For the past two weeks, we have practiced analytical thinking and how prewriting can help us develop papers. There is obviously a connection between prewriting and analysis: analysis finds and organizes details so that you can make meaning from them, and prewriting generates and organizes ideas (details) that can help develop an answer to a question that forms a paper. In other words, analysis and prewriting work hand-in-hand: analysis is the thinking method and prewriting helps begin communicating the thinking.
When reading a piece of literature or poetry, the use of language develops the meaning. Hence, the words and images are the details that develop the literary elements (plot, character, theme, setting, irony, point of view, symbols). Analyzing the details of a literary piece is vital to understanding it. Based on this, using prewriting can help us identify and organize these details to begin writing a paper.
To provide you more practice in analysis and prewriting, please complete the following activity:
- Choose one of the two short stories ("The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Model Millionaire").
- Choose one or two literary elements.
- Using one of our prewriting techniques and our analytical method, go through the story you have chosen and list at least five specific, significant details that develop that element in the story. For example, if you choose "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "Setting", you need to find at least five specific details that create what the setting of the story is. In other words, "setting" is your pattern or category--what details belong to this pattern? Provide the precise wording from the story, along with the page number where the detail was found.
- When you're finished, ask any questions that you need answered to help you better understand analysis or prewriting.
I have chosen "A Tell-Tale Heart" for my short story.
ReplyDeleteThe literary element that I have decided to use is point of view.
It is obvious that this story is told from the first person point of view. I think that it was told from this view because it makes you feel what the poor, mentally unstable man (the narrator) is feeling as we read through the story. I believe that it is a very suitable point of view for this story because it makes you feel like you are the one, peeking through the crack in the door every night, being fearful of the old man's "vulture eye". It makes the story suspenseful. The narrator is obviously mentally disturbed, and I do not think that he is a very reliable source. He so set on telling himself that he is not crazy, that he warps the truth, trying to convince the reader so. For instance, on page one, he says, "True!-nervous very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses-not destroyed-not dulled them." He tries to blame his insane ways on his nerves. This point of view also makes the ending of the story a surprise, which makes it more fun to read.
For my analysis i chose "A Tell-Tale Heart". I'll be using the literary element of setting and character for this piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in the story consist of the protagonist figure as a mentally-ill younger man I believe to be taking care of an older man. The antogonist character is the old man's eye in which the younger man dreads and cannot withstand the urge he has to due away with the horrid thing. Some of the other characters such as the police officers that come to the house after a complaint are the foil characters. The police officers are just an extra addition to the suspense of the story, which does a really good job on the twist.
The setting of the story doesn't have much of a range in areas the story takes place. The main setting of the story is the old man's bedroom. This is where the younger man watches the old man sleep. Where he plots to due away with the man's eye. The younger man also murders the older man in the same room. Also in the same setting is where he buried the old man, right underneath the planks is where he hid his body. Even when the cops came to the house the main conversation ended up in the very room. This is where the younger man plead to his crime and turned himself in to the police officers.
The story was an all around very good story. It kept the reader wanting to know what happens. It also builds up the suspense for the climax which definately had a twisted factor in the end.
I'm going to have to go with the Model Millionaire simply because I thought it was a good story. The literary element I'd like to expand on is "theme".
ReplyDeleteI believe that the theme of this story is what really stands out above all else. The author seems to really be trying to convey simply "being a better person". Though it may not always be easy, the rewards are there in the parts of life that truly matter. One of the benefits that Hughie had was popularity. Since Hughie was such a genuine person, most everybody admired him regardless of his shortcomings. An example from the text is: "He was as popular with men as he was with women, money." Another example of this in the writing is that of the interaction with his friend Alan Trevor. It is stated "He had been very much attracted by Hughie at first, it must be acknowledged, entirely on account of his personal charm."
Another example of being a better person is Hughie's lack of greed, and empathy that coincides with it. The example of this is clear when Hughie was asking Alan how much the better received an hour for sitting as a model. When he found how little it was, and how much Alan sells the paintings for, he stated: "Well I think the models should have a percentage, they work as hard as you do." When Alan left the room to greet someone, Hughie on his own accord approached the supposed beggar and gave him what little money he had. When he did so the better smiled, and said "Thank you, sir... thank you." The author managed to convey true genuineness in this response; true appreciation.
