THE STUDY OF LITERATURE

- Literature is the artistic interpretation of life through the medium called language.
artistic- subtle, direct, suggestive
interpretation- statements, commentary about human condition, universal truths of life

- Literature presents man’s dreams, aspirations, joys, sorrows, triumphs and failures.

“Life illumines literature and literature illumines life.”

---- life provides materials for literature but its is literature that gives meaning into life.

- Literature can be both oral and written

- Literature presents well expressed ideas or feelings, usually in symbols or metaphors. It is

different from writing or talking about it in ordinary communication discourse.
example: expression of anger

- Literature is not simply self expression but conceptual expression.

It is this form of writing or oral literature that creates and recreates life in all its splendor
through symbolic representation.

Values of Literature
1. Aesthetic Value- the central and distinctive value of literature since its main aim is to give
pleasure to the readers
- literature provides the qualified reader with an experience that is unified, complex,
intense, therefore inherently satisfying

2. Cognitive Value- the capacity of literature to give its readers knowledge

- it enlarges our acquaintances with human beings and sharpens our perceptions of
human motives and feelings
- it can give us insights into ourselves, helping us to understand ourselves and others
better.

3. Social Value- the capacity of literature to inspire readers to change themselves and the world
around them for the better
- includes moral, political and religious values

Genres of Literature
A. According to Content
B. According to Form
C. According to Purpose

A. ACCORDING TO CONTENT

a. Fiction/ Creative/ Literature of Imagination - any

imaginative recreation and reconstruction of life
b. Non-Fiction/ Non-Creative/Literature of
Knowledge
- works are factual, taken from reality

FICTION
Types of Traditional Fiction
1. Fable- short tale that contains a lesson and whose characters are often animals.
Given various qualities.
2. Legend- a story made up from long ago which tells the origin of things, events,
forces in nature.
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 3. Myth- are traditional stories, usually about superhuman beings or unlikely events;
were created long ago by story tellers and passed down by word of mouth from one
generation to the next.
4. Parable- a short narrative that uses people to illustrate man’s relation with God
( may not be understood literally)
5. Fairytale- a type of narrative that relates the lives and adventures of supernatural
spirits whose behavior are often playful, benevolent, sometimes wicked

Types of Modern Fiction

1. Short Story- a short fictional narrative that can be read in one sitting, focuses on a single
event involving few fictional characters
2. Novelette- a fictional narrative that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel
3. Novel- an extended narrative that portrays fictional characters engaging in action and
conflicts.

NON-FICTION
Types of Non-Fiction
1. Autobiography- life story of a person written by himself
2. Biography- a book that tells a story about a person’s life
3. Diary- a day-to-day account of a person’s activities and experiences
4. Essay- a prose composition of any length intended to present a tentative exploration or
evaluation of a subject.
5. Journal- personal account written on occasional basis
6. News- a formal writing based on facts to inform the public in both written and spoken form
7. History- written record of the past

FICTION NON-FICTION
To entertain To inform, to teach
Purpose To delight To direct
To amuse To instruct

Concrete language which creates pictures

Language Figurative language Direct
Metaphorical, connotative (nonrepresentational)
Abstract (nonfigurative)
Emotion Intellect
Appeal Imagination Reason

B. ACCORDING TO FORM
a. Prose- unit of thought is expressed in sentences or paragraphs -
written in an ordinary form of language, in non-metrical rhythms
- language is denotative (explicit, dictionary meaning)
b. Poetry- unit of though is expressed in line, verse, stanza
- connotative meaning (implied, suggested)
C. ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
a. Narration- tells a story
b. Description- to create/ evoke the picture of an object, person, scene, etc
c. Exposition- to expound, elaborate an idea or thought
d. Argumentation- to persuade, convince or influence

Methods of Studying Literature

1. Historical Approach- considers literary works in chronological sequence, stresses the influence
of one writer to another and the development of modes and submodes.

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 2. Social-Psychological Approach- relates literary works to the milieu in which they were written,
exploring the biography of the writer and the political and social conditions under which he
wrote, in an effort to explain how the work came to be what it is.
3. Formal Approach- groups works according to their modes and studies each mode separately
4. Thematic Approach- study of literature according to subject matter and them.

KINDS OF CHARACTER THAT CAN BE PORTRAYED

1. According to Roles Played
a. Major
i. Protagonist
ii. Antagonist
b. Minor
i. Confidant- to whom the protagonist reveals his reflections or hopes
ii. Foil- provides a striking contrast to another character
iii. Stock- shows qualities of a national, social or occupational group to which he
belongs
2. According to Fullness of Development
a. Flat
b. Round
3. According to Changes Undergone in the Story
a. Static
b. Developing/ dynamic

The Elements of Plot Development

If an author writes, "The king died and then the queen died," there is no plot for a story. But by
writing, "The king died and then the queen died of grief," the writer has provided a plot line for a
story.

• Plot - is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story.

Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

1. Exposition
- orients the reader to the setting of the story (time and place) and introduces the characters.
- the presentation of essential information regarding what has occurred prior to the
beginning of the story

2. Rising Action
- the complications that occur within the story, prolonging and developing the central
conflict.
- a set of conflicts and crises that constitute the part of a story's plot leading up to the climax.

Conflict: the clash of opposing forces the primary obstacle that prevents the
protagonist (main character) from reaching his or her goal.
The most common conflicts are man vs. man, man
vs. nature, man
vs. society, man
vs. himself.

3. Climax
- the point of greatest tension in a story; the point of no return.
- the decisive moment in a work of literature, the climax is the turning point of the play to
which the rising action leads. This is the crucial part of the work, the part which determines
the outcome of the conflict.

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 4. Falling Action
- the result of the conflict is revealed in the falling action.
- the falling action is the series of events which take place after the climax; it is where the
protagonist must react to the changes that occur during the climax of the story.

5. Denouement ( resolution)
- Resolution is the set of events that bring the story to a close.
- establishes a new norm, a new state of affairs-the way things are going to be from then on.
…The author often ties up the loose ends of the story to have the plot reach a conclusion.
- the ending of the story, the final stage or unraveling of the plot; usually very brief. Here the
tension is over, and unanswered questions may be explained.

A B
Exposition An author's introduction to the characters,
setting, and situation at the beginning of
the story
Narrative Hook The point in a story or novel at which the
author catches the reader's attention by
presenting an interesting problem or
situation
Rising Action The part of the plot that adds complication
to the plot's problems and increases
reader interest
Conflict The struggle between two opposing forces
External Conflict A character struggles against some outside
force
Internal Conflict A struggle within the mind of a character
who is torn between opposing feelings or
goals
Climax The point of greatest emotional intensity,
interest, or suspense in a story
Falling Action The action that follows the climax
Resolution The part of a plot that concludes the falling
action by revealing or suggesting the
outcome of the conflict
Plot The sequence of events in a story