An Insight into British and American Literature / Nguyễn Quang Nhật, Nguyễn Hoàn Vũ, Phan Lê Vĩnh Thông

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Nguyễn Quang Nhật Nguyễn Hoàn Vũ Phan Lê Vĩnh Thông HO CHI MINH CITY, 09/2020

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This book consists of 14 chapters and is designed to meet the needs of students at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking University HCMC. Its essence includes critical reading, analysing, evaluating, and discussion of selected literary works of British and American culture. These works (or chapters of these works) are also chosen by the author of the syllabus of British and American literature at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Banking University HCMC. Readers first get exposure to fundamental literary issues. Then, these famous works are examined from multiple viewpoints, not only for themes, narratives, and styles, but also through application of critical theories. Through intensive, close reading, students will understand diverse experiences, languages, forms, and genres. It is also a discussion-centered coursebook mandating that students have a high level of personal investment. The objectives are for students to gain an awareness of themselves, other cultures and other individuals; to gain an ability to think critically and to express ideas orally and in writing; to gain aesthetic sensitivity; to further develop their intellectual curiosity, and could be challenged by the remarkable range of knowledge available through literature.

The material presented here borrows from William J. Long's “English Literature” and Kathryn V. Spanckeren’s “American Literature”. It is meant to serve pedagogical purposes with careful citation

and acknowledgements.

Good luck and best wishes!

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Table of Contents

PART 1 FUNDAMENTALS OF LITERATURE ...5

CHAPTER 1: AN OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE ...6

I. Definition of “Literature” ... 6

II. Elements of literature ... 7

III. Common literary devices/ Figurative languages ... 14

CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE ANALYSIS ...47

I. Definition of literary analysis ... 47

II. Typical structure ... 47

III. Criteria and requirements ... 48

IV. Essay development ... 50

V. Practice ... 53

PART 2 BRITISH LITERATURE...54

CHAPTER 4: AN OVERVIEW OF BRITISH LITERATURE...55

I. The history of English language ... 55

II. Historical periods of British literature ... 56

III. Practice ... 64

CHAPTER 5: HAMLET – WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ...66

I. Contextual background ... 66

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III. Shakespearean tragedies ... 68

IV. Analysis of Hamlet ... 69

II. William Worthword... 82

III. The poem “Daffodils” or “I wandered lonely as a cloud” ... 82

IV. Meaning of the poem ... 83

V. Analysis ... 83

VI. Practice ... 88

CHAPTER 7: WUTHERING HEIGHTS - EMILY BRONTE ...92

I. Contextual background ... 92

II. Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights ... 93

III. Summary of Wuthering Heights ... 95

IV. Summary of Chapter 15... 97

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II. James Joyce ... 117

III. Summary of Araby ... 117

IV. Analysis ... 118

V. Practice ... 123

PART 3 AMERICAN LITERATURE ...127

CHAPTER 10: AN OVERVIEW OF AMERICAN LITERATURE ...128

CHAPTER 11: RIP VAN WINKLE - WASHINGTON IRVING ...137

II. Emily Dickinson ... 151

III. The poem “I heard a fly buzz when I die” ... 152

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II. John Steinbeck ... 177

III. Summary... 178

IV. Analysis ... 180

V. Practice ... 185

REFERENCES ...188

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PART 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF LITERATURE

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CHAPTER 1: AN OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE

I. Definition of “Literature”

Broadly speaking, "literature" describes anything from creative writing to technical or scientific works, but the term commonly refers to works of creative imagination, aesthetic, and/or humanistic purposes such as poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction (Terry Eagleton, 1996). It may also contain political messages or beliefs.

Task 1: Match the benefits of literature with each description.

2. Literarure helps us to expand our minds with each exposure to those who differ from us. We may still reject their unique beliefs and assumptions, but we're one step closer to understanding them.

1. History, anthropology and religious studies provide a method of learning about the cultures and beliefs of others from the outside. Literature, on the other hand, allows us to experience the cultures and beliefs of others first-hand from the inside looking out.

3. When we explicate literature, we build a solid case in support of our opinions, and we build self-confidence in our own interpretations of language.

4. Literature hones our language skills and teaches us valuable techniques for communication. Thus, literature becomes an important tool to sharpen our linguistic skills.

5. World literature contains most available knowledge about humanity and interactions with the world at large. Some most important lessons are subtly expressed in literature. Great literature has hidden meanings that we have to dig and analyze to find the gold.

6. Literature teaches us better courses of action and more effective responses to situations. It forces readers to challenge their simplistic ethical conceptions and sometimes their outright condemnation of others' actions. Ethical exploration is a mature endeavor; it is not for the thin-skinned.

A. To exercise our brains from the insights of others B. To explore other cultures and beliefs

C. To appreciate individuals at a deeper level D. To further our mastery of language

E. To explore ethical complexities and learn better ways to behave

F. To learn how to support our points of view and trust our own interpretations G. To know we aren't alone

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II. Elements of literature a) Theme

Theme is the main idea or message about humans, society or life in a literary work. In literature analysis, it should be stated in the form of a message (a full statement).

Task 2: Decide which option is a better description of the theme in each situation.

The story of Mr. Know-all is about the

theme of cultural and racial prejudice. This prejudice exist among human beings and should be avoided.

