Lesson 21 — Activity 1:

Getting Ready to Read the Novel

As you work through these lessons, you will review the elements of novels in general and study the novel itself.

As you know, a novel is a type of fiction writing. That is, novels tell a made-up story. The story may be set in real or realistic places, with realistic events. The novel does not always tell a particular person's true story. In other words, novels are stories that come from the writer's imagination.

Writing a good novel requires an author to skillfully intertwine the five key elements that go into every story.

Plot:

• refers to what happens in the story and always involves a problem or conflict. It is important to realize that the best authors are masters at drawing a reader into a story and manipulating a reader’s emotions.

            

             

A plot has a:

• beginning, which lets a reader know who and what the story will be about

• middle, in which the reader follows the main character as he or she faces a challenge and finally resolves it

• conclusion, which leaves the reader satisfied with the outcome

Setting:

• is the time and place of the story
• often connects the character to the mood and atmosphere of the story

The setting in Big Burn is the summertime in a small community on Canada's east coast. It is difficult to know for sure what year the story takes place in, but it could be very near the present.

The details of the setting help the reader see what kind of a story it may be; perhaps a mystery, a humorous story, or a science-fiction tale.

Sensory details are used to describe a setting. These are the details that appeal to our senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste). An effective setting description will use many sensory details.

Image courtesy of www.pixabay.com

Image courtesy of www.pixabay.com

Characters:

• are the people, animals, or creatures who give a story life and grab the reader's attention

The action in the story revolves around the main character, called the protagonist, who struggles to achieve a goal.

An antagonist is a character of force that tries to prevent the protagonist from achieving the goal.

Sometimes the protagonist is called the hero, and the antagonist is called the villain.

Occasionally one of the characters may be "telling" the story as he or she is experiencing or has experienced it. The person telling the story is called the narrator. For example, when you are telling your friends about the weekend, you are the character in the story and you are also the narrator. This is the case in Big Burn.

Third Person Point of View

• The narrator is a storyteller who isn't part of the story.
• A limited third person narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of only on character.
• An omniscient third person narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of several characters.

Click here for more information regarding point of view.

 

              

Theme

• The idea or observation about the way people are or a truth about life that the writer wants the reader to think about or be aware of. In this novel, one of the important themes the writer brings to our attention involves the environment.

As you read Big Burn, you will consider each of these elements of the novel.