This ends up coming back to him, as the beggar was actually a very wealthy man. Upon the beggar being intrigued by Hughie's generosity, he found that Hughie couldn't marry the love of his life, Laura, due to a certain lack of funds. He was so moved by Hughie giving him the small amount he had, when he truly could have used it for himself, that he sent him a check amounting to the money needed to marry his Laura. This example is in the paragraph: "On the outside was written, 'A wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar,' and inside was a cheque for 10,000. (Definitely don't know how to make a "pounds" symbol!). I final example in the reading of being a good person is in the closing paragraph; Alan stated "Millionaire models are rare enough, but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still!" This is referencing the fact that regardless of how rich the Baron (beggar) was, he was still generous and in touch with his fellow man. We certainly need more people like this in our lives!
I choose the tell-tale heart and the literary element that i will talk about is setting. The setting of this story takes place in an old man's house. Although we do not know where the author is at the time he is telling the story we do know it takes place in a house. Most of the story takes place in the old man's bedroom. Where the author talks about watching the man with the blue eye daily. " I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed hiom. And every night, about mignight, I turned the latch of this door and opened it - oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient enoguh for my head, I put in a dark latern, all closed, closed, so that no light sdhone out, and then I thrust in my head." (page 1 )
ReplyDeleteThe story does not only take place inside this house but inside the narrator's demented mind. "I still you think me mad. you will think so no longer when I describe thew wise precuations I took for the concealement of the body. The night waned; and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs." (page #3) The man describes his story out of his memory. He includes us in his groosome details and is proud of every moment of this.
Although we may not know directly where the man is telling the story from we can take a guess. The possiblities are probably a prison or an insane asylum. From the way the man tells the story we can guess in the end these are one of the place he ends up."In an instand I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the dead so far gone." ( page 3)
"The Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde is my choice of the two short stories. I have choosen two literary elements, point of view and theme, to discuss in this blog.
ReplyDeleteThe first element is point of view. This short story is given in the third person point of view. Not once in this story does the author mention himself. Lines such as the one on page one, "But then he was wonderfully good-looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clean cut profile,and his grey eyes.", show in more then one instantance that the author is refering to the Protagonist as he and his. Also throught the enitre short story the author refers to the actual person's name that is speaking. Two such occurances are on page two. "What an amazing model!' whispered Hughie, as he shook hands with his friend." "Cetainly,' replied Trevor, 'you don't want a beggar to look happy, do you?" Both in both cases the author refers to the characters as "Trevor" or "Hughie" and never as I, We, Us or Me.
My second choice of elements is theme. The theme of this story right from the start is that wealth not physical appearance determines the ability to marry a young lady. The first line of this short story states this, "Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow." One the first page at the begining of the third paragraph the authur once again show this point. "Come to me, my boy, when you have gotten ten thousand pounds of your own, and we will see about it,' he use to say". There is a direct statement showing that the only problem the father of his potential wife has was Hughie's lack of wealth. The last page of the story is a great example of the author's point being made. The paragraph right after Hughie recieved the check for the 10,000 pounds he was married to his love. "When they were married Alan Trevor was the best-man,...". All of the afore mentioned lines in the store show that without the added wealth Hughie was not acceptable to marry the Colonel's daughter.
I chose the short story, The Model Millionaire and the literary element is character.
ReplyDeleteHughie Erskine was poor, good looking, someone who had accomplished alot, a person in love, and a man with a heart of compassion.
Hughie was poor,meaning he did't have much finacially of his own, because it was stated that he live on a $200 a year income that his aunt alloted him and that he had accomplished alot except that of making money. It was also said that he was "wonderfully good-looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his grey eyes" and that he was in love. All was stated on page 1. He was a man of compassion, because he gave up his last sovereign to a man that he thought was poor and who had needed it more than him. This was stated on page 2.
