sentences: Noel Coward made a slight but pointed adjustment to an old cliché. He once described another writer as every other inch a gentleman.
One sentence: Making a slight but pointed adjustment to the old cliché, Noel Coward once described another writer as every other inch a gentleman.

Gerund Phrases

A gerund is a form of a verb used as a noun. Remember the following two guidelines when you hunt for gerunds:
  • Gerunds always end in -ing.
  • Gerunds always act as nouns.
Gerunds can function as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of a preposition, predicate nominatives, and appositives. Here are some examples of gerunds:
  • Leroy expanded his skills by studying.
  • The gerund “studying” is the object of the preposition “by.”
  • At the age of 10, Irving started running.
  • The gerund “running” is a direct object.
  • My mother's sole occupation, kvetching, makes her tedious company.
  • The gerund “kvetching” (an especially virulent form of complaining) is an appositive in this sentence.
Like a participle, a gerund can be part of a phrase. In that case, the whole package is called a gerund phrase. (Got you with that one, didn't I?) Here are some gerund phrases busy at work in their sentences:
Danger, Will Robinson
Don't confuse gerunds and present participles, because both end in -ing. A gerund functions only as a noun, while a participle functions only as an modifier.
  • The quiet, steady rowing soothed him.
  • The gerund phrase is “the quiet, steady rowing.”
  • My evening routine features jogging slowly around the block.
  • The gerund phrase is “jogging slowly around the block.”
  • Thousands of “Dead Heads” show their dedication to their departed leader by following what's left of The Grateful Dead around the country.
  • The gerund phrase is “following what's left of The Grateful Dead around the country.”

Infinitive Phrases: The Final Frontier

Last but not least we have the infinitive, a form of the verb that comes after the word to and acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Versatile little babies, infinitives can fill as many roles as gerunds, with the addition of adjectives and adverbs. Here are some examples:
You Could Look It Up
The infinitive is a verb form that comes after the word to and functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
  • To succeed takes courage, foresight, and luck.
  • The infinitive is “to succeed,” and it functions as the subject.
  • Alone in her cubicle, all she wanted was to survive.
  • The infinitive is “to survive,” and it functions as the direct object.
  • Afraid to move, she froze in terror.
  • The infinitive is “to move,” and it modifies the adverb “afraid.”
Danger, Will Robinson
Don't confuse infinitives with prepositional phrases that begin with to. Remember that a prepositional phrase always ends with a noun or a pronoun; an infinitive always ends with a verb.
An infinitive can be used as a phrase. An infinitive phrase, as with the other verbal phrases, contains modifiers that together act as a single part of speech. Following are some examples:
  • His goal, to break into Fort Knox, was never achieved.
  • The infinitive phrase is “to break into Fort Knox” and modifies the noun “goal.”
  • The pilgrim's hope was to reach the shrine before sundown.
  • The infinitive phrase “to reach the shrine before sundown” describes “hope.”


Read more: Phrases: Verbal Phrases: Talk Soup — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/cig/grammar-style/verbal-phrases-talk-soup.html#ixzz1TmJFPUhd


Monday, July 11, 2011

Elements of a Short Story

5 Important Elements of a Short Story

A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that it does not depend on verses, meters or rhymes for its organization and presentation.
Novels are another example of fictional prose and are much longer than short stories. Some short stories, however, can be quite long. If a a short story is a long one, say fifty to one hundred pages, we call it a novella.
American literature contains some of the world's best examples of the short story. Readers around the world enjoy the finely crafted stories of American writers such as O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.
What makes these authors such remarkable short story writers? They are true masters at combining the five key elements that go into every great short story: character, setting, conflict, plot andtheme.
The ELLSA web-site uses one of these five key elements as the focus of each of the five on-line lessons in the Classics of American Literature section. In each lesson, you will explore a single American short story from the USIA Ladder Series and discover how the author uses a certain element.
The definitions on the right are repeated on the first page of each short story lesson.

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contents: American Literary Classics
March 22, 2004
 
A character is a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work.
see The Green Door by O. Henry

The setting of a short story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of setting.
see The Last Leaf by O. Henry

A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to the central conflict.
see The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a short story. The main character is usually on one side of the central conflict.
On the other side, the main character may struggle against another important character, against the forces of nature, against society, or even against something inside himself or herself (feelings, emotions, illness).
see To Build a Fire by Jack London
The theme is the central idea or belief in a short story.
see The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
 



SHORT STORY ELEMENTS

SETTING — The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting.  For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.  There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story): 
 
a)  place - geographical location.  Where is the action of the story taking place? 
b)  time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc) 
c)  weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc? 
d)  social conditions - What is the daily life of the character’s like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)? 
e)  mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story?  Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?


PLOT — The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea;  It is the sequence of events in a story or play.  The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end.  The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.  There are five essential parts of plot: 
 
a)  Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
b)  Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c)  Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story.  The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
d)  Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves.  The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
e)  Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

It is helpful to consider climax as a three-fold phenomenon:  1)  the main character receives new information  2)  accepts this information (realizes it but does not necessarily agree with it) 3)  acts on this information (makes a choice that will determine whether or not he/she gains his objective). 
CONFLICT–   Conflict is essential to plot.  Without conflict there is no plot.  It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move.  Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.
There are two types of conflict: 
1)  External - A struggle with a force outside one’s self.
2)  Internal - A struggle within one’s self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
There are four kinds of conflict: 
1)  Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2)  Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3)  Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4)  Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) -  The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc. 

CHARACTER — There are two meanings for the word character: 
1)  The person in a work of fiction. 
2)  The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist 
Short stories use few characters.  One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST.  The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person - 
In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must seem real.  Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves.  The author may reveal a character in several ways: 
a)  his/her physical appearance 
b)  what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams 
c)  what he/she does or does not do 
d)  what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are:  consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble real people)
Characters are… 
1.  Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities. 
2.  Developing - dynamic,  many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story. 
3.  Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized e.g. brilliant detective, drunk, scrooge, cruel stepmother, etc. 
POINT OF VIEW
Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1.  Innocent Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment being different from that of an adult) .
2.  Stream of Consciousness - The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
3.  First Person - The story is told  by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc).  The reader sees the story through this person’s eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.
4.  Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view.  He can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces information where and when he chooses.  There are two main types of omniscient point of view:
a)  Omniscient Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc).  We know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b)  Omniscient Objective – The author tells the story in the third person.  It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard.  There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. No interpretations are offered.  The reader is placed in the position of spectator without the author there to explain.  The reader has to interpret events on his own. 
 

THEME — The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight.  It is the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.  The theme may be the author’s thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.  The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.  
Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are: 
- things are not always as they appear to be 
- Love is blind 
- Believe in yourself 
- People are afraid of change
- Don’t judge a book by its cover