2. Hamlet – Shakespeare

Hamlet is a revenge tragedy involving

Hamlet and his responsibility to avenge the murder of his father.

One theme of Hamlet is the seamy human

world where deception is imevitable, and there is explicit connections between the moral legitimacy of a ruler and the health of the nation.

3. The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du

The main message of the story is moral issues when the main character managed to save her family and the innocence of her soul regardless the circumstances she faced.

The main message of the story is a respect towards women and desire for women’s freedom from all the norms of a male-dominated society, which reinforces an oppression as a result of Confucian tradition and the patriarchal society.

4. Daffodils by William Wordsworth The main theme of the poem “Daffodils”

is about the beauty of nature. The author is shown to be lonely, but when he thinks back to

the Daffodils, he is happy and content.

The poem enchanted the beauty of nature which could empower people to put human problems into perspective and transform their sadness into joy for more motivation to survive.

5. Araby – James Joice

The central theme of the story is the disappointing transformation of humans when confronting with reality. The boy undergoes emotional growth, changing from an innocent boy to an adolescent when he goes to a bazaar.

The central theme of the story is the maturity change in terms of understanding about human relationship and the challenging reality. This is a major step toward adulthood when people coming of age and dealing with reality.

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Task 3: Write one theme for the following Vietnamese fictions.

1. When the light is out (Tắt Đèn – Ngô Tất Tố)

Exposition/Introduction: This is the beginning of the story, where characters and settings are

established to explain or summarize background information.

Rising action: It occurs when a series of events begin to get complicated. It is during this part of a

story that excitement, tension, or crisis is encountered.

Conflict/ Complications

• Internal conflict: It is a struggle which takes place in the protagonist’s mind and through

which the main character reaches a new understanding or dynamic change.

• External conflict: It is a struggle between the protagonist and another character against nature

and some outside force.

Climax: This is the moment of highest interest and emotion, leaving the reader wondering what is going to happen next.

Falling Action (or the winding up of the story): This part occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.

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Resolution: This is the end of a story, which may occur with either a happy or a tragic ending.

Denouement: A French word meaning "unknotting" or "unwinding," denouement refers to the

outcome or result of a complex situation or sequence of events, an aftermath or resolution that usually occurs near the final stages of the plot.

Open Plot: Open plot is one of those things where the author never gives a definite ending, and is

very vague about what happens. You can use your imagination for what happens to the characters.

Closed Plot: A restricted sequence of events in a play, novel, or film.

Example: Cinderella

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Task 4: Identify the required element in each literary work.

1. Climax - The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du

………. ………. ………. 2. Conflict - Romeo and Juliet by W. Shakespeare

………. ………. ………. 3. Falling Action – The last leaf by O.Henry

………. ………. ……….

c) Characterisation

Characterisation refers to the way how an author or poet uses his/her description, dialogue, and action to create in the readers an emotional or intellectual reaction to a character or to make the character more vivid and realistic.

Some types of characters are are:

• Protagonist: The main character on whom the author focuses most of the narrative attention. • Antagonist: The character against whom the protagonist struggles or contends.

• Static Character/Flat Character: A simplified character who does not change his or her

personality over the course of a narrative.

• Dynamic Character: a character whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a

narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change.

• Round character: a well-developed character who demonstrates varied and sometimes

contradictory traits.

• Foil: A character that serves by contrast to highlight opposing traits in another character.

• Confidant: A character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a

device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions of a main character.

• Antihero: A protagonist who is a non-hero or the antithesis of a traditional hero. While the

traditional hero may be dashing, strong, brave, resourceful, or handsome, the antihero may be incompetent, unlucky, clumsy, dumb, ugly, or clownish.

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• Stereotype: A character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that the character seems like an

oversimplified representation of a type, gender, class, religious group, or occupation.

• Stock Character: A character type that appears repeatedly in a particular literary genre, one which

has certain conventional attributes or attitudes.

d) Setting

The setting of a literary work encompasses a number of different elements:

• Time: refers to day or night, summer or winter, and the historical period. Period is the common

historical eras that scholars use to divide literature into comprehensible sections. Dividing literature into these arbitrary periods allows us to better compare and contrast the works in different ages, to more easily trace chains of influence from one writer to another, and to appreciate more readily the connection between historical events and intellectual trends.

• Place: implies the location of inside or outside, country or city, specific town and country,

Cultural milieu (urban, rural, multicultural, ethnic, diverse), and real or fictional areas,

• Social situation: implies the social status and situation of not only the main characters but also

the minor characters who take little part in advancing the plot, and even from those whose presence contributes to the realism of the work.

• Mood and atmosphere: can be eerie, dangerous, menacing, tense, threatening, relaxing, nostalgic,

happy, light-hearted, etc.

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e) Point of view

It is the method of narration/ the voice that determines the position from which the story unfolds. It governs the reader's access to the story. It includes:

• First-person Narrator: A narrator that indicates the speaker. It means we are seeing events

through the eyes of the character telling the story. E.g.: “I gazed – and gazed – but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought.” (Daffodils by William Wordsworth)

• Second-person Narrator: A narrator that indicates the person spoken to.

E.g.: “You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.” (Bright Lights, Big City by Jay Mclnemey)

• Third-person Narrator: A kind of narrator very commonly found in fictions written as

third‐person narratives.

