CHL 207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Trade Literature, Robert Cormier
TERMS
Craft of fiction, also tools of the trade
Literature: the expression of the human condition
Literary criticism: the explanation of the what and how of literature
❖ The how refers to the tools a storyteller has
Foreshadow: a warning or indication of future events. How humans behave is an important
type of foreshadowing.
Dues ex machina: when an event is not foreshadowed.
❖ Translation: No or bad foreshadowing
❖ Avoid this!
PLOT
The plot of a story is a significant sequence of events. It is not a summary. The
sequence is significant because the events are not random. The are also significant because
they are foreshadowed.
You can have different plot lines to express different human conditions, such as
those in The Love Boat (1977-1987).
There are two types of plot.
❖ Episodic plot
➢ Typically has episodes or chapters
➢ Those chapters or episodes can be skipped or read/watched out of
order
➢ An example of an episodic plot would be a sitcom
❖ Progressive plot
➢ Typically has a sequence of events that lead to a climax, then a
resolution
➢ Has chapters that you cannot skip
➢ An example of a progressive plot would be a movie
SETTING
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Craft of fiction, also (cid:498)tools of the trade(cid:499) Literary criticism: the explanation of the what and how of literature. The how refers to the tools a storyteller has. Foreshadow: a warning or indication of future events. How humans behave is an important type of foreshadowing. Dues ex machina: when an event is not foreshadowed. The plot of a story is a significant sequence of events. The sequence is significant because the events are not random. The are also significant because they are foreshadowed. You can have different plot lines to express different human conditions, such as those in the love boat (1977-1987). Those chapters or episodes can be skipped or read/watched out of. An example of an episodic plot would be a sitcom. Typically has a sequence of events that lead to a climax, then a. An example of a progressive plot would be a movie resolution.
