Module Analyzing Nonfictional Elements

Taken from:https://www.google.com

Creative Non Fiction stories are one of the most exciting literary pieces that
you’ll get to encounter. I can say so because aside from the creative and colorful
language the authors used, these stories also happened in real life.

In your previous lesson, you created your own examples of the different
elements of CNF .

Today, we are going to read some of the exciting stories. But before that we are
to analyze first the different literary elements present in each of these narratives.

Jumpstart. PicGuess!

Let us see how familiar you are with the movie Hello, Love, Goodbye.
released in 2019, though not a real-life story, it captured the hearts of the young
ones and the once young also, making it a blockbuster.

1
 Now, you are going to take a careful look to each of the pictures and guess who
or what it is. Afterwards, you are going to write a short description on how you know
or the objects being shown. Are you ready? Game!

Hello, Love, Goodbye

2
 Discover

Before we will analyze the CNF elements, let us first familiarize ourselves with
its different elements.

Elements of a Non Fiction Piece

The Characters - these are the entities (people or animals) who are considered as the
participants in the action of the real-life event.

Methods of Characterization-

1. Direct-a character in the story is described by the author directly.

2. Indirect- a character who is described by the author through his/her

personality, action, physical appearance, thoughts, and speech.

Kinds of characters that can be portrayed

According to Roles Played

Major Characters

a. Protagonist- the main or central character. He is also called hero or

heroine (female) when they exemplify nobility and bravery.
b. Antagonist- the counterpart of the antagonist, or the villain.

Minor Characters

a. Confidant- the character to whom the main character reveals

his/her sentiments, hopes, and aspirations.
b. Foil- a character who portrays a contrasting quality to another character.
c. Stock type- a character who portrays national or social identity.

According to fullness of development

a. Flat- a character who is portrays just one or two traits.

b. Round- a character who is complicated or who has many sides.

According to changes undergone in the story

a. Static- a character who does not show any change--- he/she has the same
characteristics from the beginning up to the end.

3
 b. Developing/ dynamic- a character who goes through changes in
his/her personality.

II. The Plot- a flow of events in a story. It is considered as the skeleton, the blueprint,
or the framework of the story.

Parts of the Plot

1. Exposition/ Introduction- introduces the major characters in the story and

introduces the setting of the story.
2. Complication/ Rising Action- the occurring events which occur that may lead to
a problem or conflict.

Kinds of Conflict:
a. External Conflict- the characters’ clash with the forces outside him/her like
natural occurrences such as calamities and social occurrences like fighting
an antagonist.
b. Internal Conflict- the characters’ clash within himself/herself. An example
of this is the memories that continuously haunt the character disabling him
to think or act well.
3. Climax – is also called the turning point of events. This is the peak of the
interest in a story where you as a reader or a viewer is very much excited as to
what may the result of this part be.
4. Resolution- is also called as the falling action where the problem or conflict is
resolved.
5. Conclusion or the end determines whether it is a success or a failure on
the part of the major characters.

III. Point of View (POV)- this answers the question “Who is narrating?”

Different Points of View:

1. First Person POV- the narrator is a character himself/herself in the story.

Your clue is the frequent use of personal pronouns I and my in the story.
2. Third Person POV- the narrator is outside the story. It is indicated by using
the pronouns he, she, and they.
3. Omniscient POV- the narrator knows all what the characters are
thinking, that is why he/she is called all-knowing.

4
 IV. Allusion – this is a literary technique in which the subject is being refered to
a historical or literary figure.

Here are the examples:

*Juan is said to be the Jose Rizal in their class because of his exemplary wit.(Meaning:
excellent)

* Maria is known as the Gabriela Silang of their community (Meaning: Maria is brave because
Gabriela Silang is known to be a brave Ilocano heroine)

V. Flashback- a literary technique in which there is a reminiscence or recollection of

the past events. In short, it is going back to the past.

VI. Foreshadowing- a counterpart of flashback as it utilizes hints or clues indicative

of what will happen next in the story.

For example, in a story the writer uses a black cat which signifies that there is
something not-so-good to happen later on.

VII. Imagery- another technique in which the characters or even the setting or
anything in the story is described very well as if you are creating a mental image on
your mind. This is successfully done through the use of vivid adjectives.

VIII. Mood- the feeling or atmosphere the author makes for the reader.

IX. Moral-the call towards having a good behavior; this could be in the form of
a maxim, or a saying.

X. Suspense- the feeling of excitement, tension or even pressure by the reader as

he/she gets involved in the story to know the outcome of a particular conflict.
Oftentimes even when we watch movies, we get thrilled by how the story reveals
something about a character or an event—it might be the revelation of the character
as an illegitimate child or the like.

XI. Symbol -the representation of a person, place or an object. For instance, in a

story, the diamond ring of the lady character might symbolize love, wealth or even
power.

