English LE

Key unit Competence: To analyse literary texts based on their genres and period.

Introductory Activity

Quotation: “Literature is news that stays news”

• Why do you think literature is important in your daily life?

• What do you understand by the word literature?

10.1 Defining Literature

10.1.1. Learning activity Reading and text analysis

Text1: Importance of studying literature

Read the passage below and answer questions that follow:

“By studying literature, I find that this sense of confusion and search for

self-discovery is a common theme. I am confident that my choice to be an English major is one that I will be satisfied with. Thus far, in my opinion, to be an English major necessitates more than just being able to read and write well.

An English major must also strive to understand and interpret the importance that various forms of literature have had on the society of the past and the present. Being able to express opinions is another important aspect, as it is starting a piece of literature with an open mind. These habits are also important when facing everyday life, not just literature.

The chance to read and write is something that everyone should be able to experience. Literature in all forms is everywhere today, and with this idea, it is clear just how important it is. Whether it is studied in the classroom, read for pleasure or purpose, literature is a central part of many lives. It offers not only a chance to enlighten a person, but it also gives the chance to broaden one’s horizons and perspectives.

In my case, having the opportunity to study literature in two different languages has helped me to find similarities in two different cultures, and to also find that although literature varies in form and content, it is important, and it is a central part of many lives.” (Written by Stephanie Conroy)

• Comprehension questions.

1. From your understanding of the passage, explain the term literature.

2. Why do you think literature is important? Clearly explain your points.

3. What does the writer mean by the phase,” …necessitates more than just being able to read and write”?

4. Discuss the different ways an English major use to better their literature in English skills.

5. Provide the synonyms of the following words highlighted in the text above and use the alternative words to construct sentences:

i. Strive

ii. Enlighten

iii. Broaden.

• Notes

Literature has a more technical and specific meaning. It is the kind of art, which uses language in a special way to comment on society.

Others simply define it as, anything that has been written in some form or another with the aim of talking about life and society.

What is the difference between literature in English and English literature?

Literature in English would be any literature written in the English language while English literature is literature believed to originate from England or from the English people.

Literature in English exists in two forms and that is oral and written literature.

In the traditional Rwanda society, there are poems, songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue twisters, fairy tales, legends and myths. All these are regarded to be important in promoting Rwandan values and traditions. This is referred to us oral literature because it is verbal and transmitted orally and delivered by word of mouth.

Important tips on how to study a literary text:

• Begin to better your reading by focusing on your favourite genres of literature. It could be a short story, poem, nonfiction, drama, fiction, biographies etc.

• Read for a purpose. This does not mean reading only for your test or exam but it could also be for personal growth such as adding vocabulary and improving you reading speed.

• Read to understand and not to finish. This will help to sustain your concentration.

• Create a mental picture of the events unfolding in the book or poem that you are reading because it will directly connect you with the book making it more fun and worth reading.

• Before reading, trace the history of that book and that of the author. It will facilitate a better understanding of that literary piece.

Text 2: The origin of English Literature

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow:

English literature began with the history of dark ages around the 8th– 14thcenturies which introduced various types of poems including epics, ballads, hymns and so on. The first examples of English literature were written in Anglo-Saxon’s language, which is the source of English speaking but should be considered almost another language.

Almost all men of literature accept that English literature begins with Beowulf, who belonged to the Germanic Tradition of the Anglo-Saxons.

Dark ages, also called Old English, had a more unclear structure than the present day, where language structure or meaning has different features. The main point of the Old English is the oral tradition.

Old English Period has no written text or works and it ended with the Norman Conquest, a turning point in British history, to the middle of 11th century which had the transition from the oral phase to the written phase. At the end of the Old English Period, Middle English Period began. This period helped to shape English Literature’s framework and produced many literary products.

Geoffrey Chaucer was the greatest creator of Middle English literature. In his long poems such as ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ (1385) and ‘Canterbury Tales’ (1387-1400), Chaucer painted very vivid portraits of people of all kinds and wrote many stories in different moods from the most painful to the most laughable or interesting.

After the humanist movement which started in the 15th century, it brought up great artists in English literature, poetry, theatre, and prose. Spencer, who is considered to be the greatest poet of English poetry, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Ben Johnson, Milton, Bacon, who are the greatest theatrical writers of world literature as well as English literature, are among these writers who gave

the most brilliant works of English literature in the early years. In the 18th century, artists such as Defoe, Swift, and Feilding gained fame; different literary movements influenced artists in later periods.