E.g.: He entered, vociferating oaths dreadful to hear; and caught me in the act of stowing his son sway in the kitchen cupboard. Hareton was impressed with a wholesome terror of encountering either his wild beast’s fondness or his madman’s rage … (Rip Van Winkle’s by Washington Irving)

There are three kinds of third-person point of view:

• Third-person objective narrative: The narrator is not one of the characters in a story but he or she

expresses only about all actions done by the characters in the story and not their feelings or thoughts.

• Third-person limited: The narrator is not one of the characters in the story but he or she expresses

about all actions done by characters and she or he has a permission to express feelings and thoughts of only one character in the story.

• Third - person omniscient narrative: A story is portrayed by a narrator who is not one of the

characters in the story but he or she expresses every action done by the characters in the story as well as all their feelings and thoughts. He knows everything about all characters.

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f) Diction

Diction refers to the word choice and the language used by the author to reveal the theme and

purpose of the novel. It includes:

Tone:The means of creating a relationship or conveying an attitude or mood. The tone might be formal or informal, playful, ironic, optimistic, pessimistic, or sensual.

Style: The author's words and the characteristic way that writer uses language to achieve certain

effects. An important part of interpreting and understanding fiction is being attentive to the way the author uses words.

g) Monologue vs. Dialogue

A monologue is a speech that one character delivers aloud to express his or her inner thoughts.

• Stream of consciousness/Interior Monologue: It is used to describe the narrative method where

novelists describe the unspoken thoughts and feeling of their characters without resorting to objective description or conventional dialogue.

• Soliloquy: A monologue spoken by an actor at a point in the play when the character believes

himself to be alone.

A dialogue is a conversation between two or more people in novels, prose, some poetries, and plays. Dialogue is a literary device that can be used for narrative, philosophical, or didactic purposes.

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III. Common literary devices/ Figurative languages

Figurative languages express an idea or image with words which carry meanings beyond their literal ones. They give extra dimension to language by stimulating the imagination and evoking visual, sensual imagery.

a) Simile

Simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared by using a connective words such as “like” or “as”.

E.g.: a. I wandered lonely as a cloud (Daffodils – Wordsworth)

b. "… and her eyes sparkled as bright as diamonds" (Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte) =>

This comparison using like or as describes Miss Cathy and helps us illustrate the beauty she held.

c. “… But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon

the wires” (Araby – James Joice)

b) Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that share some characteristics.

E.g.: a. “…a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use” (Rip Van

Winkle - Washington Irving)

b. The whole world is a stage, and all the men and women merely actors. They have their exits

and their entrances … (As You Like It - Shakespeare)

c. "It was not the thorn bending to the honeysuckles, but the honeysuckles embracing the thorn." Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte) => Catherine is being compared to thorns and the Lintons are like the honeysuckles. We learn that Catherine is stubborn and edgy, while the Lintons are sweet.

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c) Personification

Personification is a figure of speech when the author assigns the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or, in some cases, to something that isn't even alive.

E.g.: a. "…her tongue was always going-singing, laughing, and plaguing everybody who would not

do the same." (Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte) => Catherine's tongue is singing, laughing, and plaguing people. We can infer that Catherine was a happy, talkative, and lively spirit.

b. "…but the snow and wind whirled wildly through, even reaching my station, and blowing

out the light." => The snow and wind blew out the light. This shows how powerful the blizzard was.

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b. Maybe one of the guys would lay enough bread on him for a meal or at least subway fare.(In

another country – Hemmingway) => Bread is metonymy and stands for money

c. “The Silicon Valley” is a metonymy for the technology sector.

e) Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to refer to the whole.

E.g.: a. Four still faces passed her with their burden. (In another country – Hemmingway). => faces

stand for people.

b. The Eyes around-had wrung them dry-

And Breaths were gathering firm For that last Onset-when the King

Be witnessed-in the Room (I heard a Fly buzz when I died" by Emily Dickinson)

=> “Eyes" stand for people. Dickinson's use of synecdoche emphasizes that the people in the room are watching the speaker.

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f) Irony

Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and reality.

There are 3 types of irony:

Verbal irony (also called sarcasm) occurs when a speaker makes a statement in which its actual

meaning differs sharply from the meaning that the words ostensibly express.

E.g.: a. “A little more than kin, and less than kind.” (Hamlet-Shakespeare) => He is talking about

his uncle, who is also now his step father – a little more than kin. When he says “less than kind,” it is ironic because his uncle is the one who killed his father.

b. In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry says, "Yeah, Quirrell

was a great teacher. There was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head!"

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something about present or future circumstances

that the character does not know. In that situation, the character acts in a way we recognize to be grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances, or the character expects the opposite of what the reader knows that fate holds in store, or the character anticipates a particular outcome that unfolds itself in an unintentional way.

E.g.: a. When Rose was leaning on the balcony right before the ship hits the iceberg says, "It's so

beautiful I could just die” (Titanic) => Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something

that the characters don't.

b. The apple that puts Snow White into a deep sleep is dramatic irony, because the audience knows that the Wicked Stepmother cursed the apple, but Snow White does not.

Situational irony (also called cosmic irony) refers to a situation in which accidental events

occur that seem oddly appropriate, such as the poetic justice of a pickpocket getting his own pocket picked. However, both the victim and the audience are simultaneously aware of the situation in situational irony.

