Gloria & Audrey Harchar

Characters: The first and main character in this fantastical tail is Hannah. She’s a young woman, living in a forest with nobody but the animals and a wizard for company. She has a good heart, curing villagers’ ailments for free, and her mind is open to change. She has five companions that are always with her.

Magpie is, as her name suggests, a magpie. She’s been with Hannah since the girl woke in the woods. Quick to scold, but caring over the others, she is essentially the mother of the group.

Badger is a badger. Like Magpie, he woke up with Hannah with no memories from before the Wood. Older than the others, he’s wise in his ways and not so quick to anger as Magpie.

The Fox Cubs are three rowdy, ramunctious fox cubs that love running, chasing, wrestling, and playing. Like the others, they woke with no memories, but they don’t let it bother them.

The Wizard is a man who’s been in the woods since before Hannah can remember. He is the master of the  Wood. Every full moon, he has Hannah brew him a tea from the buds in her hair, so he can retain his power. There is something odd and troubling about him.

Prince Foxkith is a knight who wandered into the Wood one day, seeking to kill the beast said to live in the heart of it and take its treasure. His heart is pure and brave, and like others before him, he’ll lay his life down to kill the beast.

Character Diversity: 6/10

Plot: Hannah often gives cures to the villagers brave enough to enter the Wood and find her.  Time and again, she’s seen knights ride into the Wood, never to come out again. She tries to stop them, but they never notice her, until one day when she’s gathering seaweed on a beach and a young knight asks for direction to the Wood. She tells him that only death lies there, but he says he must kill the beast in the heart. She pins a lily to his chest for protection, and he rides off. A few days later, she finds him, half-dead, near a creek in the woods. She takes him to her hut and heals him, brewing tea for the Wizard living in the woods once a month. One day, Foxkith follows her, and they stumble on a treasure trove in the heart of the Wood. There, they are confronted by the Beast, which takes the form of the Wizard. After a bit of talking, he reveals to Hannah that Foxkith and all the knights before him were nothing but animals, turning Foxkith into a true fox. he then turns into his beastly form, intending to kill them, but is warded off because he didn’t drink the tea that Hannah had brewed and so didn’t have any magic left. Hannah leaves with the others, to find Foxkith’s queen that he spoke of while human, to undo the spell that’s been done on him.

Plot: 8/10

Logic: It’s a fantasy setting, and all of the characters of importance are rather fantastic. But it’s stil pretty logical that Hannah, sheltered by the Wizard, wouldn’t know much about the ways of man. It also is logical as to why she can understand her animal companions speaking to her. Still, some plot elements seem to be there just for the sake of being there.

Logic Score: 6.5/10

Overall: 6.8/10

The Characters:

Artemis Fowl is a book filled with characters, each completely individual. To start, we have the titular character, Artemis Fowl. He’s a twelve-year-old Irish boy from a very wealthy family. Not only is he rich, he’s also a complete genius, who strives towards whatever goals come to mind. He’ll do anything to complete his plans, even sinking so low as to kidnapping.

Butler is Fowl’s, body guard and, well, butler. A behemoth of a man, he is very strong, very loyal, and very dedicated. While he may not be as smart as his charge, he has no trouble beating down anybody that goes up against him.

Holly Short is the second fairy we’re introduced to, but the first one that has more than a passing significance to the plot. She’s a LEPrecon- Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance- officer, with a strong sense of duty to her people. She’s also the first woman officer on the LEP, and so has to prove herself. So, she tends to be very gun-ho about things.

Commander Root is Holly’s commanding officer, and the chief of the LEP. His temper is always ready to rise, but he cares about his officers, even though it doesn’t often show. When he finds out that Fowl has kidnapped one of his people, he’s reluctant to do anything that could cost the officer their life.

Foaly is a Centaur who is a mechanical, electrical, and engineering genius. He is also very mouthy, often sassing and poking fun at everyone around him. He sits on the side-lines and does all the tech stuff that needs to be done.

