Interpreting Fiction

Although we’re switching gears to fiction, keep in mind that much of what we’ve covered so far can help you understand a fiction text just as well as a nonfiction text.

Plot

In the smallest of nutshells, the plot is what happens in a text. Much of Western literature (i.e., and films/TV!) uses the following plot structure:

• Exposition: Also known as the introduction, the exposition provides essential information about the main character(s) and setting.
  • Ex: Rose is a young woman who sets sail on the Titanic to New York.
• Complication: The complication refers to the problem the main character(s) needs to solve.
  • Ex: Although she has promised to marry a rich man, Rose falls in love with a poor American named Jack.
• Rising Action: The characters are on their way to solving the complication.
  • Ex: Rose wrestles with her love for Jack. To make matters worse, the Titanic hits an iceberg and starts to sink.
• Climax: The climax is what the complication and rising action have been leading to.
  • Ex: The Titanic sinks, but it seems (for the moment) that Rose and Jack both survive and want to stick together.
• Denouement: The falling action ties up any loose ends.
  • Ex: Rose is saved by floating on a piece of a door, but Jack dies in the cold water.
• Resolution: The resolution is the ending of the story.
  • Ex: A passing ship saves Rose and the other survivors. Arriving in New York, Rose honors Jack’s legacy by living as an independent woman.

Note
Not every story you read will follow these steps exactly. Some famous stories are told out of order to surprise readers familiar with the story structure we just covered. Also, many stories don’t have a climax as dramatic as the Titanic sinking, and problems can be as mundane as deciding which sandwich to order at a restaurant.

Character and Inferences

Characters are the fictional people who make up a story. Characters fall into one of two groups:

• Main Character(s): One or more characters the story revolves around.
• Supporting Character(s): one or more characters that help the main character(s) on their journey.

Authors can reveal details about characters in many ways, such as:

• Description of what a character looks like, thinks, or feels
• Revealing character traits through dialogue or actions

Analyzing what a character says and does lets you draw inferences (i.e., educated guesses) about who they are as a person and what impact they may have on the story going forward. Just like with nonfiction texts, make sure that any inference you make about a character can be backed up with evidence.

Let’s practice this skill by looking at an excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter. In this scene, Hester Prynne, a woman who has had a child out of wedlock, faces the towns-people for the first time after authorities sentence her to wear a scarlet ‘A’ on her clothes. See what inferences you can make about her character.

“When the young woman—the mother of this child—stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress. In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her towns-people and neighbors.”

One thing to note about this scene is that the mother’s temperament (i.e., emotions) appears to change throughout the paragraph. “her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom” indicates fear or trepidation. Later on, the phrase “burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed” suggests confidence. You can infer that she is having many thoughts about her rather unusual situation and has decided how to deal with it.

Theme

A story’s theme is the message it wants to convey to the reader. A story’s plot is the vehicle it uses to reveal its theme. Let’s practice this important skill with a simple passage. As you read, see if you can separate what the story explicitly says from what it wants to teach you.

Davy loved video games more than anything else. One day, the sequel to his favorite game came out. However, it was $60, and Davy’s weekly allowance was only $10. When Davy had $40 saved, he saw something amazing at the toy store that was $39.99. About to take the item to the register, he changed his mind and put the item back on the shelf. Two weeks later, Davy was overjoyed when he could finally afford his new game.

Did you catch the theme? Let’s break down the plot and theme.

Plot: Davy wants to buy a game and saves the money necessary to buy it.
Theme: Reaching a goal means avoiding temptation.

With more complicated texts, consider the impression the plot leaves on you. This impression and thoughts it conjures can help you choose the right theme from a list of answer choices.

Point of View and Style

Here’s how you can quickly identify a story’s point of view (POV):

• First-Person: A story told from the perspective of one person.
  • The narration will use ‘I’ and ‘me’.
• Second-Person: A story where you are the main character.
  • The narration will use ‘you’ and ‘yours’.
  • Second-person narration is popular in choose-your-own-adventure stories.
• Third-Person: A story told outside of one person’s experiences.
  • The narration will use ‘he/she/they’ and ‘him/her/their’
  • Most fiction is told in third-person POV.

Style refers to specific choices an author makes regarding:

• Word choice
• Sentence structure
• Rhythm

If you read enough of an author’s work, you’ll likely learn how to identify their style. New fiction writers often imitate their favorite author’s style as they develop their own. An author’s style is also referred to as their voice.