E.g.: a. Posting on Facebook about what a waste of time social media is.

b. A man who is a traffic cop gets his license suspended for unpaid parking tickets.

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c. In the novel Dumb Luck of Vu Trong Phung, Red-haired Xuan's luck and his knack for bullshitting helps him become a familiar face in the Vietnamese bourgeoisie crowd as he continues to dabble in medicine after unfortunately saving Van Minh's grandpa, Hong. He eventually becomes the champion of science, a professional tennis player, and a national hero although he is an uneducated and unscrupulous vagrant.

g) Paradox

Paradox is a figure of speech in which two events seem unlikely to coexist.

E.g.: a. I must be cruel only to be kind. (Hamlet – Shakespeare)

b. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. (Animal’s Farm - George

Orwell)

h) Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, such as “cruel kindness,” or “living death”.

E.g.: a. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow

That I shall say good night till it be morrow. (Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare) b. Paid volunteers were working for the company.

c. The CEO of a multinational company said, “We have been awfully lucky to have survived the disastrous effects of the recent economic recession.”

d. The program was not liked by the people, for a lot of unpopular celebrities were invited.

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moving at all because of his excitement and anxiety about the trip.

Understatement is a figure of speech in which an expression with less emphasis is used.

E.g.: a. Through one of the broken panes I heard the rain impinge upon the earth... playing in the

sodden beds. (Araby – James Joice) => Instead of describing the rain as "torrential," Joyce describes it as "playing," as "needles of water" fall heavily ("impinging") to the earth, which is drenched—not the case for a misting of rain.

b. We teachers are rather good at magic, you know." (In 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K.Rowling)

j) Symbolism

Symbolism means using objects with a certain meaning that is different from their original meaning or function. It is used to give intangible ideas and emotions a visibility and solidity that makes the readers notice them, and represent these grander ideas or qualities.

E.g.: a. Ghosts symbolize lost souls, memory, and the past. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë uses this symbol to support the themes of love and obsession and good versus evil. Cathy's ghost lingers in Heathcliff's memory, supporting love and obsession, and then it actively and vengefully pursues Heathcliff in the end, supporting good versus evil..

b. The term “Roman Fever” refers to a particularly deadly strain of malaria. Roman fever symbolizes strong emotions, and the 'disease' of jealousy. Grace is afflicted with 'Roman fever' through her love of Delphin, who was engaged to Alida.

c. Black is normally associated with the element of death. John Steinbeck uses the black handle on the long blade, Pepe’s black hair, the black jerky he chews on and Pepe’s father’s black coat to symbolise that the main character is literally welcoming death in his future with the darkness.

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k) Flashback

This is a method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events--usually in the form of a character's memories, dreams, narration, or even authorial commentary.

E.g.: Emily Bronte’s famous novel Wuthering Heights starts off with Cathy, one of the main characters, dead. Mr. Lockwood sees Cathy’s name written all over the windowsill, and then has a vexing dream about her. When he talks about the dream to Heathcliff, Heathcliff becomes distressed, and Mr. Lockwood wants to know why the mention of Cathy upsets him. The flashbacks are means to bring Cathy back to life, so Mr. Lockwood has a better perception of why Heathcliff was so upset. The flashbacks show the development of the love that Heathcliff and Cathy had for each other, and how their poor decisions separated them. It would not have the same effect, if Ellen had only told Mr. Lockwood that Cathy was a person that Heathcliff loved and that she died.

l) Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is used to provide hints about what will happen next or later in a narrative.

E.g.: a. “The leaves fell early that year. (Opening line of A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway) => an early death.

b. In the fiction “Flight” of John Steinbeck, an example of foreshadowing can be found when Pepé is returning home. Pepé looks at his "weathered little shack" and notices the shadow. The shadow is heading in the direction North East. Even though the directions North and East are "good," the fact that the shadow is there turns them "bad." This means that evil is winning over goodness. => In whichever direction Pepé turns, he will encounter evil, failure, or death.

IV. Practice

Task 5: Decide if the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.

1. Literature refers to human exploitations written in words that are well-chosen and arranged. 2. A great book is born of the brain and heart of its author; he has put himself into its pages; they partake of his life, and are instinct with his individuality.

3. People are strongly impelled to confide to others what they think and feel; hence the literature which deals with the great drama of human life and action.

4. Literature does not only keep experiences but also exposes relevant experiences to audiences around the world.

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5. A piece of literature differs from a specialized document on astronomy, political economy, philosophy, or even history, in part because it appeals not to a particular class of readers only.

6. Literature is composed of those books which, by reason of their subject-matter and their mode of treating it, are of general human interest.

7. Literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they have experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about those aspects which have the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us.

8. People are intensely interested in men and women, their lives, motives, passions, relationships; hence the literature which directly expresses the thoughts and feelings of the writer.

Task 6: Choose the correct answers.

1. It is a quality of literature which appeals to our sense of beauty.

A. Style B. artistry C. universality D. intellectual value

2. During what part of "The Little Mermaid" does Ariel have to choose whether to kill the prince or not? A. Climax B. Rising action C. Falling action D. Introduction

3. The events that take place in a story make up the story's

4. Which of the following is not a type of conflict?

A. person vs. person B. person vs. society C. person vs. identity D. person vs. nature 5. Because Chi Pheo changes his thoughts and actions during the course of narrative, he's said to be

a _______ character.

