+

Literary Elements

6th Grade Reading Class ~ Mrs. Wendele

+Plot

The action of the story

denouement/

+Exposition

Background information that is needed to understand the story properly is provided. Such information includes main characters, basic conflict, and setting.

+Conflict The main problem the character faces

+Rising Action -A set of conflicts that leads up to the climax

As the conflict or conflicts develop and the characters attempt to resolve those conflicts, suspense builds.

+Climax

the major turning point that allows the main character / “good guy” to resolve the conflict

the point of greatest interest or suspense in the story

+“Frankenstein” Climax

Elizabeth’s murder at the end of Scene 8.

Up to this moment, the tension has been building. The creature had threatened Victor that he, the creature, would get his revenge, and it is with the murder that he gets it.

The murder, when the person that Victor loves most is taken from him, is the moment of the greatest drama.

It’s also the last thing that happens before the action returns to the present where Victor is dying and asking the captain to destroy the creature.

+Falling action

the action following the climax of the story that moves it towards its denouement or resolution

+Denouement The final resolution of the main complication

The final outcome of the story

The solution of the problem

Mae Tuck’s escape from jail and Winnie’s decision to help her

Tuck EverlastingNatalie Babbitt

the C

onsta

ble

’s

disco

very o

f

Win

nie

in th

e ja

il

cell, th

e Tu

cks’

esca

pe, W

innie

’s

decisio

n to

use

the b

ottle

of

sprin

g w

ate

r on

the To

ad a

nd th

e

Tucks’ re

turn

to

……

Winnie has found out about the magical spring water. Now the Tucks are faced with the task of continuing to protect the secret of the spring.

When

Mae

dis

cove

red

Win

nie

fou

nd t

he

spri

ng,

"Wel

l, boy

s", sh

e sa

id,

"her

e it

is. Th

e w

ors

t is

hap

pen

ing a

t la

st. "T

uck

s

kidnap

Win

nie

; Tu

cks

tell

Win

nie

thei

r se

cret

;

Str

anger

hea

rs t

he

secr

et;

Tuck

s ta

ke W

innie

to

thei

r

hom

e

1800s,August

Treegap

Winnie FosterOther Fosters,

Tucks, yellow-suit man

When Mae and Angus find out the spring has been destroyed by the storm

Tucks have looked the same for 87 years; “elf music” is heard from the wood; Winnie runs away and finds Jesse drinking from the spring;

Dialect & Conversational Voice

+Dialect

Language that is

characteristic of a

particular group of people or

geographical region

+He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit

+Conversational Voice

When the words the characters are saying are like having a conversation with them

Tends to be less formal

Conversational voice: “Why the Tortoise’s Shell Is Not Smooth”

+Conversational Voice

Conveys attitude

Conveys education

Conveys society

Conveys

background Develops

empathy Develops

friendship Develops

informality

How dialect & conversational voice affect character development:

+  "Vwood you like?" Toby's grandmother said as she offered him a pastry. Grandma Maia was raised in Estonia and didn't come to the United States until she was in her 40s. Toby loved to hear how she talked, especially when she told stories from the Old Country. He helped himself to a pastry—his favorite, an open-faced roll with cream cheese, butter, and a little sugar melted together.     "Have anuzzer!" his grandma coaxed. "Vee have zo many, zey vill never get eaten ozzervise."     Toby grinned sheepishly and helped himself to another pastry. "Thanks, Vanaema," he said, calling her by the Estonian word for Grandma, as he always did. "But that's all I should eat. Mom will get mad if I spoil my appetite for dinner."     "Pah!" Vanaema waved away his comment as if it were a fly. "You are a g-r-r-owing boy," she said, rolling her "r."     "Yes, but if you keep feeding me like this, I'll 'grow' fat!" Toby joked, triggering a hearty chuckle from his grandma.

What is the most likely reason the author has the grandmother roll her "r" when she says, "You are a g-r-r-owing boy"? to convey to readers her Estonian accent

to illustrate that she has trouble speaking to children

to make her grandson laugh with Estonian humor

to show the importance of the word "growing"

answerO The author shows how the

grandmother rolls her "r's" so that readers can "hear" how she speaks differently from Toby. This kind of reading selection is best read aloud, so the reader can really hear the character's accent.

+  "Vwood you like?" Toby's grandmother said as she offered him a pastry. Grandma Maia was raised in Estonia and didn't come to the United States until she was in her 40s. Toby loved to hear how she talked, especially when she told stories from the Old Country. He helped himself to a pastry—his favorite, an open-faced roll with cream cheese, butter, and a little sugar melted together.     "Have anuzzer!" his grandma coaxed. "Vee have zo many, zey vill never get eaten ozzervise."     Toby grinned sheepishly and helped himself to another pastry. "Thanks, Vanaema," he said, calling her by the Estonian word for Grandma, as he always did. "But that's all I should eat. Mom will get mad if I spoil my appetite for dinner."     "Pah!" Vanaema waved away his comment as if it were a fly. "You are a g-r-r-owing boy," she said, rolling her "r."     "Yes, but if you keep feeding me like this, I'll 'grow' fat!" Toby joked, triggering a hearty chuckle from his grandma.

