Elements-of-Fiction

ElementsofFictionWhatisfictionFictionreferstonarrative,inproseorverse,thatiswhollyorinparttheproductoftheimagination.Fictionincludesromance,stories,novels,andotherimaginativewritings.ElementsoffictionTheme:Thethemeisthecentralideaorstatementaboutlifethatunifiesandcontrolsthetotalwork.Themeinliteratureistheauthor’swayofcommunicatingandsharingideas,perceptionsandfeelingswithhisreaders.Plot:Plotisthearrangementofeventsthatmakeupastory.Itmustincludeasequenceofincidentsthatbearasignificantcausalrelationshiptoeachother.Character:Charactersareimaginedpeoplethatwriterscreateinstories.Themajorcharacteroftheplotistheprotagonist主角;Hisopponent,thecharacteragainstwhomtheprotagoniststrugglesorcontends,istheantagonist对手、敌手.Setting:Setting,inbroadestsense,encompassesboththephysicallocale(sceneoftheevent)thatframestheactionandthetime,theclimatecondition,thehistoricalperiodduringwhichtheactiontakesplace.PointofView叙事视角:Astorymusthaveastoryteller:anarrativevoice,realorimplied,thatpresentsthestorytothereader.Pointofviewistheauthor’sselectionofanarrator,theanglefromwhichthestoryisnarrated,ortheauthor’svisionthroughwhichweviewthecharactersandtheaction.Itdecidestherelationshipbetweentheauthor,thestoryandthereader.theAuthorthereaderthestory1.Omniscientpointofview全知全能视角Astheword“omniscient”impliesthenarratorknowseverythingandseesall.Hemaytellwhatanyorallofthecharactersdo,see,think.Hemayfreely1)interpretbehaviour;2)commentontheaction;3)evencomeforwardtoaddressthereader;Beingusedinstory-tellingformanyyears,thispointofviewmakesitpossiblefortheauthortomovefreelyandgivethereaderabroadscopeofhumanlife.Disadvantage:1)Ifnothandledskillfullyitmayresultinalackoffocus;2)Keepingthereaderinapassivepositiontobealwaystold;3)Runscontrarytoexperience,forinactuallife,everyoneislimitedinvision,can’tseeeveryoneelse’smind.Therefore,modernwriterstendtoavoidit,oratleastmodifyitintheirwritings.2.DramaticpointofviewAttheoppositeextremeofomniscientisthedramaticpointofview.Theauthorpresentsactioninapurelyobjectivemanner,asifhewasholdingacamera,makinganobjectivereport.Hemakesnocommentnorentersthemindofanyofthecharacters.Allaction,dialogue,setting,stagedirectionsarepresentedasifinaplay.That’swhythemethodiscalled“dramatic”.Thismethodiswidelyusedbymodernwriters,asinHemingway,VirginiaWoolfandsomeotherwritersinEnglandandAmerica.3.PersonalpointofviewInthismethod,theauthordoesnotpretendtoseeall,toknowallandtellall,norisheanoutsideobserver.Instead,heidentifieshimselfwithoneofthecharacters.Hemaytellitinthefirstpersonorthethirdperson.1)Third-personpointofview:themostcommonlyused.Thereaderfollowstheactionthroughtheeyeandmindofoneofthecharacters,usuallythecentralcharacters.2)Thefirst-personpointofview:mostnatural,asthoughthereaderwererecountinghisownexperience.Advantages:immediacy,intimacy,reality,likereadinganautobiography.Disadvantages:thenarratormaysoundbiased.4.MultiplepointofviewInmultiplepointofview,weareshowntheeventsfromthepositionsoftwoormoredifferentcharacters.Moremodernwritersprefertousethiskindofmethod.