2.7 LITERARY ELEMENTS

You are probably familiar with the standard elements of storytelling—point of view, characterization, plot and conflict, setting, and symbol—but have you ever really wondered why English teachers are so insistent that they are important? The reason is that each one of those elements is a tool that authors use to build their story, and therefore these are the details they use to help convey their ideas—the themes of their work. In this next section, you will have an opportunity to refresh your memory of these elements (because you likely know them from previous English classes), but even more important, you’ll consider how to use them to help you draw plausible and supported conclusions about the theme of a piece of literature.