CAIP Fiction Comprehension Analysis Interpretation - Perspectives – – – Genre?? Novel short story short short story? Author? Year? – – Only what seems relevant should be answered in detail. If, for instance, the setting is merely a backdrop, do not spend ages looking for a deeper meaning there! Comprehension Analysis Interpretation Perspectives Narration + Who is telling the story? Is it a first-person or third-person What is the narrator’s attitude to the From whose point of view are the narrator? events and to the characters? Point of view events seen? Who the narrator: age, relation to Is the narrator reliable/unreliable? is characters and events? What if the story had had another Omniscient/unintrusive/restricted? narrator? Narrative modes: dialogue, description, report Setting When and does the story take Does the text describe or indicate a social Is the setting a neutral backdrop or is it place? environment? significant for our understanding of Real or imaginary? characters/plot? One or more places? Is the setting symbolic of the characters/plot? Characters Who? Main characters: flat/static? With whom does the sympathy lie and – – Protagonist, antagonist, How are the characters described: why? Minor characters directly by the narrator or indirectly by What causes/motivates the main What are we told? what they say and do? characters’ actions/development/change? Age, appearances, background, How you describe a person with What do the characters represent? relationships, etc these characteristics? (e.g. values, social groups, norms) Composition Introduction or Organisation of events: Initial situation Why is the story organised like that? in medias res? – Chronologically organised or with development final situation? What is the effect? – flash backs/flash forwards or Hints at events that happen later on in the in other ways? story? (premonitions) unchronological How does the story end? Open or closed ending?
CAIP Fiction – Comprehension – Analysis – Interpretation - Perspectives Genre?? Novel – short story – short short story? Author? Year? Only what seems relevant should be answered in detail. If, for instance, the setting is merely a backdrop, do not spend ages looking for a deeper meaning there! Comprehension Analysis Interpretation Perspectives Narration + Point of view Who is telling the story? From whose point of view are the events seen? Is it a first-person or third-person narrator? Who is the narrator: age, relation to characters and events? Omniscient/unintrusive/restricted? Narrative modes: dialogue, description, report What is the narrator’s attitude to the events and to the characters? Is the narrator reliable/unreliable? What if the story had had another narrator? Setting When and does the story take place? Real or imaginary? One or more places? Does the text describe or indicate a social environment? Is the setting a neutral backdrop or is it significant for our understanding of characters/plot? Is the setting symbolic of the characters/plot? Characters Who? Main characters: Protagonist, antagonist, Minor characters What are we told? Age, appearances, background, relationships, etc – flat/static? How are the characters described: directly by the narrator or indirectly by what they say and do? How you describe a person with these characteristics? With whom does the sympathy lie – and why? What causes/motivates the main characters’ actions/development/change? What do the characters represent? (e.g. values, social groups, norms) Composition Introduction or in medias res? Chronologically organised or with flash backs/flash forwards or unchronological in other ways? How does the story end? Organisation of events: Initial situation – development – final situation? Hints at events that happen later on in the story? (premonitions) Open or closed ending? Why is the story organised like that? What is the effect?