LEP Project
By Tina Banthia
What is the LEP Project?
Flat Character
Definition: do not change throughout; the reader only knows one side of the character
An example of a flat character is in the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart". The old man is the flat character because from what the reader knows about him (which is just one side of the old man's personality), he does not change throughout the short story since he was killed.
A flat character in literary is important because they help keep a balance with the round characters. The flat characters are sometimes a mystery to the readers since the readers only know one side of the character's personality.
Dynamic Character
Definition: an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude which impacts its surroundings; A character that undergoes a change in actions or beliefs during the course of literary text
An example of a dynamic character is in the short story "the Sniper". The dynamic character is the sniper himself since he shows some signs of sympathy at the end when he finds out the killed man is his brother.
A dynamic character is important in literary because they help give tension and plot twists. They can also add interest and make the readers read more.
Round Character
Definition: character described with a lot of detail and have a lot of depth in their personality
An example of a round character is in the short story "Charles". Laurie is a round character because when he comes home, he is acting like a good, average boy. He tells his parents about his actions at school, but he puts his actions at school in a character named Charles.
A round character is important because just like the dynamic characters, they help give tension and plot twists. They can also add interest and make the readers read more.
Static Character
Definition: a character who undergoes little or no inner change
An example of a static character is in the short story "Charles". The Laurie's mother is a static character since at the end she finds out about Charles and who he really is. She will change her ways with Laurie since now she knows the truth.
A round character is important in literacy because just like for flat characters and round characters, they keep a balance with the dynamic characters. Sometimes the static characters are villains, and they help keep the readers attached to the literary text.
Exposition
Definition: a background for the characters, setting, relationships between characters
An example of exposition is in the short story "A Dinner Party" when the author introduce that a "colonial and his wife are giving a large dinner party."
Exposition is important in literacy because the reader can have a little background on what is going on. It helps the reader with imagining the setting and characters.
Resolution
Definition: the action of solving a problem, dispute, or continuous manner
An example of resolution is in the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" when the man confesses for murdering the old man. His guilty conscience told him to confess, and while that moment is a resolution, it is also a bit of indirect characterization since it's the action that tells the reader more about the man.
Resolution is important in literacy because it gives the readers what they wanted the whole time while they were reading the text; the solution, or the answer to the conflict.
Indirect Characterization
Definition: The reader knows about a character through their actions, thoughts, what they says, what other characters say or think about them
An example of indirect characterization is the short story "The Dinner Party" because the we can tell the hostess is very brave, self-controlled, and calm while there was a cobra near/ on her. This part of the revelation shows the readers another side of the personality of the hostess.
Indirect Characterization is important in literacy because it helps the readers think more about the characters and how their actions reflect onto their personalities.
Direct Characterization
Definition: when the author states how a character acts, looks, thinks
An example of direct characterization is in "The Lottery". The direct characterization is howed on page one on the second to last paragraph. It states how he is a "round-faced, jovial man". This is an example of direct characterization since it decribes his looks.
Direct Characterization is important in literacy because it doesn't give the readers a hassle to figure out the personality or looks of a character. It also flows well with the exposition so it makes the good word choice.
Epiphany
Definition: an illuminating realization or discovery; an aha moment
An example of epiphany is in the short story "The Sniper" when the Sniper turns over the dead man's body and finds out that its his brother. It's an aha moment since he found out that the man he killed was actually his brother.
Epiphany is important in literacy because it gives interest to the story and keeps the reader intrigued at certain points. It also help the reader understand the details and conflict more.
3rd Person Omniscient
Definition: the narrator knows all of the characters' feeling and thoughts
An example of 3rd Person Omniscient in the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart. Throughout the whole story not only the thoughts and feelings of the man were known, but the feelings of the old man were known also since the man were describing them with great detail.
3rd Person Omniscient is important in literacy because it can help out the reader with the conflict since they know the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters. Another reason its important is because it is intriguing to know what the other characters are thinking or feeling.
Limited 3rd Person
Definition: the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character
An example of limited 3rd person is in the short story "The Sniper" since his thoughts and feeling were known by the narrator.
Limited 3rd Person is important in literacy because it can create a lot of suspense and stir up the conflict. Another reason is because it can help the reader think how the character think without over complicating thoughts and feeling.
Denotation
Definition: the direct or dictionary meaning of a word
An example of denotation in the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" when the man describes how he put the lantern and his head in, he describes it great detail thus giving a definition.
Denotation is important if the author uses a word rarely used, the dentation will help the reader understand the meaning of the word.
Motif
Definition: a recurring theme or verbal pattern in a single text or a number of different texts
An example of motif in the short story "The Lottery". The motif is the ritual that is being done where they chose a family by drawing paper. Then out of the family one of the people are stoned to death. According to the old man, this ritual is a recurring theme that happens more than or exactly seventy-seven times.
Motif is important because it helps the reader remember a certain point or part in the piece of text.
Diction
Definition: the effectiveness and clarity of a word choice; word choice
An example of diction is in "The Dinner Party" since the American and the hosts were debating over a topic and the way the author described the dinner party it seemed like it was serious at some points but then at some points they weren't that serious.
Diction is important because it adds a personality to the story; the reader will be intrigued and want to read more.
Denouement
Definition: the final outcome of the main dramatic complication
An example of denouement is in the short story "The Lottery" when the innocent women was stoned to death. It was the denouement since it was the final scene that happened and that part of the story ended the whole piece of literature.
The importance of a denouement is that its just like saying 'The End' or adding a cherry on top, but it's better and more artistic way of doing so.
Protagonist or Antagonist?
Charles: The protagonist is Laurie's mother since she cares for his well--being and behavior and also because she is the only person that can actually change Laurie's behavior. The antagonist is Laurie and his behavior throughout the short story.
The Tell-Tale Heart: The protagonist is the guilty conscience that made him confess to the officers. The antagonist is the hatred the man had for the old man's eyes. That hatred made the man kill the old man.
The Dinner Party: The protagonist is the hostess since she proved all the men wrong. She showed them that women can be self-controlled too, and also she taught them not to judge a book buy its cover. The antagonists are the men that were saying that men are more self-controlled than women.
The Lottery: The protagonist is the old man since he appeared the one out of all the people in village to see that the meaning and reason behind s gone. He is the only one that knows the reason to do the ritual. The antagonist is the people in the village that don't know why they do the ritual, but they still do it blindly even though many lives are lost.
The Sniper: The protagonist is the sympathy for his brother and the guilt that was in the Sniper. The antagonist is the action of when the Sniper killed his brother. That thought of destroying the enemy without knowing who where in the enemy side made him kill his brother.