I chose "The Model Millionare" by Oscar Wilde. What a good story! The literary element I chose is setting. There are a few different settings within the framework of this story. The main setting is the city of London, around the turn of the century. The story states this in paragraph two. Other settings include- Colonel Merton's home, an artists studio, a club, and the main character's home. The most important place, I feel, is the artists studio, where Hugh meets the Baron. The Baron humbly takes the sovereign and says "Thank you, sir, thank you."
ReplyDeleteI have chosen "The Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde.
ReplyDeleteThe literary element I have chosen to detail is plot.
The opening action in this short story brings the reader into Hughie Erskine's life when he is at the time where he is ready to get married and settle down. The exposition is where we are introduced to some background information about Hughie, which occupies a majority of the first page. For example, the reader learn that Hughie "never said a brilliant or even ill-natured thing in his life" and "he had ever accomplishment except that of making money." The exposition gives way to the rising action of the story. The set of events that lead to the conflict is when Colonel Merton hears of Hughie and the Colonel's daughter, Laura, being engaged. On page one, the Colonel then confronts Hughie and tells Hughie to come to him when he has "ten thousand pounds of his own." The climax of the story is when Baron Hausing sends Hughie a check for ten thousand pounds, detailed on page five. By giving Hughie this check, it allows Hughie and Laura to get married which is the climax because the conflict is resolved. The falling action is Hughie and Laura actually getting married, on page five. Also on page five, the closing action leaves us at Hughie and Laura's wedding where Alan Trevor was the best man, and "the Baron made a speech."
I have chosen "The Tell-Tale Heart" for my story and setting for the literary element. The setting of this story is the old man's house, but mostly takes place in the old man's bedroom. The bedroom is described to be very dark and eerie. Sounds can be heard, but nothing can be seen. The narrator uses the darkness of the room to his advantage when he sneaks up and kills the old man in his bed. The bedroom then becomes the old man's grave when the narrator hides his body under the flooring. Later the bedroom would be the place where the narrator would give in and confess to his act and reveal the old man's body to the police. The setting gave the reader an uncomfortable feeling, and that's one of the ways the author keeps them reading. So the setting of the story was used in many different ways.
ReplyDeleteI decided on “The Tell-Tale Heart” as the Short Story and for literary Element, I have chosen symbols.
ReplyDeleteThe old man’s eye is a symbol. It might represent that everyone has something that no one may like. Some may dislike it so much, that they’ll do anything to get rid of the offending object or person.
The disease the Storyteller talks about in the beginning might also be a symbol. It might represent change. It might possibly represent the moment the story teller decided to kill the old man or it might represent the moment he thought he heard the beating of the heart at the end of the tale.
The beating of the heart might be a symbol of guilt. The heartbeats appear when the story teller is about to kill the old man and when the officers are talking with the storyteller. This leads me to believe that the heartbeats represent guilt.
The hiding of the old man’s body also might be a symbol. By trying to hide the body, he is also trying to hide any evidence of his guilt.
Another part of the story that might be a symbol is at the very end of the tale. The storyteller apparently can’t stand the heartbeats any longer in front of the group of officers and tears up the floorboards. This action might represent the revealing of truth.
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ReplyDeletePage 1paragraph 4 “I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back - but no.”
ReplyDelete***any person in their right mind would've left the room. something bad was obviously about to happen.
Page 2 paragraph 7 “meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased.”
***the story keeps talking about the heart which makes it clear something further on in the story will involve the heart
Page 3 paragraph one “but, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound.”
***a heart stops when a person is dead,this didnt make sense, there was more to it.
Page 3 paragraph 3 “when I had made a end of these labours, it was four o’clock - still dark as midnight. A the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door.”
***why would someone come to your house at 4 in the morning?
Page 3 paragraph 5 “my head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted.”
***he started to act very sketchy, he was letting the guilt get to him, something big was about to happen.
Metaphore-
Page 2 paragraph 7 “meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased.”
*** the heart beat
Page 2 paragraph 7 “and now at the dead hour of the night”
***12 o'clock.
irony- the whole story was about how he wanted to kill this man because of his ' vulture eye' and at the end of the story it's the mans heart that makes the killer confess.
----katy peters.
I chose the story "The Tell-Tale Heart" because I read this story back in eighth grade. The literary elements I have chose are point of view and setting.