XII. Theme - the main message of a story or a generalization about life. For
example, the theme of a story is: Perseverance gets you to your goal. A theme should
always contain a subject and a predicate.

XIII. Tone- the attitude of the author towards its subject. It could be joyful,
serious, humorous, angry, among others.

5
Aside from the elements of a creative non fiction text, we can also see figurative
languages that make the story more colorful and engaging to the readers. This is
also what we call as a figure of speech.
A figure of speech is the language that has beyond the common and literal meaning. It
makes the language more colorful and creative.

Here are the different figures of speech:

1. Simile- the comparison of two unlike things , but have some commonalities.
You can easily distinguish that it is a simile because of the use of the words as
or like.

Example: Silver-colored cars moved slowly down the road like fishes in the deep
ocean.

2. Metaphor- the comparison of two unlike things which have commonalities but
without the use of the words as or like.

Example: The youngest princess is the apple of the King’s eyes.

3. Personification- it personifies the inanimate objects, or it makes the inanimate

objects as if they are living things.

Example:The rock stubbornly refused to move an inch.

4. Apostrophe- addresses the dead as if he/she is still alive, the absent as if

they are present, and the inanimate as if they were persons.

Example: O Wind, if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

5. Alliteration- the succeeding words in a line or a sentence which have the same
consonant sounds beginning.

Example: O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being.” (Shelley’s “Ode to
The West Wind)

6. Hyperbole - the exaggeration of what is said.

Example:The grieving widow cried a bucket of tears.

7. Onomatopoeia - the use of words that mimic sounds.

Example: “Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horsehoofs ringing clear.” (A.
Noyes’ “The Highwayman”)

6
 8. Antithesis - this is a contrast of words in a sentence to make it more ardent or
impactful to the readers.

Example: “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” (A. Pope’s “Epigrams”)

9. Paradox- a contradictory statement which is true.

Example: Life succeeds in that it seems to fail.

Oxymoron- a kind of paradox which has two opposite or contradictory terms

in a sentence.

Example: “Parting is such a sweet sorrow.” (William Shakespeare)

10. Metonymy- it is a word substitution by another term which has a

similar meaning.

Example: He spends the evening reading Shakespeare (book).

11. Synecdoche – it is a substitution of a part for a whole and a whole for a part.

Example: The captain shouted, “I need all hands on the deck.” (hands
represents all the persons or crew to help)

Huh! That is a very long one! I hope you’re still surviving, aren’t you? Now, let
me teach you how to analyze the different elements within a particular story.

Here are some tips, guides, and questions which will serve as your roadmap towards
analyzing the different elements.

Character & Characterization

*What is the role of that character in the story?

*What does this character display? Is he good or

evil? How do you say? Give some textual proof.

* What does this character epitomize? Is

he/she a representation of hope or goodness?
How?

9
 Setting Plot

Where is the setting of the story Do you think the sequence of

(time and place)? the story is logical?
What is the impact of the setting to What technique did the author
the over-all atmosphere or use to make the plot more
meaning of the story? creative? Did he use flashback or
foreshadowing? Was he
successful?
Point of View What happened in each of the

What is the point of view of the story?

How do you know that it was the POV Allusion

used? Cite textual references.
Do you see some allusions in the
What is the over-all effect of the type story? If so, what are they?
of POV used in the story? Is the story
more dramatic if you use such type of What is the significance of these
POV? allusions in the story?

Irony Mood

*What kind of irony is present in the *What is the mood of the story?
story?
*What words support the mood of
*What is the significance of this the story?
irony in the story?

Moral Suspense

*What is the moral of the story? *What suspense were you

able to spot in the story?
*How is the moral evident in the *How did you feel upon
story? reading it?
* What happened next?

10
 Symbol
Theme
*What are the symbols/symbolisms
*What is the theme of the story?
in the story?
*What evidences can you provide
*How were you able to know such
to prove that such is the theme of
symbols/ symbols in the story?
the story?

11
 If you were to contemplate on those guide questions for you to be able to
analyze the different elements within the story, I congratulate you! That only means
that you are now ready to move forward to the next part of this module.

Explore

Let’s now apply what you just learned from our discussion. Are you excited?
Let’s start!
Identifying Literary Elements and Techniques Directions: Read the excerpt from a personal narrative
below and answer the questions that follow.

July 15th 1944:

“It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a

foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world
being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the
approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I
feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at
the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for
the better that this cruelty too will end, that peace and
tranquility will return once more. In the meantime, I
must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the day will come
when I’ll be able to realize them.

An excerpt from The Diary of a Young Girl Source:

https://alphahistory.com/holocaust/anne-frank-diary-1942-44/

1. What is the atmosphere of the text?

2. What is the tone of the writer?

12
3. Cite some figurative language used by the writer and explain its meaning.

4. What is the theme of the text?

13