Mulch Diggums is a kleptomanic Dwarf, who has lost his magic due to entering a human dwelling without permission in order to steal from them. He’s been thrown in jail, but when Root needs someone to break into the Fowl home to get the officer out, Mulch is the Dwarf he calls on.

Angeline Fowl is Artemis’ mother. Since her husband disappeared a year prior to the book, she’s been in a state of madness and delirium. She is often confused about who people are, and even confuses Artemis for his grandfather, or even for a complete and total stranger.

Rating for character diversity: 9.5/10

The Plot:

Without going into too much detail, and without spoiling too much, I’m going to overview the plot.

Artemis Fowl, criminal mastermind twelve-year-old, wants money to restore some of his family’s wealth. To reach this goal, he’s been studying the People, or the fairies as they’re known in many languages. The first scene of the book involves him getting a copy of the Book, which is the fairies’ bible. He decodes it to learn all of their secrets, and then goes to capture a fairy by the name of Holly Short. The abduction goes off without a problem due to Butler’s help. Once they have her in a cell, they manage a way to get a hold of Commander Root, letting him know they have his officer. Root takes action, sending in a LEPretrieval squad to get her out. Unfortunately, they’re wiped out by Butler. Root goes to negotiate a trade with Fowl, who wants one ton of twenty-four karat gold. Root gets the money, but before he hands it over, a few more tactics are tried.

First, they stop time for eight hours, so they don’t have to worry about the sun interfering with their powers. They bring in a Dwarf, Mulch Diggums, to try and free Holly. The plan goes under, though, as Holly has been ordered by Artemis not to leave the house. An order that she cannot ignore, by the Book’s word.

Eventually, Root’s command is taken by an old friend of his, who wants to try more drastic measures. His first thought is to send in a Troll to make Artemis invite them in. This fails as the troll goes on a rampage through the house, only to be stopped by Butler. With no other choice, they hand the gold over, get Holly out, and then attempt a bio-bomb of the place, which will kill every living thing inside the house, but not harm anything else. Fowl, luckily, has just the plan to avoid this. Before he does this however, he requests one wish from Holly, in exchange for half the gold that he got as ransom for her.

All in all, not a bad plot. I left out some details for you to find if you read it.
Plot Review Score: 8/10

Finally, the logic of the story:

In all honesty, there is nothing done without a reason thoroughly explained in the book. Fowl’s plot to gain more wealth, Butler’s loyalty, why Holly was the unfortunate one captured, etc, etc. No plot point is overlooked.
Plot Logic: 10/10.

Over-all, it’s a good book, with many diverse characters, a nice, flowing plot, and flawless logic.
Over-all score: 9/10

It is the study evaluation and interpretation of a particular work.

1. Does this particular piece stand out?
2. If so, what makes it powerful? (elements of literature, six traits)

• Does it have a unique, or well-developed plot?
• Or are there uniquely described characters?
• Or has the author drawn you in by one of the six traits–i.e., through voice and word choice, or perhaps by an unusual organizational style?

1. What message can this story carry to the reader? Symbolism, allegory, moral, or theme?
2. What was the author’s intent?
3. What legacy will it leave?

You’ll be using tools that we’ve been studying all year for analyzing work.

• You may note sound devices in a poem and explain how they create theme or reinforce a theme.
• Explore character traits and relate them to author’s message.
• Compare and contrast characters within one work, or across distinct works.
• Explain how symbolism works to layout a theme.
• Relate plot and tone to the purpose of the text.

We’re going to take a closer look at literature. Literature Analysis is the study, evaluation and interpretation of literature.

• Increase understanding–generate ideas and draw conclusions.
• Provide feedback for an author–debate perspectives and share thoughts of techniques and different ways to write.
• Understand an individual or cultural perspective.

There are several approaches to literary analysis:

• Compare and contrast–characters, authors, symbolism, sound devices and whole works of literature.
• author’s perspective and life experiences.
• reader’s knowledge and life experiences.
• evaluating logic of a piece, especially in nonfiction.

What does Literacy Analysis look like?