ReplyDeleteThe Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe uses many literary elements to tell a story. In this case, the story is in the first person point of view, and Edgar Allan poe is the narrator. This short story is about a man who is a housekeeper for a rich man. Authors use point of view to portray certain feelings and emotions toward their audience so they can better understand how the characters are feeling. An example of this literary element in the story is "In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done." This quote shows how point of view helps to show the author's or character's emotions.
Setting is also a very important literary element that is used in many types of literature. For this story, setting is used to set a mood or paint a picture in the reader's mind. The setting takes place at a rich man's house, but mostly takes place in the rich man's bedroom. The author describes the bedroom as having a "thick darkness." Another example of setting is when the author says "His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door..." (page 2) This quote explains how the room looks and gives a sense of the mood of the room.
“The Model Millionaire” by Oscar Wilde is the story I have chosen to talk about and describe a literary element. The literary element I am going to use is character. Wilde uses character a lot in this story when he describes people. In paragraph one in the first page Wilde describes Hughie Erskine in a full detail description. “Wonderfully good – looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear – cut profile, and his grey eyes.” After I read this I had a clear understanding of what Hughie looked like.
ReplyDeleteAlso in paragraph 4, Oscar Wilde describes a character named Alan Trevor. He describes Trevor by saying, “Strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard.”
Oscar Wilde made it easy to paint a picture in my mind of how these characters looked and were as people.
The story im going to use is the Tell Tale Heart. And the literary element is Symbol.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story the symbol is the beating of the dead mans heart. Whitch was not entirely beating but was the narrators own heart beating and he thought it was the dead old mans. The narrator states " It grew louder - louder - louder! And stillnthe men chatted pleasantly, and smiled." Sheowing that the men had no assumption of the beating heart and it was only in his own mind. Another literary element is point of view and it is told in the first person. They never state the narrators name and he continuosley says "I". He states " I loved the old man. He never wronged me." showing how mentally unstabble he was.
I have no questions really. I understand what you teach and how you teach it you make it a great learning place.
The Story that i am going to do is the Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe and I am also do setting as my literary element.
ReplyDelete"His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness" this comes from the fourth paragraph when the younger man is about to murder the older man.
I'll be discussing literary elements from "The Tell-Tale Heart". Character, point of view and symbolism are the elements I chose.
ReplyDeleteThe younger man taking care of the ill and older man is the character telling the story. So it is clear that the story is told in first person point of view. I feel that the author made this decision of first person p.o.v. because it creates suspense and it's exciting for the reader to feel like they are the younger man, peeking through the door each night.
This younger man appears to be the protagonist of the story, while the oloder man's evil "vulture" eye seems to be the antagonist. This eye is an obstacle for the younger man, and he feels that he must do something to stop his worrying over the eye. I feel that this created a great plot to work with. It would have been nice if the story was longer and we could have read more about the characters and the histories behind them.
One symbol that stuck out to me while reading the story was the beating of the mans heart underneath the floor. At this point in the story, he's calm and happy, simply chatting with the policemen, so it was very intense for him to freal out and switch his mood so quickly. I feel that the beating becoming louder and louder stands as his guilt for what he did. He tried to just hide the body like he tried to hide his guilt. But guilt never goes away, so he had no other choice than to turn himself in, rather than live in the agony everyday.
The story that I’ve chosen to write about is “The Model Millionaire,” just because I thought it had more relevance in today’s society.
ReplyDeleteThe literary element that I’ve chosen to elaborate on is irony.
This story, I find to be VERY ironic, in the sense that even its opening line proves to be false in the end. At the beginning, the author seems convinced that charm and good nature play no role in determining ones success in life. “The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating,” the author exclaimed in reference to our main character. Poor Hughie, who “was as popular with men as he was with women,” hardly had two dimes to rub together. After all, “unless one is wealthy, there is no use in being a charming fellow.”
The author then reveals that Hughie is in a predicament that his charm is unable to get him out of. The father of the love of his life, Laura, requires him to have at least ten thousand pounds to his name before allowing their marriage.
Ironic enough, Hughie, poor as he may be, is also a generous man. On page two, he was seen giving all the money that he had to a “beggar,” who just so happened to be one of the richest men in Europe, Baron Hausberg. Taken aback by this unexpected generosity, Baron Hausberg gave Hughie the money that he needed to marry Laura… Ironically, just because he was a good person.