A. one-dimensional B. symbolic C. static D. dynamic 6. What are conventions in literature?

A. The events that lead to the climax of a novel.

B. The conflicts between the protagonist and the antagonist. C. The traditions and rules that lead to a reader's expectations. D. The difficulties a writer encounters in creating characters. 7. Which point of view is told from one character’s viewpoint?

A. omniscient B. first person C. neutral view D. second narrator 8. An author's purpose in using rhetoric is to _______.

A. create a certain effect for the reader. B. present facts as they really are. C. provide hints as to what's going to happen. D. separate realism from idealism.

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9. Dramatic irony means that _______.

A. the cosmos, state, family, and individual follow the same pattern. B. the audience knows something the character or characters don't. C. things are going to end very badly for someone.

D. everything works out in the end.

10. The mood (or the feeling you get when reading a piece of writing) can also be called the ________.

11. The person telling the story is called the _______.

A. narrator B. protagonist C. villain D. character 12. The words characters think or say out loud alone are called _______.

A. monologue B. dialogue C. conflict D. point of view 13. Point of view is revealed as the _______.

A. narrator tells everything that happens B. main character experiences the events

C. writer communicates in his/her own voice D. one character sees things from his/her perspective 14. What are the elements of a story?

A. mood, theme, beginning, middle, end B. author, reader, book, paper, ink

C. plot, setting, characters, conflict, theme, point of view D. mood, characters, conflict, setting, plot

15. The _________ in a story is made of both time and place.

A. conflict B. setting C. characterization D. moral

16. The main character in a novel or play who keeps the action moving forward is the_________. A. main man B. heroine C. antagonist D. protagonist

17. A story’s plot outline follows which pattern? A. setting, theme, tone, irony

B. beginning, middle, resolution

C. beginning, problem, character introduction, conclusion D. introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution

18. Some tales have a “twist” in the plot. This discrepancy between what a reader expects to happen and what really does happen is ___________.

19. The evil, bad guy in a story is the __________.

A. hero B. antagonist C. protagonist D. character

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20. The overall meaning of the story or piece of writing is the _______.

21. What are some types of conflict characters encounter? A. happy, sad, old-fashioned, modern

B. person vs. person, person/society, person/nature, and person vs. supernatural C. monster, goblin, warrior, sorcerer, troll

D. gambling, drinking, fighting, lying, stealing

22. The most significant conflict in "Chu nguoi tu tu" is between _______.

A. Huan Cao and the prison warden B. Huan Cao and the feudal society C. traditional values and the modern values D. real life and fantasy

23. The wicked witch and the big bad wolf are examples of _______.

A. dynamic characters B. archetypes. C. protagonists. D. anecdotes. 24. In "When the light is out," Mrs. Dau is a _______ in the story.

A. symbol of fun B. stock character C. protagonist D. genre

25. An author may intentionally use objects, colors, images, names, and events as _______ in a story.

26. What are the literary device based on Similarity or Likeness?

A. simile B. metaphor C. personification D. apostrophe

27. What are the literary device based on Association or Substitution?

A. simile B. metaphor C. synechdoche D. paradox 28. Which figurative device is used in the poetic line "I wandered lonely as a cloud"? A. a metaphor B. a simile C. a couplet D. alliteration 29. Which one of the following sentences is an example of a metaphor?

A. I am a rock. B. She eats like a bird.

C. I'm as hungry as a wolf. D. The breeze blew the branches back and forth. 30. The figure of speech in which animals, objects, or ideas are given the characteristics of a person

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C. hinting at things that will occur later.

D. putting secondary characters in the foreground of the story.

33. "Foam brightens like the dogwood now" is an example of __________.

A. a simile B. a metaphor C. alliteration D. consonance 34. Hopkins's use of "seared," "bleared," and "smeared" is an example of __________. A. metaphor B. synecdoche C. simile D. alliteration 35. A person trying to survive a terrible storm is an example of __________.

A. flashback B. biography C. man vs. nature D. stereotype

36. Which one of the following items is an example of a symbol in "The Xa Nu Forest" by Nguyen Trung Thanh?

A. xa nu tree B. Mai’s death C. Dit D. the village

Task 7: Identify the italicized literary device in each situation.

HAMLET

1. Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold yourself. (Hamlet talks to the ghost)

2. Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy,

And will not let belief take hold of him.

3. That if again this apparition come, He may approve our eyes and speak to it.

4. Claudius-“Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you, like the painting of a sorrow, a face

without a heart?”

5. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles … 6. But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscover’d country from whose bourn

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

7. Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would

have parted us, you, of you own will, did it.

8. .. he gnashed at me, and foamed like a mad dog, and gathered her to him with greedy jealousy.

9. Are you possessed with a devil," he pursued, savagely, "to talk in that manner to me when you

are dying? Do you reflect that all those words will be branded in my memory, and eating deeper

eternally after you have left me?

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ARABY

10. The other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with

brown imperturbable faces.

11. I wanna be your left hand man.

MR. KNOW-ALL

12. Tell them you’ve got a pal who’s got all the liquor in the world.

13. Mr Kelada was born under a bluer sky than is generally seen in England. 14. …the best hated man in the ship

15. If I had a pretty little wife I shouldn’t let her spend a year in New York while I stayed at Kobe

RIP VAN WINKLE

16. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple...when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in

the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.