(By Kubla Khan-ancient writer of Literature)

• Comprehension questions

1. When did the written phase of English literature start?

2. Name the writer who started English literature?

3. Summarise the text above in about 90 words.

4. Which types of poems were introduced by Ohere between 8th and 14th centuries? Explain briefly each of these poems.

10.1.2. Application activities: Summary writing

1. In your own words, summarize the text above.

2. Complete the following sentences.

a. Oral literature is……………………….

b. Written literature is…………………

10.2. Talking about the three literary genres.

10.2.1. Learning activity Reading and text analysis

Text: The story of Kagure

Read the text below attempt the questions given below:

The first time Kagure wore a pair of shoes was the day she was admitted at Kibomet Girls High School. It was a cheap second-hand pair, but to Kagure, the shoes represented all the good things that education would help her achieve. Most days her family could only afford one meal a day. When things were bad, they would sleep hungry. Unable to face the children and tell them

there was no food for the day, Kagure’s mother would tell her to put a pot of water onto the fire to boil. She would say that someone was on the way with flour to make maize meal. Once the water came to a boil, she would tell one of the children to bathe with the water since the person with the flour had not yet arrived. She would do this again with a second pot of water, and on it went. Wambui would make sure there was little firewood in the hearth so that each pot of water took a while to boil.

As the evening wore on, the three younger children would doze off, leaving Kagure and her brother. Finally, they too would figure out there was no one coming with flour and go to bed. This grinding poverty had driven Kagure to work relentlessly hard and excel in school. She knew she was the ticket to her family’s better future. “Do you know what Lumanzi gave me?” Tracy asked Kagure mischievously. Kagure had seen Lumanzi press something into Tracy’s palm as they were parting. “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Kagure said, wishing they were already in school. She vowed she would avoid Tracy henceforth. The girl spelt trouble with a capital T. “Come on, ask.

I know you are curious,” Tracy teased “No!” Kagure answered tersely. The new girl had already put her into more trouble than she had ever been in her two years in secondary school. “Well, I will tell you anyway. He gave me his mobile phone number,” Tracy said, showing Kagure the slip of paper with the number. “He also gave me this,” she added, holding five hundred shillings in loose notes. To Kagure who had never had as much as fifty shillings as pocket money, five hundred shillings was an absolute fortune for a student to have. The idea that Tracy had taken all that money from a man she hardly knew was alien to Kagure.

She still remembered the thrashing she had received from her mother when she was in Primary 6. She had come home from school hungry and found there was no food in the house. In the morning, she had only taken a cup of black tea before going to school and had had nothing to eat the whole day.

Kagure had sat on the steps outside their house enduring pangs of hunger. A neighbour, who made a living from brewing illicit liquor, was passing by when he saw her sitting there forlornly, capping her chin. “What is wrong, daughter of Wakapanga? Are you ill?” he asked her. Driven by hunger, Kagure had answered she was not sick, just very hungry. The man, perhaps moved by

the plight of the little girl, gave her some money. “Go and buy some food,” he told her. Kagure ran to the marketplace and bought a loaf of bread. When she came back, she found her brother, Mburu, at home. The two of them started stuffing the dry bread into their mouths. That is how their mother Wambui found them – cheeks bulging with bread that was difficult to swallow

without a drink. “Where did you get this bread?” she asked, grabbing the few slices that were remaining. “Baba Wairimu gave me the money to buy it,” Kagure said, struggling to swallow what was in her mouth. “Why did he give you the money? Did you work for him?” Kagure’s mother demanded. “I told him I was hungry,” Kagure answered, knowing from her mother’s demeanor

she was in deep trouble.

Wambui, who had lived in Gituamba village for a long time, knew that there were no free things. She was trying to raise her children to know this and that they had to work to get whatever they needed. If her daughter was to survive, she had to learn this lesson. Wambui threw the remaining bread away and took a stick, which she kept handy for disciplining her children. And

Kagure did learn the lesson. She received a thrashing she would remember for a long time to come. “He gave you money and you took it?” Kagure asked aghast, remembering the thrashing. “Why not?” Tracy asked her.

“At least now I have some pocket money. Here, let’s share it,” she added, handing Kagure two hundred shillings. Kagure regarded the money, thinking how much easier life at school would be with some pocket money. She had reported to school with one bar of soap, which she was using to bathe and to wash her clothes. Her small tube of toothpaste would hardly see her through the term. She polished her shoes once a week so that the tin of polish she had carried would last a little longer.

