Unit 1 Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

1. Unit 1 Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Discussion of “The Cask of Amontillado” (The 4th Period) 鲁爱书

2. Review Features of Romanticism in literature Distinct features of American Romanticism (1800-1865) Early romanticism and high romanticism A brief introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Text learning of “The Cask of Amontillado”

3. A short review of Poe’s themes and writing styles in his works

4. Poe’s thematic creation: Both in his poetry and in his fiction he wrote about dying ladies, about sickness, about abnormal rather than normal love. His subjects and themes are either universal or exotic. He continually emphasized estrangement, disappearance, silence, oblivion, and all ideas which suggest non-being. Unlike other romantics, Poe greatly respected reason-ratiocination.

5. Poe’s theory of fiction: The short story, Poe says, must be of such length as to be read at one sitting (brevity), so as to ensure the totality of impression. The very first sentence ought to help to bring out the “single effect” of the story. No word should be used which does not contribute to the “pre-established” design of the work (compression). A tale should reveal some logical truth with “the fullest satisfaction,” and should end with the last sentence, leaving a sense of finality with the reader.

6. Appreciation of “The Cask of Amontillado” from the perspective of the elements of the short story

7. Elements of Short Stories • Setting • Plot • Character • Symbolism • Emotion • Theme • Point of view

8. Setting • Setting involves place, time, and state of mind. Stories take place within a specific physical environment, occupy a given span of time, and usually reflect an observable spiritual condition. These three qualities make up the setting of the story. • Shifts in setting may be employed to suggest subtle changes in the story as a whole.

9. Setting • Writers often employ setting to reveal character. A sinister individual may be associated with a gloomy old house or a dismal swamp, a good individual with sunshine and open meadows. • Setting can also be used to evoke a particular reaction in the reader. A floral garden may be used to create a romantic or melancholy mood, a dark street to call up feelings of fear or suspicion.

10. Plot • Plot is what happens; it is a series of interrelated actions carefully selected by the author. • Conflict: the clash of actions of ideas between the protagonist and antagonist, which will be resolved in the course of the story. • Precipitating incident—rising action—climax—falling action (denouement or resolution) • Irony of plot: everything seems to suggest one outcome, but the actual result is quite the opposite. • Foreshadowing

11. Foreshadowing • The device of hinting at or suggesting subsequent development is called foreshadowing, whose general intent is to direct the reader forward toward the conclusion of the plot. The techniques of foreshadowing are not limited to plot. It may be achieved by elaborate descriptions, suggestive settings, direct statements made by the narrator, the general atmosphere of the story or tone of the narrator, the recurrent use of a particular image or symbol, and dialogue.

12. Character • Not every character appearing in a story needs to be fully developed. The one or two who are, however—usually the protagonist and the antagonist—are said to be round, or three-dimensional characters. The others, drawn by the delineation of only two or three dominant traits, are called flat, or one-dimensional characters. • Some characters in a story change because of the tensions and drama of the story, and others do not change. A character who changes is often called dynamic; one who stays the same is said to be static.

13. Symbolism • A literary symbol may be an object, a person, a situation, a name, an action, or any other item so employed in a story as to suggest more than its literal meaning. • The use of symbols lets authors associate abstract qualities, ideas, or attitudes with specific, concrete objects, actions and people. To be effective, a symbol must fit naturally into the setting of the story. • Literary symbols may be original or conventional.

14. Emotion • The function of fiction is to make us understand and feel. Most stories, no matter how subtle, arouse some emotion in the reader. • Tone—the author’s attitude toward the story or the subject of the story. • Mood—the total atmosphere that surrounds and permeates the fictional world in which the story takes place.

15. Emotion • Irony is another tool for eliciting an emotional response. Dramatic irony can be particularly effective. It involves a contrast between what a character believes to be true and what the reader knows to be the facts. • Sometimes we as readers sympathize with a character in a story. Sometimes our response may be even greater than ordinary sympathy—we empathize, that is, we may share in a character’s feelings and emotions almost to the point of vicariously becoming that character, at least for the duration of the story.

16. Theme • Theme is what a story means, what it says to us; and it results from the interaction of plot, character, emotion, and symbolism. Theme is the sum total of everything that takes place in a story plus the effect all this has on the mind of the reader. • Stories can often be interpreted in more than one way, depending upon the inferences the reader draws from the facts that are presented.

17. Point of view • The term point of view refers to the physical vantage point from which the author narrates the actions of the story. It is the position or location from which the author speaks to the reader. • Subjective narration: the “first-person point of view” The narrator is likely to tell quite a different story from the one he or she thinks is being told, for being simple-minded, or deliberately lying. This often renders the narrator unreliable, which forces the reader to read actively. • Anonymous narration: the “third-person point of view”— totally omniscient narrator / single character limited omniscience / dual character limited omniscience / multiple character omniscience

18. Home Assignment • Text reading • Recommended reading: “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe, and a book report required after the reading of the short story Thanks for your patience and participation!