Wiki-elements
Task: Give definitions for each of the following literary elements and identify each in Equiano’s narrative.
Genre- A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content. Example: The Genre of Olaudah Equiano is protest literature.
Symbolism- An object, event or person that represents a larger idea or set of ideas. Example: The quadrant that Equiano is so curious about could symbolize his “zest for life.”
Imagery- Descriptive language that evokes one or all of the five senses. Example: “The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration”
Plot- The chain of related events that take place in a story. Example: The basic plot of the excerpt is as follows: First, Equiano is stolen from his native land. Second, Equiano is packed onto a cargo ship where he spends many days as he is transferred from Africa to America. Third, Equiano arrives in America and is inspected by fellow slave traders. Finally, Equiano is put on display for sale at the slave auction.
Characterization- The method used by a writer to develop a character. The author demonstrates characterization by describing the character’s: Qualities, Appearance, Actions, Beliefs, and Thoughts. Example: From Equiano’s characterization, we know that he is a brilliant man with an iron will who is curious about everything new to him.
Setting- The time and the location in which a story takes place. Example: The setting of Olaudah Equlano takes place during the 17th to the 19th centuries in Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Barbadoes.
Conflicts- A struggle between (external) or within (internal) characters. Example: One conflict in Olaudah Equlano and that is Man vs. Man. The slaves on board, naturally, were always in conflict with the slave traders and buyers. For example, when some slaves tried to escape, they were caught and whipped by the slave traders.
Point of View- The perspective from which a story is told. Example: The point of view of Olaudah Equlano is First Person due to the fact that Olaudah Equlano is a narrative.
Genre- A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content. Example: The Genre of Olaudah Equiano is protest literature.
Symbolism- An object, event or person that represents a larger idea or set of ideas. Example: The quadrant that Equiano is so curious about could symbolize his “zest for life.”
Imagery- Descriptive language that evokes one or all of the five senses. Example: “The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration”
Plot- The chain of related events that take place in a story. Example: The basic plot of the excerpt is as follows: First, Equiano is stolen from his native land. Second, Equiano is packed onto a cargo ship where he spends many days as he is transferred from Africa to America. Third, Equiano arrives in America and is inspected by fellow slave traders. Finally, Equiano is put on display for sale at the slave auction.
Characterization- The method used by a writer to develop a character. The author demonstrates characterization by describing the character’s: Qualities, Appearance, Actions, Beliefs, and Thoughts. Example: From Equiano’s characterization, we know that he is a brilliant man with an iron will who is curious about everything new to him.
Setting- The time and the location in which a story takes place. Example: The setting of Olaudah Equlano takes place during the 17th to the 19th centuries in Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Barbadoes.
Conflicts- A struggle between (external) or within (internal) characters. Example: One conflict in Olaudah Equlano and that is Man vs. Man. The slaves on board, naturally, were always in conflict with the slave traders and buyers. For example, when some slaves tried to escape, they were caught and whipped by the slave traders.
Point of View- The perspective from which a story is told. Example: The point of view of Olaudah Equlano is First Person due to the fact that Olaudah Equlano is a narrative.