“The Lottery”LITERARY DEVICES

• Use of words and phrases to create mental images in the mind of the reader; they are designed to help the reader visualize and more fully experience the text.

• Often involves use of figurative language devices to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way to appeal to the reader’s physical senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, sound).

IMAGERY

• Use of particular words or phrases as hints to give the reader an idea of an event that is about to happen.

• This literary device is used to build suspense in the story.

• These hints or clues are given without revealing or spoiling the plot or the suspense.

• These clues can be weaved into the dialogue between characters, in the descriptions of the story, or in the reactions of the characters.

• These clues can be obvious or implied (disguised).

FORESHADOWING

• Also sometimes called atmosphere. • The mood is the affect of the story on the

reader. In other words, the feeling a story or text creates within the reader.

• Mood can be created in various ways. Some possibilities include: setting, attitude of the narrator (tone), and diction.

• Through the setting, diction, etc. the author attempts to evoke a certain feeling or emotion from the reader.

MOOD

• Suspense is the intense feeling an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events.

• The reader is in anticipation, waiting for more information to be revealed.

• Suspense can be built through a series of events that lead to a climax that captivates the audience and makes them anxious for what will happen next.

• A feeling of discomfort about the unknown.

SUSPENSE

• Tone is the author's attitude (this can include the author as the narrator of the story) toward a subject. The author reveals her attitude through the selection of words she uses to describe the subject.

• The tone can be determined by analyzing not only the word choice (also called diction) but the author's use of imagery, details, and sentence structure (syntax).

• One kind of tone is ironic tone. This is where the author uses a word (or words) to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning.

TONE

In literature there are different types of irony. Two examples include: • Verbal irony: the contrast between what is

meant and what is said; sarcasm.• Situational irony: Where the last thing you

expect to happen, happens. It is a contrast between what the reader thought would likely happen (what would seem appropriate for the story) and what actually happens.

IRONY

• An author’s idea or message about life, society, or human nature.

• An author’s view of life and how people behave.• It can provide certain insight about the story.• Theme can be determined by examining the

characters, plot, conflict, and author’s tone.• It cannot be expressed in a single word (like

“courage” or “friendship.”) It should be expressed as a full statement and supported by evidence in the text.

THEME

• An object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

• It represents something more than itself; another person, idea, concept, or trait.

• These objects can include colors, numbers, animals, etc. For example, a dove is often symbolic of peace. The color black can be a symbol of death or evil.

SYMBOLISM

• How the writer reveals the personality of a character.

• It can be direct: The author tells the reader what the personality of the character is.

• It can be indirect: Instead of directly stating what the character’s personality is the author shows things that reveal the personality of the character.

• Let’s take a look at this handout from ReadWriteThink.org to acquire some strategies to help us with indirect characterization.

CHARACTERIZATION

“THE LOTTERY”

• http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson800/Characterization.pdf

• http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson800/theme.pdf

• http://literary-devices.com/• http://www.foreshadowing.org/• http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/elementslit.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_(literature)• http://

rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-line/lit-terms.html

• http://www.studyzone.org/mtestprep/ela8/a/lsymbolism.cfm

SOURCES