Literary Elements

Literary Elements

Text Book Reflection

When looking at literature, there are many literary elements that are involved in creating a story. Elements such as character (who), setting (when and where), and plot (what) are the basic foundations of most stories. Elements such as conflict and mood/tone help enrich the story by creating the atmosphere of the book. The strengths or weaknesses of protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (the opposition) also help create interest in the novel. How all of these elements work together is what make a story unique. There are also many literary devices including allegory, allusion, archetype, deus ex machine, hyperbole, imagery, metaphor, motif, point of view, simile and symbolism. All of these elements and devices need to be reflected on as you read a book that might be added to your collection. Noting which novels display the best of the devices will help librarians assist teachers in selecting quality literature to teach these devices.

A major element that can be found in picture books and novels alike is theme. Theme is the message the author is trying to convey to readers. The theme has to be stated in a complete thought and must have a global message meaning it applies to the world at large. There may also be more than one theme in the book and the theme can be supported in the text. Theme is NOT: the main idea, a topic, a summary, an old saying, or defined in a single word. Theme is a very hard concept to teach and for students to understand. As a librarian, I would suggest using picture books to help teach students (of all ages) about theme.