The Literary Experience, Compact Edition

by Beiderwell, Bruce; Wheeler, Jeffrey M.

• ISBN13: 9781413019254
• ISBN10: 1413019250
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-24
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Bruce Beiderwell and Jeff Wheeler know that studying literature can be intimidating because of the specialized terminology and categorization. Rather than focusing first on terms or definitions, THE LITERARY EXPERIENCE, Compact Edition helps you develop the skills that make literature accessible, organizing the book and beginning each discussion by asking the same questions that students really ask themselves when they read a text, questions like "What is happening here?" or "Is there some other story that we're supposed to know?" With THE LITERARY EXPERIENCE, you will learn all of the literary terms you need to share your experience while you engage in the poems, stories and plays themselves.

Table of Contents

Scene, Episode, and Plot: What Happened and Why Do We Care?

Incident, Scene, and Sequence

Episode, Impression, and Fragment

Tension, Release, and Resolution

Multiple and Reflexive Plots

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jamaica Kincaid''s Girl

Anthology: Detective Work ?

Figuring Plot

Character: Who Is Involved and Why Does It Matter?

Building Character

Presenting Character

Picturing Character

Feeling For Character

Character and Function

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jamaica Kincaid''s Girl

Anthology: Power Plays ?

Characterizing Relationships

Theme: What Is the Nature of Meaning In A Work of Art?

Is Meaning the Same As Message?

Theme and Thesis

Theme and Moral

Multiple Themes In A Single Work

When the Message is Unwanted

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jamaica Kincaid''s Girl

Anthology: Exploring Boundaries ?

Interpreting Theme

point of View: How Do We Know What We Know About What Happened?

Perspective

The Narrative Eye

Reliable and Unreliable Narrators

Film Focus and Angles

Shifting Perspectives

Modeling Critical Analysis for Robert Browning''s "My Last Duchess." Anthology: Trust and Doubt ?

A Matter of Point of View

Setting: Where and When Does the Action Take Place? Why Does It Make A Difference?

Place and Time

The Role of Physical Objects

Imaginary Places

Modeling Critical Analysis for Robert Browning''s "My Last Duchess." Anthology: From Gothic Space to Recognizable Place ?

Creating Setting

Rhythm, Pace, and Rhyme: How Do Sounds Move?

Filmic Rhythm

Poetic Rhythm

The Rhythm of Pauses

The Rhythm of Sounds

Modeling Critical Analysis for Robert Browning''s "My Last Duchess." Anthology: Innocence and Experience ? Rhythm and Meaning

Images: Can We Trade A Picture for A Thousand Words?

Creating Pictures With Words

Registering Taste and Smell

The Interaction of the Senses

Words and Pictures Interacting

Modeling Critical Analysis for T.S. Eliot''s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Anthology: Home and Away ?

Personalizing Images

Coherence: How Does the Work Hold Together?

Design and Shape

Traditional Structures

Coherence Without Traditional or Fixed Structure

Modeling Critical Analysis for T.S. Eliot''s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Anthology: Ritual and Routines ? Structuring for Coherence

Interruption: Where Did That Come From? Why Is This Here?

Interrupting the Fictional Frame

Structural Interruptions

Juxtaposition

Montage

Modeling Critical Analysis for T.S. Eliot''s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Anthology: Framing, Mapping, Exploration ?

Placing Interruption

Tone: Did I Hear That Right?

Hearing Right

Mixing and Balancing Opposing Tones

Irony and Introspection

Modeling Critical Analysis for O Brother Where Art Thou?

Anthology: Caught Between Laughter and Tears

Word Choice: Why This Word and Not Another?

Precision and Playfulness

Beyond Summary

Definition and Usage

Critically Reflecting on Words

Modeling Critical Analysis for O Brother Where Art Thou?

Anthology: Romantic Love ?

Expressing the Exact Emotion

Allegory: How Do Concrete Actions Suggest Abstract Meanings?

Learning Through Likeness

Embodying Timeless Qualities

Reading Allegory

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jopo Guimarpes Rosa''s, "The Third Bank of the River." Anthology: The Quest for Truth ?

Reading Allegory

Symbolism: What Makes Us "Read Into" An Event Or An Image?

Figurative Language

Recognizing Symbols

Allegory and Symbol

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jopo Guimarpes Rosa''s, "The Third Bank of the River." Anthology: Building and Undoing Community ?

Taking Part In Symbolism

Context: What Factors Outside the Text Influence Our Experience of the Texts? What Do We Really Need To Know?

How Does New Knowledge Influence Our Experience of Old Texts?

How Is Knowledge "Outside" the Text Helpful?

Do We Need To Know Everything In Order To Understand?

What If Substantial Outside Knowledge Is Essential?

Modeling Critical Analysis for Jopo Guimarpes Rosa''s,

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