Libraries: Tutoring: SOPH LIT

Handouts - General

These handouts address some common topics and issues in sophomore literature courses.

"Little Red Riding Hood" Revisited
The story of Little Red Riding Hood is written in three ways so you can see the differences between unacceptable and acceptable styles of writing for college.
20 Strong Verbs
Avoid the use of the verb to be and to get when not needed. Instead, condense and strengthen your sentences by editing unnecessary words or phrases and using strong verbs.
Character Analysis Essay Discussion
The goal of a character analysis is to establish how a major or minor character has certain proven traits that significantly affect the outcome, meaning and design of the work as a whole. Your job, then, is to construct a hypothesis based on a theoretical question (remember the difference between practical and theoretical questions) about a character and how this character functions to create meaning and significance in the work.
Common Words in Essay Directions
Understanding these words will help you write your essay accordingly. (An image from our Yammer page.)
Critical Analysis
Critical analysis is examining various aspects of a text/literary work closely. By doing so, it enables you to gain a thorough understanding of the text.
Fact versus Opinion
This handout is reprinted from https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/co300man/pop12d.cfm)
"When forming personal convictions, we often interpret factual evidence through the filter of our values, feelings, tastes, and past experiences. Hence, most statements we make in speaking and writing are assertions of fact, opinion, belief, or prejudice. The usefulness and acceptability of an assertion can be improved or diminished by the nature of the assertion, depending on which of the following categories it falls into."
How to Read a Poem
Steps and advice from Helen Orman.
The Narratee
"Every story is told by a narrator (sometimes by more than one narrator). Stories also are told to narratees. Just as the narrator is different than the author, the narratee is different than the reader. The narratee is the person 'inside' the text to whom the narrator is speaking."
The Narrator
"A crucial element of any work of fiction is the NARRATOR, the person who is telling the story (note that this isn't the same as the AUTHOR, the person who actually wrote the story)."
A Note About Literary Criticism
A literary analysis requires a careful, critical reading of the work. It is not merely a summary of the contents.
Objective versus Subjective
This handout is reprinted from http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-objective-and-subjective/ This explains and gives examples of objective and subjective writing.
Primary vs Secondary Sources
Understand the differences between primary and secondary sources and how to use them in your research.
Regarding Quotes
Unless you have been directed to use a particular number of quotes in your essay, use direct quotes sparingly. Instead, focus on paraphrasing and summarizing information so that it is clear you understand what you have read...The purpose of a quote is to provide credible textual evidence of a claim, that is, an argument, you are making in your paper.
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement, which is usually found at the end of the first paragraph, tells the writer (and the reader) the main idea of the essay.
Writing a Literary Analysis
You must understand the elements of literature in order to write a literary analysis. When writing a literary analysis, it is the student’s job to interpret how and why an author creates each element of literature and for what purpose. The following steps will guide you through how to write a literary analysis.
Writing in Academic English
This handout explains and gives examples of informal language. In general, informal language is everyday, conversational standard language, the type of language used when speaking to or writing to intimates, peers, and friends — that is, people with whom you are familiar and comfortable. Informal language is inappropriate for academic papers (including most narrative essays), business correspondence (including job applications), official documents, and technical documents.

Handouts - Elements of Literature

These handouts explain elements of literature, in part by using the HCC EduTube videos about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Although you do not need to watch the videos, they can help you understand the concepts in these handouts.

