The House on Mango Street Vignette

The House on Mango Street

Vignette • A vignette is a short, well written sketch or descriptive scene. It does not have a plot which would make it a story, but it does reveal something about the elements in it. It may reveal character, or mood or tone. It may have a theme or idea of its own that it wants to convey. It is the description of the scene or character that is important. – Rather than chapters, The House on Mango Street is divided into vignettes.

Motif • Motif: A recurrent image, word, phrase, theme, character, or situation. – The literary device ‘motif’ is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. Using a motif refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work. Motifs are very noticeable and play a significant role in defining the nature of the story, the course of events and the very fabric of the literary piece. • A motif is generally symbolic--that is, it can be seen to carry a meaning beyond the literal one immediately apparent. – **A motif can be a symbol, a color, a metaphor, a theme, etc.

Narrative Unit: • Label (in your literature notebook): – “Narrative Unit” • Leave at least five blank pages, as we will be filling these spaces in as the year progresses.

Character/Characterization • There are major characters and minor characters in most literary works – Major: figure prominently in the story, critical – Minor: not critical to the movement of the plot, not central to the story • Protagonist: • Antagonist: – A protagonist is considered to be the main character or lead figure in a novel, play, story, or poem. – The protagonist may also be referred to as the hero of a work. – Character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character, or protagonist in some way. – The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from living “happily ever after. ”

Character Types • Round Character: A round character is depicted with such psychological depth and detail that he or she seems like a "real" person. • Flat Character: A flat character is a character without depth or dimension. Flat characters play a specific role/function in the narrative and are important to a story. • Dynamic Character: A dynamic character is a round character whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative. • Static Character: A character who is the same sort of person at the end of a work as at the beginning.

Characterization • Characterization: Characterization is the way in which authors convey information about their characters. – Characterization can be direct, as when an author tells readers what a character is like • (e. g. "George was cunning and greedy. ") – Or indirect, as when an author shows what a character is like by portraying his or her actions, speech, or thoughts • (eg. "On the crowded subway, George slipped his hand into the man's coat pocket and withdrew the wallet, undetected. ")

Author vs. Narrator

Narrator vs. Author • The narrator of a work of fiction or the speaker of a poem is a creation of the author, just as the characters in the work are. It is easy to confuse the author and the narrator because, in fact, some narrators do speak in a voice that may closely echo that of the writer. The narrator is a construction---not the same person as the author.

• Remember: The author is outside of the work; the narrator is part of it.

To Whom do I Refer? • To decide whether you should refer to the author or to the narrator, ask yourself the following question. • Are you quoting the words of the narrator (or the speaker, in the case of a poem)? If so, you need to attribute those words, and the feelings or ideas directly expressed in them, to the narrator. If you are discussing the artistic effect achieved by those words, or speculating on a meaning suggested by the word, then it is appropriate to refer to the author.