I am going to chose The Model Millionaire, this I felt I connected more with.
ReplyDeleteThe element I am going to chose will be irony, it is show here very well. This comes in the form of when Hughie Erskine a poor man wanting to marry a woman. Hughie needs money to do so and he enters his good friend's house just to stop by.Where at this place he sees Alan Trevor his friend painting what appears to be a beggar. This beggar looked especially ragged. Hughie feeling sorry for the beggar slipped some money into his hand, trying to help him out. It was only days later that Hughie found out the beggar was really french millionaire. The next morning Hughie receives a large amount of money, enough to marry the one he loves. This was a perfect example of irony.
Hughie cares more about others than himself, this is shown by this example;"Poor old fellow; he thought to himself; he wants it more than I do, but it means no hansoms for a fortnight; and he walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar's hand" This was found on Paragraph 2 of the model millionaire of page 2.
It also shows hughie is poor and is need of money in order to marry the girl he wanted to marry, this is shown here; "Come to me my boy, when you have got ten thousand pounds of your own, and we will see about it, he used to say; and Hughie looked very glum on those days, and had to go to Laura for consolation.
This is found on page 1 paragraph 1 of The model millionaire.
The author of this story, wants you to almost feel your surroundings, he does this very well, with describing Alan trevor and the old beggar who turns out to be a millionaire, this is show on page 2 paragraph 2 of this story, this same exact page also shows how much irony this story has by showing hughie a poor man, giving money away to a beggar who in reality is a millionaire.
In the short story "Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde, a literary element used frequently is the foil character. The foil character, Alan Trevor, expresses to the reader his positive opinion of Hughie Erskine, giving us insight on his personality. Alan, a master artist, was said to have been attracted to Hughie on account of his personal charm. He then says "The only people a painter should know are people who are bete and beautiful, people who are an artistic pleasure to look at and an intellectual response to talk to..."(Pg. 1 of 1, Pg. 2 of 1, excerpt 1). It is then said that after getting to know Hughie, Alan "liked him quite as much for his bright buoyant spirits and his generous reckless nature, and had given him permanent entree to his studio,"(Pg. 2 of 2, excerpt 1). All of the positive criticism Alan bestows upon Hughie gives the reader a detailed description of Hughie, which conveys that he is everything Alan is looking for in a friend, and is over-all a good person. Hughie mistakes a Baron for a beggar who is getting his portrait painted by Alan. In his confusion Hughie lavishly hands what he believes to be a beggar his last pound saying "Poor old fellow, he wants it more than I do," (Pg. 2 of 4, excerpt 2). These details prove that Alan's perception of Hughie was correct. Alan later tells Hughie his beggar is a Baron, and that he has shared many of Hughies' private affairs with the Baron. Hughie is very embarrassed of his actions. Alan then reassures Hughie that the Baron will reward him by investing his sovereign for him and giving him interest every six months. Hughie feels like a fool, but Alan laughs at him and says "Nonsense! It reflects the highest credit on your philanthropic spirit, Hughie," (Pg. 4 of 4, excerpt 4). The Baron later send Hughie a wedding gift for 10,000 pounds so that he can marry the love of his life, where Alan is the best man and makes a speech; "Millionaire models are rare enough; but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still!" (Pg. 4 of 4, excerpt 5)
ReplyDeleteI will analyze “The Model Millionaire” because I have already a negative opinion of “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Basically I believe that it consists of a lot of pure crazy and scares me when I read it. Also I will look at the characters and the irony in “The Model Millionaire”. Our main character of the story is Hughie Erskine. He is poor, attractive, in love with one of the secondary characters, Laura Merton. Laura she is “the daughter of a retired colonel who had lost his temper”-pg1. Her father admired Hughie but would not allow them to wed unless he had 10,000 pounds. The only other two important characters are Alan Trevor, the painter, and Baron Hausberg. The painter is Hughie’s best friend who is rich and the best painter that Hughie knows. And as for Baron Hausberg is the richest man in England. He is the “model millionaire”. As for the irony Hughie is the poor man but he is the best looking and Alan is a rich man but he is not very nice. Also there is a beggar that turns out to be the richest man in England. And lastly Hughie gives the beggar money and in return for his kindness the Baron gives Hughie 10,000 pounds for a wedding gift, just enough to get married.