Overview of Elements of Literature
An author purposefully combines elements to create a story that conveys a specific message to his readers. These elements are characters, imagery and symbolism, plot, point of view, setting, theme, and tone.
Characters - Elements of Literature
A character is a person (or sometimes a creature or object with human qualities) portrayed in a story. An author intentionally creates characters that will advance the plot and, ultimately, express the overall message (theme) of his work. Readers can effectively analyze a story when they understand how an author uses characters.
Imagery and Symbolism - Elements of Literature
Imagery is the descriptive language in a story that appeals to the readers’ five senses. If an image is emphasized in a story, it is probably a symbol. A symbol is an image that carries a figurative meaning. In other words, a symbol is a concrete image that represents an abstract idea.
Plot - Elements of Literature
Plot is the sequence of events that form a story. The author creates and advances the plot through the characters and their surroundings. To analyze a story, readers must interpret the significance of how the plot unfolds. A plot usually consists of the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Point of View - Elements of Literature
Point of view in literature refers to the perspective from which a story is told. Authors create a narrator to tell the story from a certain point of view. There are three points of view in literature: first person, second person, and third person.
Setting - Elements of Literature
Setting is, essentially, the time and place of a story, the story’s physical context. More specifically, setting is the time period when a story takes place and the physical location where a story takes place. It can include a social context. An understanding of a story’s social context is usually expected in a college-level paper.
Theme - Elements of Literature
Theme is the controlling or unifying idea of a story. It is a generalization that the author makes about life or humanity and is often referred to as the “universal truth” about life or humanity that the story portrays. It is the message that a writer wants to convey about a topic. An author uses the other elements of literature to convey a certain theme.
Tone - Elements of Literature
Imagery is the descriptive language in a story that appeals to the readers’ five senses.
If an image is emphasized in a story, it is probably a symbol. A symbol is an image that carries a figurative meaning. In other words, a symbol is a concrete image that represents an abstract idea.

Websites and Videos

"Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Definition and Examples [With Illustrations]"
"Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are modes of persuasion used to convince audiences. They are also referred to as the three artistic proofs (Aristotle coined the terms), and are all represented by Greek words. "
Book Review -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.
The Canterbury Tales - Translation and Original Text (Harvard University)
The site provides an interlinear translation of all of The Canterbury Tales and short summaries and context information for each section.
Drama -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] identifies common questions about drama, describes the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective drama paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism. We’ll give special attention to writing about productions and performances of plays."
Elements of Poetry (Concept Check) (YouTube)
"Where we learn what are the basic elements of poetry - sound devices, figurative language, rhythm and form."
Epic: Poetic Form (poets.org)
Definition and examples of epic poetry.
Figures of Speech - Literary Terms
List, definitions, and examples of figures of speech.
Literature (Fiction) -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] describes some steps for planning and writing papers about fiction texts. For information on writing about other kinds of literature, please see the Writing Center’s handouts on writing about drama and poetry explications."
Literature Reviews -- UNC Writing Center
"This handout [website] will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences."
Monologue - Literary Terms
"A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story. In drama, it is the vocalization of a character’s thoughts; in literature, the verbalization. It is traditionally a device used in theater—a speech to be given on stage—but nowadays, its use extends to film and television."
Poetry Explications -- UNC Writing Center
"A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem’s plot and conflicts with its structural features. This handout [website] reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications."
Soliloquy - Literary Terms
Like a monologue, a soliloquy is a long speech by a character. The soliloquy differs, however, in that it is not spoken to anyone / no one is around to hear it--except for the audience.
Sonnet
Definition and examples of the Italian (Petrarchan) and the English (Shakespearean) sonnets.
Sonnet - Glossary of Poetic Terms (Poetry Foundation)
More examples of Italian and English sonnets.
Summary: Using it Wisely -- UNC Writing Center
"Knowing how to summarize something you have read, seen, or heard is a valuable skill, one you have probably used in many writing assignments. It is important, though, to recognize when you must go beyond describing, explaining, and restating texts and offer a more complex analysis. This handout [website] will help you distinguish between summary and analysis and avoid inappropriate summary in your academic writing."
Titles of Works -- Punctuation Guide
How do you format the titles of books versus articles? How do you format titles of artworks? You can find out this and much more in this website!

HCC's EduTube - "Snow White" and the Elements of Fiction

Using the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the videos' creator helps students understand the various elements of fiction. These clips have been so helpful for students that we have put them in their own section.

The Characters of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HCC EduTube)
Read along and learn about the characters of the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
The Imagery and Symbolism in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HCC EduTube)
Read along and learn about the imagery and symbolism in the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
The Plot of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HCC EduTube)
Read along and learn about the plot of the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
The Point of View of Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (HCC EduTube)
Read along and learn about the point of view of the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
The Setting of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Read along and learn about the setting of the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
The Theme of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HCC's EduTube)
Read along and learn about the theme of the story. This video includes a PowerPoint presentation you can copy for your own notes.
Writing a Literary Analysis Presentation
This is designed to help students understand the purpose and elements of a literary analysis.

Tutoring: SOPH LIT

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Handouts - General

Handouts - Elements of Literature

Websites and Videos

HCC's EduTube - "Snow White" and the Elements of Fiction

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