• Newspaper reviews–you might read a commentary in the newspaper about a book and think, “Wow, I want to read that book.” That’s literary analysis which got you interested in reading a book.
• lectures
• book discussions
• book clubs–libraries, schools, churches
• Talking in the hallways, on the phone, on Facebook about books is literary analysis
• Essays, rebuttals arguing against what others say, etc., are all literary analysis.

Don’t be intimidated! You probably already do literary analysis, even informal discussion. So many ways to analyze a work. Each person has their own perspective! You do, too!! Do you lean toward a biographical approach where you want to learn the author’s background, or are you a New Critic, where your interpretation of the book is more important? Maybe you are some of both. Speak out! Lend your voice to analyze literature. You might find out something important about yourself!

Take the quiz after reading the previous post!

Have you ever been in a catch-22? That is, you’re darned if you do, darned if you don’t? The term came from a book written in 1961 by Joseph Heller called … you guessed it, Catch-22. (Wouldn’t that be something–to write a novel that becomes so popular that it ends up being a common expression?) This book is about some sort of logic irrationality. You’ve got these soldiers trapped in war, and one of them Orr, is insane–he’s absolutely crazy. Now–here’s the dilemma. Because Orr is crazy, he could technically be grounded. That is, he wouldn’t have to fly and fight. But the airforce has come up with a rule called Catch 22. If you are worried about your own safety, that is what sane people do. So if you’re worried about flying and dying, then you are sane and you must fly.  So Orr was trapped in this dilemma because he told his officers that he was insane and shouldn’t be flying, and since he said that the authorities said he had to fly!

Examples of catch-22’s:

• Homeless people need a job so they can afford a home and nice clothes. Yet, they need to be able to say they live at a physical address to put down on the application, and they need nice clothes to land the job. So you can say this is a Catch-22 situation since both problems cancel each other out and you don’t feel as if you can go forward.
• Consumer loan: You need a good credit history to get a loan. Yet, how can you build up a good credit history if nobody will give you a loan since you don’t have a history of taking out any loans?

Journal lesson: Read as you listen to The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry by clicking here. (Or you can just read it). In what way did the couple in Gift of the Magi end up in a catch 22? Also, apply your new knowledge to describe an experience of yours that could be called a catch 22.

At the end of  The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry says: Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

Here our author doesn’t hide that he has something deeper that he wants us to get. Remember, titles are clues. The Gift of the Magi alludes to the Bible story of the Wise Men who give gifts to baby Jesus. In this story, what gifts were given? We had the chain for the pocket watch and the combs for Della’s hair.

• What did they have to sacrifice for the gifts? They had to give up the very items they wanted to enhance. Jim had to sell the pocket watch for Della’s combs, and Della had to sell her hair for the chain to match Jim’s pocket watch.
• How were Jim and Della foolish? They had to give things away that would ruin the gift the other was giving to each other.
• How were they wise? That’s the question. Why does O.  Henry call them wise? We’re getting there.
• What is the climax of the story? That’s when everything comes to a head–the moment of the gift exchange.
• What is the resolution? They discover that their treasures have been given away and that their gifts can’t be used right now.

Honing in on Theme

We said that themes might be difficult to put into words. These are the possible themes that others have suggested for the story:

1. Love is more important than material things.
2. Love is selfless.
3. It’s the thought that counts.
4. It’s better to give than to receive.

Think about these four possibilities, think about the title and what the characters did. Think of how everything wound up at the end and tell me–in your opinion–what O. Henry really wanted us to understand at the end. Enjoy, and enjoy the gift of giving and receiving your own gifts in the future!

People have been asking me why I returned to teaching. Why not stay at home and write full time?