ReplyDeleteThe tale im going to use for my analysis is going to be that of Tell Tale Heart, and the element im going to use symbol
ReplyDeleteIn this tale the man believes he still hears the beating heart of the man he killed and hide and he believes that someone is going to find him and know the narrator did it.
In this he says he could hear the heartbeat getting louder and louders as it went on in the end it was his own parinoia that lead him to beleive this.
The story that I chose was "The Model Millionaire".
ReplyDeleteThe literary element that I chose to use is irony. There are several important events, and truths about the main character that the author uses in order to lead up to this ironic ending in the story.
One big truth is in the beginning of the story, when the author tells us how the main character has never said or done anything too intelligent, or important; yet he was very good looking. This information about the main character suggests that he doesn't have a lot going for him, other than his looks, obviously.
Another event that happens is he falls in love with a girl, but he can't marry her because her father doesn't like how he's so poor. This just adds to his problems, and shows the reader that this character's life isn't really something to be proud of.
Also, later in the story, the main character is extremely embarrassed when he gives his only money to a man that he thinks is a beggar. He later finds out that the man is one of the richest men around. This adds to the building up to the ironic climax.
In the end the rich man sends the main character a check for 10000 pounds, therefore creating an ironic ending by giving the man a good life.
For my short story I chose "The Tell Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. The literary element I will be discussing in this story is setting.
ReplyDeleteBecause the narrator keeps insisting that he is not crazy he is probably telling the story from inside an institution of some kind. The story takes place in a random house in a random place where the narrator lives with an old man.
Few Details are given about the town. It is a decently populated place given the fact that a neighbor hears a scream or two and prompts the police to investigate. The only part of the house that the narrator mentions in the story is the old man's dark bedroom. It is where the narrator conducts all of his evil deeds which makes it where all of the story's events take place. The events take place over eight days. The first seven are spent by the narrator sneeking into the old man's bed room to see his eye. The eighth night is when he commits his crime. Because the bedroom is not described very well and the main detail is that it is dark it makes the story more scary because we can't see it.
1. The Tell Tale Heart
ReplyDelete2. One example of a literary element that Edgar Allen Poe uses in The Tell Tale heart is foreshadowing. Poe mentions how the killer goes to the old mans house and watches him sleep and has many harsh emotions towards the old man. When reading this i concluded that the killer clearly had something against the old man and something bad was most likely going to happen to him. After stalking the old man for eight nights the killer finally kills him. This didn't come as much of a surprise to me because i knew what was most likely going to happen because of Poe's use of foreshadowing.
Another example of a literary element that Poe uses is, a rising action. Poe uses the rising action in a way that is very obvious. The killer is obviously a very disturbed person. So Poe makes it very clear through many events that something bad is going to happen. The old man is watched and stalked for eight nights which leaves the reader anticipating what is going to happen.
3.
4. How do you find details that correspond to the literary elements? Are there specific details i should be looking for?
The short story i have chosen is "The Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde. The literary element that i have chosen is character. In the short story Wilde does an excellent job of describing his characters traits, both physical and personality.
ReplyDeleteThere are several good examples of how Wilde describes his characters physical traits. There are two times he does this on page one of the story. First when describing his main character Hughie Erskine, he describes him by saying, "But then he was wonderfully good-looking, withe his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his grey eyes." Immediately after reading this i had a pretty good idea in my head of what Hughie might look like. Secondly on the first page he describes Hughies friend, Alan Trevor, as "a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard."
Also on the second page he uses very vivid details to describe a beggar-man in a portrait his friend painted. He describes the man as, "wizened old man, with a face like wrinkled parchment, and a most piteous expression. Over his shoulders was flung a coarse brown cloak, all tears and tatters;his thick boots were patched and cobbled, and with one hand he leant on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his battered hat for alms." These are all good examples of how Wilde uses details to help the reader create an image of what his character looks like.
