Table Of Content

AN INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE KELLENBERG MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH DEPARTMENT DEDICATION In recognition of years of tireless service to Kellenberg Memorial High School's students and faculty, we dedicate this collection to our chairperson, Mrs. Diane O'Neill. This book will be used in a course Mrs. O'Neill developed and taught with great care and attention for many years. As a final act of service to our school and department, Mrs. O'Neill oversaw the creation of these new materials, giving generously of her expertise as she always had. Through this work and, more importantly, through the legacy of her students, she has, in the words of the ancient poet, "raised a monument more durable than bronze, one higher than the Pyramids' royal towers, that no devouring rain, or fierce northerly gale, has power to destroy." One final time, we thank her for her guidance and support. i NOTES TO THE READER The iBook you are currently viewing has been compiled to introduce you to the world of imaginative literature by providing a survey of the major forms of interest to the contemporary student: fiction, drama, nonfiction, and poetry. Selections from each of these forms have been organized into chapters for your study. At the beginning of each chapter, a brief introductory essay will discuss pertinent literary terms and ideas to enhance your understanding. Before each selection of literature, a brief biographical sketch of its author will help contextualize the selection. In presentation, every effort has been made to streamline the reading experience and allow the text itself to emerge without needless distraction. However, many multimedia features are available to help guide you through the text and create a richer experience of these works. This introduction is meant to guide you in the best use of these features and create the optimal learning experience with the materials at hand. The Glossary, Dictionary, and Note-taking Functions Each introductory essay contains bold-faced literary terms. These terms may be tapped to show a glossary definition. For your convenience and study needs, these glossary definitions may be viewed in an alphabetical list or as study cards from the top menu bar within iBooks. (You may practice by tapping setting here. You may access the glossary index or see the dictionary definition via the buttons in the pop-up window.) ii You may use Apple’s built-in dictionary to define any unknown words that appear in the reading by double- tapping the word and selecting “Define” from the menu that appears above the word. If you wish to go beyond the dictionary definition (or if the word cannot be defined), you will see the option to search the web for more information. If you wish to make a note in your reading, you may highlight a word, phrase, or larger passage by double- tapping and dragging to expand your selection. You may then tap “Note” from the pop-up menu. Your keyboard will then appear to allow you to make your note. This note will be added to your book’s study cards from the glossary terms. Interactive Content The book also contains a variety of widgets that allow you to view videos, answer questions, complete exercises, or view other content to help you understand your reading. Most of these functions are self- explanatory, but a few things should be remembered as you work: 1.) In all audio and video widgets, content has been streamed to reduce the overall storage demands of this book. Therefore, you may only watch the videos embedded in this book when connected to the internet. Your viewing experience will depend upon the quality of your network connection. 2.) Some widgets will ask you to work on a file in the Notability app on your iPad. Once you have located the file, choose “Open in Notability.” From there, you should follow your teacher’s direction for completing the work and storing it in the proper location. In all cases, these widgets and written content may be accessed by tapping on the appropriate text on the page and may be closed by tapping the “X” in the upper left corner. The Appendix At the end of these readings may be found an appendix that contains useful resources for class discussion, note-taking, and writing prompts. The best use of these materials is left to your and your teacher’s discretion. iii 1 READING FICTION “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.” — James Baldwin Though the dominant forms of fiction that we see today (namely the THE ELEMENTS short story and the novel) are relatively new, narratives and OF FICTION storytelling are as old as human history. Each culture and language group can trace its beginnings to an establishing myth, folktale, epic, or romance narrative. These early stories were first passed from generation to generation through oral tradition before the widespread use and technology for writing became practical. Now, these earliest narratives have been recorded much as contemporary writers commit their works to history. Like many of our other cultural roots, our Western literary heritage may be traced back to the Greeks. The great ancestor to our modern novel and short story may be seen in the two great epics of that civilization, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Both of these works, which are attributed to a poet named Homer, have been enjoyed for three millennia, and the basic elements that make up their story are still being used by writers today. These elements were first analyzed by another Greek, the philosopher Aristotle, whose book Poetics was the first text of literary 5 analysis and criticism. Aristotle outlined the most basic elements that comprise any narrative, and any study of literature must begin with his list. Plot The arrangement of events in a narrative is called its plot. The significance of the plot in a piece of fiction, like the significance of all other elements, will vary. For instance, in a piece of detective fiction involving a complicated crime scenario, plot details will be of the utmost importance. However, in many modern short stories, writers are far more concerned with other elements (character, tone, symbols, etc.), and the plot may not play a significant role in understanding the piece. A typical plot consists of a tripartite (three-part) action structure: rising action, climax, and falling action. The rising action of a work consists of the main character’s attempts to overcome whatever obstacles stand in his or her way. This struggle usually results in