sem2; english language (mathilda) 2.0

Theme

· The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.

· Themes may be major or minor.

· A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again. It becomes one of the most important ideas in the story.

· Minor themes are ideas that may appear from time to time.

Four ways in which an author can express themes are as follows:

1. Themes are expressed and emphasized by the way the author makes us feel.. By sharing feelings of the main character.

2. Themes are presented in thoughts and conversations. Look for thoughts that are repeated throughout the story.

3. Themes are suggested through the characters. The main character usually illustrates the most important theme of the story. A good way to get at this theme is to ask the question, what does the main character learn in the course of the story?

4. The actions or events in the story.

Theme of Matilda.

Adult-Child Relationships

Every child has relationships with the adults in their lives. In these relationships, it is always the adult who is in control. Adults can use the innate power they have over children in positive ways, or they can abuse it, and both cases are seen in this novel. While Matilda is the clear protagonist in this story, nearly all of the other main characters are adults. Since Matilda is a brilliant and insightful person, she is able to understand the grown-ups in her life better than most other children would.

Characters

MAJOR CHARACTERS

Almost always round or three-dimensional characters. They have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values change. A round character changes as a result of what happens to him or her. A character who changes inside as a result of what happens to him is referred to in literature as a dynamic character

Protagonist The main character in the story

Antagonist The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Foil A character who provides a contrast to the protagonist.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Almost always flat or two-dimensional characters. They have only one or two striking qualities. Their predominant quality is not balanced by an opposite quality. They are usually all good or all bad. Such characters can be interesting or amusing in their own right, but they lack depth. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as static characters because they do not change in the course of the story.

Character of Matilda.

Matilda:

Matilda is a little girl who is 5 years old. She lives with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. Matilda is a little genius! She taught herself to read when she was 3 years old. She has some special powers. She can move things fly with only using her eyes. In the book her headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is very mean. One day Matilda get so mad that she tips a glass of water over Miss Trunchbull. In the end, Matilda gets adopted by her, Miss Honey, and they live happily ever after.

Mrs. Phelps:

Mrs. Phelps is the local librarian who encourages Matilda's love of reading.

Miss Jennifer Honey:

Miss Honey is Matilda’s teacher. Miss Honey is about 23 years old. She is a very quiet person and she is very skinny. Miss Honey’s aunt is Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey seems very insecure. Miss Trunchbull has harassed Miss Honey, since she was a little girl. Miss Honey is also very poor. She lives in a very tiny house, and she almost doesn’t have any furniture. Miss Honey owes Miss Trunchbull a lot of money, because Miss Trunchbull paid for Miss Honey’s food and clothes when she was little. So almost Miss Honey’s entire salary goes to Miss Trunchbull, except 1 pound, which is Miss Honey’s pocket money.

Mrs Agata Trunchbull:

Mss Trunchbull is the Headmistress at the school Matilda goes to. Miss Trunchbull is a gigantic person. Miss Trunchbull hate children and she is very awful to the children at the school. Miss Trunchbull is the aunt to Miss Honey. Miss Trunchbull thinks she can do whatever she wants to whomever she wants. Miss Trunchbull makes Miss Honey give her entire salary. Miss Trunchbull gives Miss Honey 1 pound a week, for pocket money. In the end, Miss Trunchbull finally leaves, and no one ever sees her again.

Michael Wormwood:

Michael Wormwood is Matilda's older brother. Although he does not posses the same level of intellect or ability as his sister, he is clearly the favorite in the Wormwood household.

Mr. Harry Wormwood:

Mr. Harry Wormwood is Matilda's father. Harry is also a used car dealer, and right from the start of the book we learn that he is a dishonest business man. He puts sawdust in his customers' cars to make them sound better and runs the cars backward to turn back the mileage counters.

Plot.

Exposition
The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.

Foreshadowing
The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.

Inciting Force
The event or character that triggers the conflict.

Conflict
The essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of four kinds. (Man versus…Man, Nature, Society, or Self)

Rising Action
A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax.

Crisis
The conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as the climax.

Climax
The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome of the conflict can be predicted.

Falling Action
The events after the climax which close the story.

Resolution (Denouement)
Rounds out and concludes the action.

Plot of Matilda.

Matilda is a young child-genius who has the misfortune of living with parents and an older brother who care neither for her nor her unique abilities. Instead, their only focus is watching the television, playing Bingo or cheating others. Interactions with the local librarian introduces Matilda to the possibility of emotional escape through the world of books. Matilda's true powers are not fully realized until she befriends the kind and lovely Miss Honey, her teacher at the Crunchem Hall Primary School. At the school, Matilda encounters a memorable cast of characters, including classmates Lavendar and Hortensia and the bullish Headmistress - Miss Trunchbull. Readers will be entertained by Matilda's antics as she tries to punish those who constantly ignore or belittle her.

Setting.

· The setting refers to the time, the geographical locations, and the general environment and circumstances that prevail in a narrative. The setting helps to establish the mood of a story.

· Two types of setting:

a) Integral Setting: the setting is fully described in both time and place, usually found in historical fiction.

b) Backdrop Setting: the setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless tale. This type of setting is often found in folktales and simply sets the stage and the mood.

Setting of Matilda.

In the first chapter, it is revealed that Matilda lives in a little "English village." Although the village is never named, we do learn from Matilda that her mother likes to play Bingo in Aylesbury. Later in the story, Matilda's teacher tells Matilda that she attended a "Teacher's Training College in Reading," which is only "forty minutes' bus-ride away" from the village where they are living now.

There are five main locations within the story: The village library, the Wormwood's home, the school, Miss Honey's cottage and the home of the school's headmistress.

Moral Values.

· What we learnt from the story.

· Moral of the stories.

Moral Values of Matilda.

This books has many great points, some of which include: the way it encourages young people to read by creating a heroine who enjoys doing just that and how it teaches us that nothing is hopeless and we should look out for others who are less fortunate or who have fewer abilities than we do. I remember a teacher in sixth grade who would read to the class as we all gathered round. After each days reading we would talk about what we read, the good and the bad points. I think that would be a marvelous way to teach this book to others. Speaking of bad points, it is interesting that she takes matters into her own hands so to speak. She thinks she has the right to punish parents or elders for things that she perceives that they do wrong. I do not think that this is a good thing to impress upon children. Thus while teaching this book we should also teach the children about what they can and cannot do when they feel they are wronged by grown ups while making sure they if they do seriously have a problem that we will be there to come to their aid.

TASK 2 – LITERARY TERMS.

Allegory A story with an underlying meaning symbolized by the characters and action. . Allusion A reference to a familiarly person or event, often from literature. Anticlimax Something that works against a climax, such as humor; a sudden descent from the lofty to the trivial. Autobiography The story of one's life as written by oneself.

Climax The point of high emotional intensity at which a story or play reaches its peak.

Denouement Literally, the "unknotting": the final unraveling of the plot following the climax.

Epistolary novel a novel written in the form of correspondence.

Fable A prose or poetic story that illustrates a moral.

Genre A literary type or class.

Hero A character, often the protagonist, who exhibits qualities such as courage, idealism, and honesty. High Comedy Comedy that is characterized by intellect or wit. Historical Novel A narrative that places fictional characters or events in historically accurate surroundings.

Parable A short that illustrates a moral. Pathos An element that evokes feelings of pity tenderness and sympathy.

Short Story A brief work of narrative prose. Subplot A secondary plot in a story. Symbol In literature, something that stands for, or means, something else.