In the story Wilde also does a good job of describing his characters assets other than physically how they look. He does this on page one when describing Hughie. Wilde says, " He was as popular with men as he was with women, and he had every accomplishment except that of making money." He then goes on to explain the different ways Hughie has tried to become successful. After reading this, along with his physical description, I had a good picture of who this character was. Later on the first page he describes Hughie's friend Alan as an artist that, "when he took up the brush he was a real master, and his pictures were eagerly sought after." Another well done job by Wilde. After reading this i saw Alan to be a rough man but a successful artist.
After reading about these characters i had a very good idea of not only what they look like, but what kind of person the are as well. I must say, in this short story, Oscar Wilde does one of the best jobs I have personally seen of creating a character in multiple dimensions.
I am Choosing the literary element of "Irony" and each quote is followed by it's page number.
ReplyDeleteThere are many examples of the literary element of "Character" in Oscar Wild's short story "The Model Millionaire,” but my favorite part was the element of "irony." The element of irony was set up right in the beginning sentence, “Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow,”(p1) implying that there is no use for a good personality if one is poor. This statement is followed by the words, “Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed,”(p1) and, “The poor should be practical and prosaic,”(p1) reinforcing the idea that people who don’t have money should be boring miserly, penny-pinchers. A few lines down the story states, “These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized,”(p1) suggesting that Hugh, the main character, was headed for imminent disaster. The story supports its original statement about romance made in the second sentence by quoting the father of Hughie’s love, “Come to me, my boy, when you have got ten thousand pounds of your own, and we will see about it [Marrying his daughter].”(p1) Thus, continuing to showing how romance is not for the poor. Nevertheless did the author not say that there is no use in being charming unless one is rich? Here is where Hughie starts to un-assumingly prove the cynical theme of the story wrong. The author mentions an acquaintance of Hughie’s, an artist who, “had been very much attracted by Hughie at first, it must be acknowledged, entirely on account of his personal charm.”(p1) When Hughie, “walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar’s hand,”(p2) he spent money he could not afford to loose. Following this even he was scolded by Laura, his lady friend for spending the money, not knowing that Hughie and her would ironically be rewarded by his kind action. The conversation between Hughie and Trevor the painter continued to build the irony of the story as Hughie said, “What a duffer he[Baron Hausberg] must think me!”(p4) In the end, the original view of the story had ironically changed as what looked like foolishness turned out to greatly help the future of the main character, “A wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar,’ and inside was a cheque for £10,000.”(p5)
There are more examples I could have added but adding these examples was hard enough to explain.
The short story which I have chosen is The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde. The literary element I have chosen is the Character. Hughie Erskine was poor, good looking, a person in love, and a man with a heart of compassion. Hughie was poor, meaning he didn't have much money of his own, because it was stated that he lives on a $200 a year income.He had accomplished a lot except making money. It was also said that he was "wonderfully good-looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his grey eyes". He was a man of compassion, because he gave up his last sovereign to a man that he thought was poor and who had needed it more than him.
ReplyDeleteThe short story that has been chosen to talk about is " The Tell-Tall Heart". The two literary elements i have chose to use are P.O.V and mood. The short story is written in first-person as if seen through the eyes of this madman. The P.O.V is brilliant Edgar Allan Poe is a genius with his detailed writing. "You should have seen how wisely I proceeded-with what caution- with what foresight- with what dissimulation I went to work" (Pg.1) " I foamed - I raved - I swore! " (Pg.3) " In that instant i dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him" (Pg.3) " If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions i took for the concealment of the body" (Pg.3) I went down to open it with light heart, - for what had I now to fear?" (Pg.3) This point of view allows you to feel the madman's thoughts. When he talks about standing still and not moving a muscle.You picture the scene of looking in at the old man's eye. The other element I'm using is symbolism. I think their are to symbols that stick out the most in this story. The old man's "eye" is the first. The eye represents the the narrators madness. In any other situation the old mans sleeping would not bother any normal human. However, because of this mans sick twisted mind it changes the way he sees the eye. The second symbol is the beating heart. Page 4 shows the best symbolism of the beating heart. When the narrator first answer the door for the policemen he was calm, cool and collected. He first is enthusiastic to let them search the house, he shows them every area. " I bade them search- search well" (Pg.3) But as time went on the police officers stayed and the feeling became stronger. The sound was a ringing at first, something mildly in his head. He realized he was talking more freely trying to drowned out the sound, but he soon realized he couldn't. The sound was the old man's heart beating from under the floor board. Louder and louder it became the man gasped for breath but the officers showed no mind. It was the sound of guilt that he was hearing and every moment the cops stayed the less he could bare the dead. Eventually it becomes to much and the narrator fold under the pressure as he rips up the floor boards " Villains!' I shrieked, ' dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!" This ends the story in a twisting suspense that portrays the narrators true madness.