the greatest dramatic moment of the story, the climax. After this climax follows the story’s falling action, also called the denouement. The engine that drives this entire plot structure is conflict. Conflict may be internal or external. Stories may contain several different conflicts of internal or external natures. The main purpose of such conflict is to create a sense of suspense in the reader to foster continued interest in the narrative. This structure may also be referred to as the obstacle-anxiety-relief cycle. Many times, a writer will play with a reader’s expectation of plot. In story’s such as these, the use of irony can turn even typical, mundane scenarios into interesting stories. Setting A story’s location and time is its setting. The role that setting plays in a story and its overall significance in forming an understanding of the work varies greatly. Some stories are particular to a time and place, while others could be set against almost any backdrop. Character According to Aristotle, the most significant element of any narrative work was its character. In fact, Aristotle defined a story as “character in action,” meaning that our human nature cannot help but reveal itself through our activity. Our interest in character in a fictional work is rooted in our own identification with other people, fictional or otherwise. The way in which an author creates character is called characterization. Point of View The narrator’s relationship to the story is called point of view. Since point of view affects every line of the story, it is one of the most important decisions that a writer makes in creating his or her story. Each 6 type of storyteller has advantages and disadvantages. While a first-person narrator creates a level of closeness to the text, it limits the reader’s access to only one way of seeing the world of the story. Conversely, an omniscient narrator may satisfy any curiosity a reader may have about character or setting, but such authorial power may seem like a barrier between the reader and the text. The less-frequently used objective narrator may seem like a positive compromise, but it can also appear cold and unfeeling since it lacks any emotional or psychological input from the storyteller. The author’s tone is also related through selection of point of view, and these factors help create the story’s mood for the reader. Symbol Any object in a story whose meaning transcends its literal definition is a symbol. While not every object needs to be treated with weightiness and significance, symbols can be an important facet in understanding a story. Objects that reappear frequently in a text, that are described in peculiar ways, or are given special attention or focus are often symbolic. Theme The main idea expressed in a work of fiction may be called its theme. Correctly understood, all other elements of narrative contribute to the making of a theme. Every choice that a writer makes -- the events of the plot, the descriptions of the characters, the selection of the setting -- is geared toward conveying with greatest precision his or her intended message to the reader. Unlike life in the real world, nothing is accidental in a fictional universe. Even seemingly random events were imagined and written by an intelligent being (the writer) with the intention of provoking a reaction in the reader. In this respect, properly understanding the theme of a work involves accounting for all the choices that an author has made. Literary Term Review As you read the following selections, keep these literary elements in mind. How have these writers used the raw materials at their disposal to create meaning? Remember, too, that reading is not a purely intellectual exercise. Fiction is as much an emotional experience as it is a cognitive one. Allow the careful painting of a character, the ingenious twist of a plot, or the powerful resonance of a theme to touch your humanity. These are the pleasures and the rewards of reading. 7 “THE MONKEY’S PAW” BY W. W. JACOBS William Wymark Jacobs (1863-1943) was a British short-story writer, novelist, and playwright. His father managed a wharf, and the young Jacobs turned this experience into many tales of sailors and marine life. Ironically, most of his work was humorous in tone, but he is best remembered for the following piece of macabre fiction, “The Monkey’s Paw.” Toward the end of his writing career, Jacobs spent most of his time adapting his own works for the London stage. His wife, Agnes Eleanor Williams, was noted as an early, vocal supporter of women’s voting rights in England. 8 “THE MONKEY'S PAW” by W.W. Jacobs I. WITHOUT, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire. "Hark at the wind," said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it. "I'm listening," said the latter, grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. "Check." "I should hardly think that he'd come to-night," said his father, with his hand poised over the board. "Mate," replied the son. "That's the worst of living so far out," bawled Mr. White, with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses on the road are let, they think it doesn't matter." "Never mind, dear," said his wife soothingly; "perhaps you'll win the next one." Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard. "There he is," said Herbert White, as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door. The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, "Tut, tut!" and coughed gently as her husband entered the room, followed by a tall burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage. "Sergeant-Major Morris," he said, introducing him. The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host got out whisky and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire. At the third glass his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk, the little family circle regarding with eager interest this visitor from distant parts, as he squared his broad shoulders in the chair and spoke of strange scenes and doughty deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples. "Twenty-one years of it," said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son. "When he went away he was a slip of a youth in the warehouse. Now look at him." "He don't look to have taken much harm," said Mrs. White, politely. "I'd like to go to India myself," said the old man, "just to look round a bit, you know." "Better where you are," said the sergeant-major, shaking his head. He put down the empty glass, and sighing softly, shook it again. 9