English literature is the study of literature which is written in the English language. Writers do not have to be from England but can be from any part of the world. To name a few of some of history's most famous writers: William Shakespeare (England), Mark Twain (United States), Arthur Conan Doyle (Scotland), Dylan Thomas (Wales), James Joyce (Ireland), and Vladimir Nabokov (Russia). English literature not only represents writers from different parts of the world and time periods, but it covers every major genre and writing style as well. English literature dates back more than five centuries.
English Literature
Literature includes Fiction (Novels and short stories), Non-Fiction, Drama (Plays), Poetry and Visual Literacy.
On the surface, a book tells a story, However, on further analysis, one reaches a deeper level of understanding and appreciation. Every reader gains something personal and subjective from the reading experience.
Wired World
There are more than enough entertainment for old and young in today's wired world. We can watch feature films on our smartphones or drive a few kilometres to 'get away from it all'. This is not how things used to be. The reading of literature for entertainment keep young and old occupied because there were not many available entertainment options. Regardless of all the entertainment options today, English literature remains popular. It deals with universal topics and topics that help us enrich and grow in our everyday lives, it teaches us about different time periods and faraway places.
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Analysing Literary Work
When analysing or studying a literary work, it is important to consider the following factors:
1. The Title
The title encapsulates, introduces and identifies a particular piece of work.
- It becomes synonymous with the work
2. Setting
This is the background against which the novel, short story or play is set.
- The setting provides the framework of time and place. It establishes the context of the work. The context reflects the attitudes and values in which the work is set, written and received.
- The reader needs to identify the setting, which is achieved by direct information as well as by language usage. This is often the key to identifying the theme, sub-themes and characters.
3. Characters
a. Characters are studied and analysed for their physical appearances, personalities and actions.
Appearance: age, physical appearance, dress, social class, mannerisms, mode of speech (accent, dialect, choice of words)
Personality: attitude, sensitivity, intelligence introverted or extroverted character, strengths or weaknesses, positive or negative qualities, sincerity or falseness
Action: the action of the characters are interwoven with the plot, sub-plots and themes
The Characters
b. You learn to know and understand the characters as a result of:
- what the writer says about them
- what other characters say and think about them
- what they say and think about themselves
- their actions and reactions to certain situations and other characters
These aspects allow you to visualize the characters and make them credible and real.
c. The main characters are called Protagonists.
- You become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. For example, in Shakespearean tragedies, characters often have a basic weakness or flaw which leads to their downfall e.g. Othello's jealousy and Macbeth's ambition.
- The protagonist often shares his innermost thoughts with the audience by means of a soliloquy - a speech in which the character appears to be talking to himself e.g. Hamlet's famous soliloquy: "To be, or not to be, - that is the question:-'.
- In most literature, conflict occurs. This causes the characters to develop and adapt to changing circumstances. Conflict is the disagreement, the differences or the confrontations between characters. Readers and audiences are made aware of internal (emotional) or external conflicts portrayed by the characters.
- Characters cannot be studied in isolation. They have to be seen in context against the backdrop of their settings and the other characters. Contrasting characters often act as 'foils', setting off other characters to advantage or disadvantage.
to be continued: Part 2
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