FLIGHT

17. The brush grabbed at his legs in the dark until one knee of his jeans was ripped.

OTHER STORIES

18. The “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin tells the tale of a wife who learned her husband was

dead. She felt a sense of freedom, thinking about her new life out from under his thumb. Suddenly, the husband returned (he was never dead) and she died of shock.

19. “Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate; if the cup of

hot chocolate had vinegar added to it and were placed in a refrigerator for several hours.”

(Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket)

20. Rain on your wedding day

A free ride when you’ve already paid

Good advice that you just didn’t take (A song of Alannis Morisette)

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CHAPTER 2: FORMS OF WRITTEN LITERATURE

There are generally two major types of literature:

I. Poems 1. Definition

A poem is a work of literature that uses the sounds and rhythms of a language to evoke deeper significance than the literal meanings of the words (Terry Eagleton, 1996).

E.g.: The poem “I love you” by Puskin.

I loved you, and I probably still do, And for awhile the feeling may remain; But let my love no longer trouble you, I do not wish to cause you any pain.

I loved you; and the hopelessness I knew, The jealousy, the shyness — though in vain Made up a love so tender and so true As may God grant you to be loved again.

Tôi yêu em: đến nay chừng có thể, Ngọn lửa tình chưa hẳn đã tàn phai; Nhưng khơng để em bận lịng thêm nữa; Hay hồn em phải gợn bóng u hồi.

Tơi u em âm thầm, không hy vọng, Lúc rụt rè, khi hậm hực lịng ghen; Tơi u em, u chân thành, đằm thắm, Cầu em được người tình như tơi đã u em

2. Elements of a poem

Form - the arrangement of words, lines, verses, rhymes, and other features.

Stanza: a part of a poem with similar rhythm and rhyme that will usually repeat later in the poem. Rhyme: words that end with similar sounds. Usually at the end of a line of the poem.

Rhyming: two lines of a poem together with the same rhythm

Rhythm: a pattern created with sounds: hard - soft, long - short, bouncy, quiet - loud, weak - strong. Meter: a rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern.

TYPES OF LITERATURE

Oral literature

• Myths, legends, fables, folk tales,fairy tales, folk songs, proverbs,historical recitations, nurseryrhyme, ritual songs, and laments

Written literature

• Poems• Drama• Films• Prose

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• Sestet/ sexain (6 lines) • Septet (7 lines)

• Octave (8 lines)

• Free verse poem (no particular stanza length and no particular rhyme scheme)

b) Rhymes and rhyming

Rhymes refer to the words that end with similar sounds, usually at the end of a line of the poem. Rhyming: two lines of a poem together with the same rhythm

A rhyme may or may not be present in a poem. Free verse of poetry does not follow this system. However where present, the pattern is present in different forms, like aa, bb, cc (first line rhymes with the second, the third with fourth, and so on) and ab, ab (first line rhymes with third and the second with fourth).

E.g.: "The time is out of joint, O cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right!" – Hamlet

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c) Meter (or metrics)

Meter is a poetic device that serves as a linguistic sound pattern with stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse, or within the lines of a poem. The study of different types of versification and meters is known as “prosody.”

A meter contains a sequence of several “feet”, where each foot has a number of syllables such as stressed/unstressed.

English poetry employs five basic meters, including: • Iambic meter (unstressed/stressed)

E.g.: “If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That strain again! It had a dying fall:” (Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare)

• Trochaic meter (stressed/unstressed) E.g.: “Shadows pointed towards the pithead:

In the sun the slagheap slept.

Down the lane came men in pitboots

Coughing oath-edged talk and pipe-smoke.” (The Explosion by Philip Larkin)

• Spondaic meter (stressed/stressed)

E.g.: Cry, cry! Troy burns, or else let Helen go. (Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare)

• Anapestic meter (unstressed/unstressed/ stressed) E.g.: “Just the place for a Snark!” the Bellman cried,

As he landed his crew with care;

Supporting each man on the top of the tide

By a finger entwined in his hair …” (The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll)

• Dactylic meter (stressed/unstressed/unstressed) E.g.: “Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death” (The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson)

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3. Common poetic forms

There are three most common types of poems in Western culture:

1. Lyric Poetry: It is a type in which one speaker (not necessarily the poet) expresses strong

thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems. There are three subtypes:

• Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and

an elaborate stanza pattern.

E.g.:

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both,

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? (Grecian Urn by John Keats)

• Elegy: It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. It has no set metric or stanzaic pattern, but it usually

begins by reminiscing about the dead person, then laments the reason for the death, and then resolves the grief by concluding that death leads to immortality. It can have a fairly formal style, and sound similar to an ode.

E.g.:

“Yet once more, O ye Laurels, and once more Ye Myrtles brown, with Ivy never-sear, I com to pluck your Berries harsh and crude, And with forc'd fingers rude,

Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year. Bitter constraint, and sad occasion dear, Compels me to disturb your season due: For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime,

Young Lycidas, and hath not left his peer …” (Lycidas by John Milton)

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• Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and is usually written in iambic pentameter. There

are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or Elizabethan/English) sonnet. The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains (four lines each) and a concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts (argument and conclusion), while the Shakespearean into four (the final couplet is the summary).

2. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story and its structure resembles the plot line of a

story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].

• Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad usually has a

simple rhythm structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people. E.g.:

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• Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero.

Some famous epic poems are: The Odyssey by Homer (~800 BCE)

Beowulf of English literature (~8th-11th century CE) Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667)

The Mahabharata of Indian literature (350 BCE)

E.g.: Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit

Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man

Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill

Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence

Invoke thy aid to my adventurous Song, That with no middle flight intends to soar Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues

Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime. (An excerpt from Paradise Lost – Milton)

• Limerick: It is a very structured poem, usually humorous & composed of five lines (a cinquain),

in an aabba rhyming pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak, weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and 2 feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a narrative poem based upon a short and often ribald anecdote. E.g.:

There was a Young Lady of Lucca, Whose lovers completely forsook her; She ran up a tree,

And said, 'Fiddle-de-dee!'

Which embarrassed the people of Lucca. (Young Lady of Lucca - Edward Lear)

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3. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem describing the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses

elaborate imagery and adjectives.

Two types of poetry might belong to any of the above genres:

• Free verse: Much modern poetry does not obviously rhyme and doesn't have a set meter.

However, sound and rhythm are often still important, and it is still often written in short lines.

• Concrete poetry (pattern or shape poetry) is a picture poem, in which the visual shape of the poem

contributes to its meaning. E.g.:

Other types of poems from other cultures include:

• Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse form with seventeen syllables, having three lines (a tercet) and

usually written with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third (5,7,5 syllables respectively). It's usually considered a lyric poem. The present tense is used, the subject is one thing happening now, and words are not repeated. The origin of the haiku is Japanese.

• “Luc-Bat” poem (six-eight meter poem): is a traditional Vietnamese verse form. "Lục bát" is

Sino-Vietnamese for "six eight", referring to the alternating lines of six and eight syllables. It will always begin with a six-syllable line and end with an eight-syllable one.

• Tang poetry: refers to poetry called “shi” (thi), written in or around the time of or in the

characteristic style of China's Tang dynasty. This contrasts to poetry composed in the earlier Han dynasty and later Song and Yuan dynasties, which are characterized by “fu” (phú), “ci” (từ) and “qu” (khúc) forms respectively. The poems generally consisted of multiple rhyming couplets, with no definite limit on the number of lines but a definite preference for multiples of four lines and seven lines (seven-character four-line regulated verse and seven-character eight-line regulated verse).

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4. How to analyse a poem

The poet uses his/her own personal and private language which leaves poetry open to different interpretations. Although the poet may have had one specific idea or purpose in mind, the reader’s response may be completely different. Nevertheless, this does not mean that readers may interpret poetry any way they wish. All interpretations must be supported by direct reference to the text. As with any type of literary analysis, readers need a basic knowledge of the elements of poetry. The following guide and questions might help.

• Read the poem entirety to get a general impression.

• What is the poem about?

• What is the title of the poem? What is it theme?

• What is voice of the poem? To whom is the speaker speaking?

• What is the purpose of the poem: to describe, amuse, entertain, narrate, inform, express grief, celebrate or commemorate?

• What is the tone of the poem? Sad, happy, melancholy, bitter?

• What is it rhyming and meter?

• What literary devices are used in the poem?

5. Practice

Task 1: Choose the correct answer for each question.

1. Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

What literary device can we find in this extract?

A. Symbolism B. Paradox C. Personification D. Hyperbole 2. What best describes a poem?

A. A piece of writing in paragraphs B. A work with lines and stanzas C. A performance on stage D. a talk on the TV

3. Which is the traditional Japanese poem of 3 lines, each having a certain number of syllables (5 7 5)?

4. What is it called when two consecutive lines of poetry rhyme?

5. What is a 14-line lyric poem written in iambic pentameter and with a specific rhyme scheme?

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6. What element of a poem that describes a regular pattern or stressed (/) and unstressed (U) syllables?

7. What kind of poem that tells a story?

8. Which element of a poem that describes the musical quality of language, produced by repeating accents?

9. Which term refers to a line of poetry with 5 iambs (U / U / U / U / U /) as its rhythm?

10. Which one is a very long narrative poem about a hero with superhuman abilities?

11. Which one is storytelling poem in a predictable rhythm, usually written to be sung?

12. Which element of a poem that describes the situation in which words close together have the same or similar sounding final syllable(s)?

13. What is a segment of a poem that is divided into groups of lines?

14. What is a poem that does not have a rhyme scheme or typical measure?

A. “luc bat”poem B. sonnet C. free verse D. Tang’s “shi”

15. There once was a man from Peru,

Who dreamed of eating his shoe, He awoke with a fright,

In the middle of the night,

And found that his dream had come true!

What type of poem is this?

16. Who is a famous poet, known for their sonnets?

A. John Steinbeck B. W. Shakespeare C. James Joyce D. Emily Bronte 17. A poem with four lines is called a _____________________.

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18. If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

These lines are an example of a/an _____________________.

19. The line "A tree whose hungry mouth is prest" is an example of iambic ____________________. A. trimester B. pentameter C. tetrameter D. dimeter

20. What is the most probable reason that rhyme and repetition first found their ways into poems? A. People wanted a beat they could dance to.