In this selection, the author spells certain words differently, such as "vwood" for "would" and "anuzzer" for "another." What is the most likely reason the author does this?

to demonstrate that the grandmother is unable to spell some words very well

to suggest that the conversation is taking place in a foreign country

to show how the grandmother's background affects her spoken English

to add emphasis to her request that the boy take more pastries

answerO The passage tells you that the

grandmother was raised in Estonia. The author has her say certain words differently to show that someone whose first language is Estonian would speak English in a distinct way. If you say "vwood" out loud, you can hear how it sounds similar to "would," but a bit different.

The Visitby T. Herlinger Maybelle greeted us at the door in a summery white dress. She stood a little shorter than me, but her posture was ramrod straight, making her seem taller. A delighted smile spread across her face at the sight of us, her northern cousins. "Welcome to mah home!" she gushed as she ushered me and my sister, Beth, into the hall. "Y'all come to the pahluh and make yo-sevs cumftable. Oh, ahm so glad you've come!" "Psst, Annie, where do we sit?" Beth whispered anxiously as we entered the parlor. There were two long couches and three overstuffed chairs. "Anywhere!" I whispered back. "It'll be fine." We'd been so nervous to meet our southern cousin, we chattered about it the whole way from New York on the train. "Well!" Maybelle said when we'd settled in on one of the couches. "Whut do you think of Shah-lotte?" she drawled. It took me a full moment to realize she had said, "Charlotte." "It's very pretty, what we could see of it," I answered politely. Beth was fidgeting beside me. "My stahs, but isn't it?" she agreed. My stars, I thought to myself. What a neat expression, though I doubt that many stars are visible in the middle of a bustling city. "I can't wait for you to meet my bruthah, Chestah. He's jess down the road a piece—be along any minute. You gals jess set a spell and cool down from yo long juhney. I'll go fix us some refreshment." She got up to leave but stopped at the door, turned around, and smiled at us with such warmth. She seemed to radiate kindness. "It was so good of you to make the trip. I jess know we're gonna be great frenz." My muscles began to relax then, and I sank back into the couch cushions. Even my high-strung little sister seemed to calm down, and I started thinking, We might just like it here.Why does the author write "bruthah" instead of "brother" and "stahs" instead of "stars"?

• to show that the story takes place in a foreign country• to show how people speak differently in the South• to show that Maybelle is teasing her cousins• to show that Maybelle has trouble talking clearly

answerO If you read this selection aloud, you

can hear how Maybelle's speech differs from that of her "northern cousins." For example, her "r's" are soft instead of hard—she says "stahs" instead of "stars." This is meant to show how people in the southern United States speak with a particular accent. Those in other parts of the country speak differently, too, with their own unique expressions.

The Visitby T. Herlinger     Maybelle greeted us at the door in a summery white dress. She stood a little shorter than me, but her posture was ramrod straight, making her seem taller. A delighted smile spread across her face at the sight of us, her northern cousins.     "Welcome to mah home!" she gushed as she ushered me and my sister, Beth, into the hall. "Y'all come to the pahluh and make yo-sevs cumftable. Oh, ahm so glad you've come!"     "Psst, Annie, where do we sit?" Beth whispered anxiously as we entered the parlor. There were two long couches and three overstuffed chairs.     "Anywhere!" I whispered back. "It'll be fine." We'd been so nervous to meet our southern cousin, we chattered about it the whole way from New York on the train.     "Well!" Maybelle said when we'd settled in on one of the couches. "Whut do you think of Shah-lotte?" she drawled. It took me a full moment to realize she had said, "Charlotte."     "It's very pretty, what we could see of it," I answered politely. Beth was fidgeting beside me.     "My stahs, but isn't it?" she agreed.     My stars, I thought to myself. What a neat expression, though I doubt that many stars are visible in the middle of a bustling city.     "I can't wait for you to meet my bruthah, Chestah. He's jess down the road a piece—be along any minute. You gals jess set a spell and cool down from yo long juhney. I'll go fix us some refreshment." She got up to leave but stopped at the door, turned around, and smiled at us with such warmth. She seemed to radiate kindness. "It was so good of you to make the trip. I jess know we're gonna be great frenz."     My muscles began to relax then, and I sank back into the couch cushions. Even my high-strung little sister seemed to calm down, and I started thinking, We might just like it here.The girls' cousin Maybelle speaks in a dialect (a certain way of speaking or writing) of the southern United States. Which of the following expressions is most likely an example of the southern dialect?

o down the road a pieceo she got up to leaveo so good of youo we might just like it

answerO Look for an answer choice that

expresses an idea differently than you normally would. If you are not from the South, you might say, "He's not far away" or "He's right nearby" rather than "He's down the road a piece." The author uses this expression so the reader can hear Maybelle's southern dialect. Accents and dialects can make the writing more colorful and interesting.

+ ThemeThe story’s MORAL / LESSON / MESSAGE

Consider the plot, characters, and setting to infer the theme.

How is theme different from topic?

Pride can destroy a person.Crime doesn’t pay.

Don’t judge people until you have walked in their shoes.

People are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

It is better to tell the truth than to lie.Going through hard times can make a person

stronger.Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Fight for what you believe it.Hard work pays off.

COMMON THEMES

the relationship of the narrator to the story (viewpoint)

+First Person Point of View

When a character in the story tells the story (using I, me, my, we, etc.)

“Oh, sometimes I get a good feeling, yeah I get a feeling that I never never never never had before, no no”

+Third Person Point of View

When someone not in the story tells the story (like an invisible observer)

Example: “Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after.”

+Setting

time

place

physical conditions/weather

social conditions

Think about the setting of each story, including the historical background cultural background