During tea breaks, other students bought bread at the school canteen to have with their mid-morning tea. Kagure would take her tea quickly and head back to class. The temptation to stretch out her hand and take the money was great. It would be enough to buy a small tube of toothpaste, a packet of sanitary towels and there would still be a little left for half a loaf of bread.

“Come on, take it,” Tracy urged her. “No, thanks. I don’t take money from strangers.” “Lumanzi is not a stranger. I told you we met last night,” Tracy said as she pocketed the money. “You met last night, huh! How well do you know him?” “Well, let’s see. Lumanzi is gorgeous. He took the trouble to see me safely to school, has bought us lunch and given me some money. I would

say he is one stranger I would love to know,” Tracy said, waving the slip of paper with Lumanzi’s phone number. “You are …” Kagure began, searching for words to describe Tracy. “Incorrigible, irredeemable, crazy, yeah, I am all that,” Tracy suggested, laughing. “Just stay away from me in future,” Kagure said, exasperated (Adapted from Beyond the Barricades by Muthoni wa Gichuru)

• Comprehension questions

1. What is the extract about?

2. Where is the setting of this extract?

3. Comment on the kind of diction used. Is it formal or informal? Explain.

4. Discuss the themes developed in the text above.

5. Discuss the character traits of Kagure.

• Notes

A. Definitions:

What is literary genre?

• The word ‘genre’ originates from a French word ‘genre’ which means kinds or types or forms. There are three literary genre and these are; prose, poetry and drama. In this sub-unit, the focus will be on prose as one of the main literary genres.

What is Prose?

Prose refers to all forms of written or spoken expressions that are not inverse.

In other words, it is the way people speak every day. It is written in words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. It utilizes punctuation, grammar and vocabulary to develop its message. Prose is written from one end of the page to the other. It is made up of fiction and nonfiction. When someone tells or reports about actions and conversations taking place around, the result would be prose. Texts written in form of prose can be characterized as fiction or nonfiction.

Fiction is prose writing that consists of imaginary elements. It springs from the writers’ imagination. It usually focuses on unreal events about individuals, societies, animals etc. with one or more lessons to learn from.

Nonfiction is writing that tells about real people, places and events. Unlike fiction, nonfiction is mainly written to convey factual information.

Prose fiction includes:

1. Novels

A novel is a piece of long narration of a story in literary prose. Narrative prose is meant to entertain and tell a story. It is a description of actions and includes characters, setting and an ending. Some of the novels include, No longer at ease by Chinua Achebe,

NB; A novel is an extended work of fiction. Like a short story, a novel is essentially the product of a writer’s imagination.

So long A letter by Mariama Ba. Etc.

2. Mystery

This is a novel in which the reader is challenged to solve an issue that is complicated and confusing before explains it at the end

3. Romance

This is prose that focuses on the romantic love affair between usually two young people who turn out to be the main characters in the book.

4. Short stories

A short story is a work of fiction that is determined by its length. They are believed to be between 1,000- 7,500 words and can be read to completion in a single seating such as, the happy Princess by Oscar Wilde, Say you one of them by Umem Akpan and many others.

5. Historical fiction

The genre of historical fiction in the field of children’s literature includes stories that are written to portray a time period or convey information about a specific time period or an historical event. Usually, the event or time period is about 30 years ago and involves imaginary or real events and characters.

Prose nonfiction writing includes:

1. Essays

These are documents or writings which focus on specific topics that contain a mix of fact and opinion, laid out in logical sequences and employing appropriate ways of expression. An essay comprises both content (what is said) and form (the way in which it is written.

NB: Essay is a short work of nonfiction that deals with single subject. / brief

prose works that are based on fact.

2. Autobiographies

This is information about a person’s life written by themselves. For example, the autobiography of Michael Obama, Gifted hands by Ben Carson.

NB: Autobiography is a writer’s account on his or her own life. It is generally told from the first person point of view.

3. Speeches

This is a type of a literary nonfiction Meant to be delivered to an audience.

It is usually formal and talks about a specific subject. As future leaders, it is important that you master the skill of presenting and writing speech.

NB: speech is a talk or public address. The purpose of a speech may be to entertain, to explain, to persuade, to inspire, or any combination of these aims.

4. Journals

A journal covers a specific subject area or topic and are publish regularly (weekly, monthly or yearly. They are knowledge based and are written by experts in subject areas. Journals are fun to use because they are organized and easily understood.

NB: A journal is a regular record of writer’s thoughts, experiences and feelings.