B. They were written for the upper class. C. Heroes in epics tended to talk that way.

D. The poems were easier to remember and pass on.

21. A definition of formal poetry is verse that ____________________. A. sticks to certain traditional patterns. B. has no rhyme scheme.

C. uses figurative language. D. is written in blank verse. 22. What is a tercet?

A. figure of speech B. literary genre C. complex rhyme scheme D. three-line stanza 23. Which one of the following lines is written in iambic pentameter?

A. "I lift my lamp beside the golden door"

B. "When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me" C. "Not that the pines are darker there"

D. "And sorry I could not travel both"

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Task 2: Read the following free verse and answer the questions.

Excuses Excuses - by Gareth Owen

Late again Blenkinsopp? What’s the excuse this time? Not my fault sir.

Who’s fault is it then? Grandma’s sir.

Grandma’s? What did she do? She died sir.

Died?

She’s seriously dead alright sir.

That makes four grandmothers this term Blenkinsopp And all on PE days.

I know. It’s very upsetting sir.

How many grandmothers have you got Blenkinsopp? Grandmothers sir? None sir.

You said you had four. All dead sir.

And what about yesterday Blenkinsopp? What about yesterday sir?

You were absent yesterday.

That was the dentist sir. The dentist died? No sir. My teeth sir.

You missed the maths test Blenkinsopp! I’d been looking forward to it sir. Right, line up for PE.

Can’t sir.

No such word as “can’t” Blenkinsopp No kit sir.

Where is it? Home sir.

What’s it doing at home? Not ironed sir.

Couldn’t you iron it? Can’t sir.

Why not? Bad hand sir.

Who usually does it? Grandma sir.

Why couldn’t she do it? Dead sir.

1. Identify the meter of the poem.

……… 2. Underline four rhymes in the poem.

……… 3. What is the tone of the poem?

……… 4. List two figurative devices in the poem

……… ……… ………

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II. Dramas and films

Dramas and films are two modes of representation through pantomime, dialogue and/or performance. The person who writes drama for stage directions is known as a “dramatist” or “playwright”, and the person who writes the film is called “scriptwriter”.

1. Elements

The components of dramas and films include:

• Theme: It can either be clearly stated through the title, dialogues, actions, or can be inferred

after watching the entire performance.

• Plot: The order of events is the basic storyline in a play or a film. The logical connection

between the events and the characters, which enact the story, form an integral part of the plot.

• Characters: Each character in a play has a personality of its own and has a distinct set of

principles and beliefs. Actors who play various roles in a drama have the very important responsibility of bringing the characters to life.

• Dialogue: The success of a drama or a film depends hugely on the contents of the dialogue

and the quality of dialogue delivery by the actors and actresses.

• Sound effects: The background score, the songs and the other sound effects make up the

significant musical element of a work. Music composers and lyricists sit together to create music that can go well with the theme of the play or a film.

• Visual Elements: The visual elements, also known as the spectacle, deal with the scenes,

costumes and special effects used in a play or a film.

2. Popular types/genres of dramas

• Comedy: are intended to make the audience laugh and usually come to a happy ending.

Comedies place offbeat characters in unusual situations causing them to do and say funny things. Comedy can also be sarcastic in nature, poking fun at serious topics. There are also several sub-genres of comedy, including romantic comedy, sentimental comedy, and tragic comedy.

• Farce: is a nonsensical genre of drama in which characters intentionally overact and engage

in slapstick or physical humor. E.g.: the farce “Ben Thuong Hai Parody” of X-Pro group.

• Tragedy: tragedies portray serious subjects like death, disasters, and human sufferings in a

dignified and thought-provoking way. E.g.: Shakespeare's Hamlet burdened by tragic

character flaws that ultimately lead to their demise.

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• Melodrama: is a play or style of acting in which the characters behave and show emotion in

a more noticeable way than real people usually do. E.g.: the melodrama “Way to the Heaven” (Nac thang len thien duong) of Korean drama.

• Opera: combines theater, dialogue, music, and dance to tell grand stories of tragedy or

comedy. Since characters express their feelings and intentions through songs rather than dialogue, performers must be both skilled actors and singers. E.g.: the opera “Swan Lake” of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• Docudrama: is a dramatic portrayal of historic events or non-fictional situations. It is more

often presented in movies and television than in live theater. E.g.: the docudrama “Dien Bien Phu" by Schoendoerffer (1991).

• Pantomime: is a form of drama where the action of a story is told only through the

movements of the body.

3. Popular genres of films

Action films Biopics, Heroic bloodshed, Military fiction, Spy fiction, Wuxia (A martial arts genre with chivalrous protagonists on fantastic adventures). Adventure films 'Chick' Flicks, Shōnen manga, Superhero films

Comedy Action comedy, Romantic comedy (Rom-com), Satire, Slapstick, Sitcom, Sketch comedy, Stand-up comedy.

Crime & Gangster Films

Courtroom drama, Detective story, Whodunit, Gangster, Gentleman thief, Gong'an fiction, Hardboiled, Heist, Legal thriller, and Murder mystery. Historical Films Biography, Memoir, Alternate history, Counterfactual history/ virtual

history, Period piece, War/Anti-War Films. Horror Films and

Thrillers

Ghost story, Killers, Monsters, zombies, Jiangshi, Slasher, Survival horror, Disaster, Techno thriller.

Musical (Dance) Films

Musicals history and criticism, Rock films history and criticism.

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