• It’s weird, but when I was teaching I was more productive in my writing. I find when I don’t have much time, I don’t squander time–time doesn’t get away from me like it did when I wrote full time. That said, teaching in a new school I find I’m having to revamp lesson plans. I’m also teaching a lot online. So I’m not as productive in my writing as I will be, once I get in more of a routine with this new teaching position.
• When I stayed at home writing full time, I had a difficult time saying no to people when they would ask me to do things, go places, and volunteer.
• I find when I teach I have a lot more writing ideas. I write with more emotions, more colorfully. I have more fodder for my stories.
• Since I’m writing a Young Adult series, I find it useful to surround myself with teenagers. I’m at the alternative school, and I’m finding all sorts of conflicts that the students have to deal with on a daily basis. I get to see first hand how they react, how they manage their lives.
• Teaching this year has given me all sorts of ideas for my writing. I might not get to write as much as I want to–at least, not yet. But the scenes are popping into my head and the story I’ve been wanting to write since last summer is finally taking shape. I’m beginning to write again, which is exciting to me!!

I’ve been reviewing James Scott Bell’s book called Plot and Structure. It’s really good and if you get the chance to get it, do so.

What is plot? Per learner.org, plot is a causal sequence of events in a story.

Look at the following: The boy died in a boating accident and the father died in a car crash. Is this plot?From this statement, can we say that the two deaths are related, other than the two people were father and son? Did one event cause the other? We don’t know–at least, not from this information.

But if I said: The boy died in a boating accident. When the father received the news on his cell phone, he lost control of the car and spun off a cliff. Now that is plot. An incident happened which caused a chain of related events.

So, what kind of a plotter are you? You might be one of those writers who likes to have the story all worked out in your mind before you write your novel. You preplan, plan, and revise the plan before writing. Maybe you have index cards all over your wall or you store you scenes in your computer.

Or, you could be a writer who doesn’t like to plan at all. You might like to plop down at your computer desk and just write, letting the story flow without planning, anxious to see what your wild writer’s mind will conjure up.

After studying hundreds of plots, Bell says he has developed a simple set of foundational principals he calls LOCK.

L=Lead

O=Objective

C=Confrontation

K=Knockout

The lead, or protagonist, must be interesting. She doesn’t have to be sympathetic, that is, likable–compelling. Enough so that the reader will want to keep reading to discover what happened to her.

Objective is the what. What does the protagonist, or lead, want?

Confrontation is what is keeping the lead from getting her goal.

Knockout is an analogy to the boxing ring. Everyone watches a boxing match because they are anticipating the big move, that punch that knocks out the opponent–that big climax where everything accumulates and comes to the tip of the summit. That string is getting tighter and tighter and you are anticipating that huge snap! where the string breaks.

Overall, this is a nice change to how I’ve been taught. Bell skims over the motivation–at least he does in his LOCK system. And the example of the obstacle was more external, rather than internal. But mostly it was pretty good.

Theme is the deeper meaning of a text, the insight about life which comes both from the author and the reader.

Themes are what may influence your life long after you’ve completed reading the story. The author is going to put some clues and information into the story, but the reader is going to bring their life experiences to the text. Together those things are going to lead to the insight about life.

Looking for theme?

It’s difficult to find theme, and, what’s more, have others agree with you. Too, it’s sometimes challenging to put it into words.

The title may be a clue. Authors are very picky about their titles (unless the editor influences the change of title). Anyhoo, titles may point you in the right direction for what the author wants the reader to get out of the text.

Watch how the characters change, or how they don’t change. This might be a clue to the theme.

Focus in on the most important events in the story.

Pay special attention to the resolution of the story. When it’s all said and done, what happens to everybody?

Style: How writers use language to express themselves.

The author might play with punctuation, put it in unusual spots to create an effect rather than follow the rules of grammar.

Sound patterns might hint at the theme.

plot twists, repeated symbols or themes, rhythm.

The author might use figurative language, such as similes, metaphor, hyperbole and personification to keep things interesting, keep the reader turning the pages.

Or they might rely on imagery, or different visuals that come up time and time again.

Style is the hardest thing to teach someone, but it’s the best tool an author has because it lets the author’s personality come to the surface.

It may help reflect a theme, mood or message.

It is that mysterious element that hooks you on an author. Style is what keeps you reading late into the night.

When you start writing your own stories, experiment with these elements to find your own sparkling, unique style!