B. Aspects to consider when analysing novels and short stories

Here are some of the definitions of terms when analyzing literature. For clarity and understanding while studying literature, it’s important to know the following terms:

1. Setting

This, in simple terms is when and where action takes place, there are 2 main types of setting:

• Place- this where action takes place, example: in the forest, at the market etc.

• Time- the period in which action occurred. Such as, the time of the day, month, year etc.

Under time, we can also have historical setting to mean the past era in which the book was written. Example, the book was written during the genocide period, during the colonial period etc.

NB: Setting is the time and place of the action of a story.

2. Plot

The plot is the chronological flow of events or episodes carried out by the characters in a narrative . Here are the primary terms related to plot, which a learner of literature should be familiar with. In each work these concepts are obviously manipulated in their own unique ways.

NB: A plot is a sequence of events in a story. A plot focuses on a central conflict or problem faced by the main character.

• Exposition: the event that puts the story in gear

• Rising action: the series of complications in the narrative

• Climax: the highest point of interest, action or tension. More subtly, it is a turning point in the protagonist’s behaviour or thoughts.

• Falling action: the series of events occurring after the climax

• Denouement (the ending of the play) these could be resolutions or reconciliation. It contributes in binding the book.

3. Diction

This is choice of words the author uses in prose. It is classified into formal and informal diction.

Informal diction looks like everyday speech (considered not so serious) while formal diction is viewed as dignified language. (serious language) NB: Diction is a writer’s or speaker’s choice of words and way of arranging the words in sentence.

4. Themes

These are the central ideas or insights about human life or human behaviour that a story portrays.

NB: Theme is an underlying message about life or human nature that the writer wants the readers to understand.

5. Character and characterization

• Characters are people or animals that have a role in the novel.

Characters are described according to how they develop in a work of literature.

There are two types of characters, flat characters which are described as those that are relatively uncomplicated. They do not change throughout the course of a story while round characters are complex and undergo gradual change. A round character is a major character in a story. He or she encounters conflict, which changes them. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat or simple characters. Think of the characters you most love in fiction − they probably seem as real to you as people you know in real life. These are the round characters.

• Characterization is the analysis in the behaviour of characters in a narrative text.

A Character trait – this is the behavioural quality the character exhibits.

Example; kind, intelligent, proud etc.

6. Writing techniques in prose fiction.

These are styles in which the novel is written. Some of the techniques used in writing prose fiction include; narration (1st or 3rd person narration) symbolism, foreshadowing, flash backs etc. Every author directly or indirectly uses them.

7. Moral lessons.

Literature is a moral subject and as a student teacher, it is important that you utilize it to not only shape your character but also that of learners because at the very end of every literary text, virtue wins, and vice loses- good wins and evil loses. Adopting virtues will make this world a better place for all of Us to live in.

10.2.2. Application activity Summary writing

1. home or school. Let your colleague who was listening to you find the setting of your short story, the theme, the characters involved and their character traits. You could switch roles.

2. Read and summarize a short story, identify its setting, main characters and mention the theme that was developed.

3. Write a narrative composition between 250-500words entitled,

“The day I will never forget.”

4. Discuss how setting helps in developing the plot in a short story referring to one you have ever read.

10.3. End unit assessment

1. Define literature.

2. What is prose?

3. Explain the reasons why it is important to study prose.

4. Discuss the two main types of setting and provide examples to each.

5. Discuss what to consider when analyzing plot in prose.

6. Discuss some of the examples of nonfiction prose.

7. Explain the difference between flat and round characters in prose.

8. Define the word character trait and describe the traits of your best friend in college.

9. From any prose that you have read, summarize its plot and identify the setting, characters involved, identify the flat and round

character, provide the theme and the moral lesson of the book.

10. Describe how the author portrays his or her messages to the readers referring to any prose text you have read.

Reference

1. Arthur, D.D., Issifu, A.K. and Marfo, S. (2015). An Analysis of the Influence of Ubuntu Principle on the South

2. Africa Peace Building Process. Journal of Global Peace and Conflict, December 2015, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 63-77.

3. Berger-Schmitt, R. (2000). Social Cohesion as an Aspect of the Quality of Societies: Concept and Assessment. EU

4. Reporting Working Paper No.14, Centre for Survey Research and Methodology. Available at:

5. http://www.gesis.org/fileadmin/upload/dienstleistung/daten/soz_indikatoren/eusi/paper14.pdf.

6. Broodryk, J. (2002). Ubuntu: Life lessons from Africa. Ubuntu School of Philosophy, Pretoria.

7. General studies and communication skills, S4

8. Peace and value training manual, AEGIS Trust (2016)