ReplyDeleteThe story I will pick would be “The Tell Tale Heart“. The literary element that I thought would be the best for this story would be characters.
ReplyDeleteThere are not very many people in this story so honestly it doesn’t consists of very many. The protagonist character is an insane-mentally ill young man who is taking care of an older man with a “vulture eye“. The antagonist I believe isn’t even a character at all, it would be the old mans “eye“. The protagonist hates and disgusts this eye just because he has the urge to destroy the eye. There are two other people in this short stories as well, these would be the police man and the foil characters. These policeman are mainly there after a complaint. These policeman actually add a lot to the story though, they add to the suspense and the upcoming events. If they didn’t show up I don’t think the protagonist would have felt the grief or emotions.
I don’t have any questions really.
I chose Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." The literary element I chose is point of view.
ReplyDeleteThe story is told to us in the first person narrative, with our narrator being a mentally unstable man. The point of view gives us insight onto the characteristics on our narrator.
We can't fully trust our narrator due to several different reasons. One of those reasons is that we get only one view of how things unfold. Another reason relating to that is that our view of the story is biased and filtered due to the opinions of the narrator. The third reason is that our narrator is mentally unstable and a murderer.
An action by our narrator that helps re-affirm the insanity of the characater is that he sneaks into an old man's apartment and watch him sleep. Then one night while watching the old man he kills him because our narrator was afraid that the old man's heart beat would wake the neighbors.
Another action that confirms we can't place our total trust with our narrator is that he is an insane murderer. The narrator after killing the man, chops him into pieces and puts the old man under the floor in his bedroom. When the cops came to talk to him he tried to play it cool until he thought he heard the old man's heart beating from under the floor even though he was already dead. Our narrator thinks that the cops can hear it too so he confesses to the murder.
All these give us information and characteristics of our narrator and lead us to make the decision whether or not we can trust our narrator.
"The Model Millionaire"
ReplyDeleteOscar Wilde
The literary element that I think will help analyze this story is theme. The theme of the story helps the reader understand the message from the author.
1) Page 1: "Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow."
Page 1: "Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed."
This message is telling the reader that if they are not wealthy then they should not even try to be handsome or in anyways delightful. The second message is that the person that is unemployed or poor means they cannot be or have love in their life.
2) Page 2: "A shilling an hour." "And how much do you get for your picture, Alan?" "Oh, for this I get two thousand!"
Page 3: "But he looks splendid in them." "I wouldn't paint him in a frock-coat for anything." "What you call rags I call romance." "What seems poverty to you is picturesqueness to me."
This theme contradicts what the first theme is about and how you have to be rich to have romance. The artist tells Hughie that he thinks that the rags and poorness of the bum is romance. The artist also gets 2 thousand pounds for a picture of a poor fellow.
3) Page 2: "Poor old fellow," he thought to himself, "he wants it more than I do, but it means no hansoms for a fortnight;" and he walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar's hand."
This theme is about how Hughie has the qualities of a gentleman and shows his kindness to the beggar/bum. Contradicts the first theme by being rich means you have love.
4) Page 4: "Nonsense! It reflects the highest credit on your philanthropic spirit, Hughie."
This theme shows how Hughie is just as nice as any other person even though he is not as rich. He gives his money away even though he still needs it.
5) Page 5: "A wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar," and inside was a cheque for £10,000."
"Millionaire models," "are rare enough; but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still!"
This theme shows by helping Hughie, the Baron has the ideal way to spend money. This is why he raises himself to a model millionaire to the status of a millionaire model.