Professional Courses
Industry-relevant training in Business, Technology, and Design to help professionals and graduates upskill for real-world careers.
Categories
Interactive Games
Fun, engaging games to boost memory, math fluency, typing speed, and English skillsβperfect for learners of all ages.
Typing
Memory
Math
English Adventures
Knowledge
Enroll to start learning
Youβve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take mock test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Objectives of Literature
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Today, weβre going to explore the various objectives of literature. Why do you think authors write? Can anyone name one reason?
To entertain readers!
I think they want to inform us about different topics.
Exactly! Artists often create works for multiple reasons. To help us remember, let's use the acronym **EIEE**: Entertain, Inform, Educate, Explore. What do you think each of these stands for?
E for Entertain! E for Educate!
I think I for Inform, and the last one is E for Explore!
Perfect! Each of these objectives allows authors to engage with their readers in unique ways. Now, can someone give me an example of how a book might achieve one of these objectives?
Inferring the Author's Message
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Let's dive deeper into how we infer an author's message. What questions do you think we should ask ourselves to understand a text better?
Maybe we should look at how the characters change throughout the story?
And what themes are repeated in the text!
Exactly! Character transformations and recurring themes are essential. Additionally, consider the conflicts presented in the story. They often reveal deeper insights about human nature. Can anyone think of a book where the conflict really highlights the author's message?
In *The Hunger Games*, the conflict between the characters and the government shows the theme of oppression.
Great example! This demonstrates how conflict can inform us about society and human behavior. Remember, understanding the author's purpose enriches our reading experience!
Authorial Voice vs. Narrative Voice
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Could anyone explain the difference between authorial voice and narrative voice?
The author's voice is their style or perspective, right?
And the narrative voice is how the story is told, right? Like whether it's first-person or third-person.
Exactly! The authorβs intentions can often influence the narrative voice. Why do you think an author might choose an unreliable narrator?
To create suspense or to make the reader question what's real!
Correct! An unreliable narrator can lead to diverse interpretations and makes us think critically about the story. This interplay between authorial and narrative voice heightens our engagement with the text.
Introduction & Overview
Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.
Quick Overview
Standard
The section explores the diverse purposes of literature, focusing on how authors aim to inform, educate, and provoke thought. It discusses the various ways authors convey messages, challenge societal norms, and explore complex human experiences through narrative techniques, themes, and character development.
Detailed
Inform/Educate: Understanding the Author's Purpose
In this section, we delve into the essential role literature plays in informing and educating readers. Authors employ varied approaches to convey their messages, prompting readers to reflect on complex ideas and societal issues. Literature can engage readers emotionally while also serving to inform their perspectives on diverse topics. Here are the key points covered:
Objectives of Literature
- Entertain: Writers create engaging narratives that provide pleasure and escapism for readers, capturing their imagination and emotions.
- Inform/Educate: Literature often seeks to impart knowledge or raise awareness of specific issues, inviting readers to explore new ideas and perspectives.
- Persuade/Advocate: Many authors aim to persuade their audience of particular viewpoints, encouraging critical thought surrounding societal norms and issues through satire and social commentary.
- Explore: Literature provides a medium to explore human experiences, complex emotions, and philosophical questions, often without providing clear answers.
- Express: Through literary works, authors strive to articulate their emotions, experiences, or artistic visions.
Inferring the Message
Understanding an author's message involves recognizing the fundamental questions they raise about human nature and society. This section emphasizes:
- The connection between the author's choices in character, plot, and setting and the overall message conveyed.
- The exploration of open-ended questions, allowing for multiple interpretations while balancing didactic elements that seek to teach a lesson.
- The differentiation between authorial voice and narrative voice, highlighting that while the author's purpose is expressed through the narrative, it might not always align with the narrator's perspective.
This foundational understanding of the author's purpose enriches the reading experience, encouraging analytical engagement and deeper appreciation for literary texts.
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Diverse Purposes of Literature
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Beyond Entertainment: The Diverse Purposes of Literature: Authors write to:
- Entertain: To provide pleasure, excitement, or escape.
- Inform/Educate: To convey knowledge or introduce new ideas.
- Persuade/Advocate: To convince readers of a particular viewpoint, to inspire action, or to critique societal norms (e.g., social commentary, satire).
- Explore: To delve into complex human experiences, psychological states, or philosophical questions without necessarily offering definitive answers.
- Express: To articulate personal emotions, experiences, or artistic visions.
Detailed Explanation
This chunk highlights the various reasons why authors choose to write. While many people think literature is only for entertainment, it often serves several important functions:
1. Entertain - Literature can provide joy and escape, making readers feel emotions and have fun.
2. Inform/Educate - Authors often aim to share knowledge or teach new concepts, making readers smarter and more aware of different subjects.
3. Persuade/Advocate - Some literature seeks to change readers' minds or encourage action on social issues, such as injustice or inequality.
4. Explore - Many stories delve into deep human experiences and raise questions about life without providing easy answers.
5. Express - Authors also use literature to showcase their feelings, personal tales, or artistic visions, allowing readers to connect with their emotions.
Examples & Analogies
Think of an author like a chef. Just as a chef might create meals for different occasionsβsome for celebration and others for education (like a cooking class)βauthors write for various purposes. For example, a funny book might be like a birthday cake that entertains guests, while a historical novel could be compared to a nourishing soup that teaches about the past while warming the heart.
Inferring the Message
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Inferring the Message: The author's message is the central takeaway or insight they wish to impart. It's often closely tied to the themes. Consider:
- What fundamental questions does the story raise?
- What commentary does the author make about human nature, society, or the world?
- How do the choices in character, plot, setting, and literary devices collectively reinforce this message?
- Is the message open-ended and inviting of multiple interpretations, or is it more didactic (teaching a clear lesson)?
Detailed Explanation
This chunk delves into understanding what the author is trying to convey through their writing. The 'message' refers to the main idea or lesson that readers should take away after reading a piece of literature. To discover this message, readers should think about:
1. Fundamental Questions - What big questions about life does the story bring up?
2. Commentary on Human Nature - What does the author seem to say about people and the society we live in?
3. Choices in Literature - How do the choices regarding characters, plot, and settings work together to create meaning?
4. Open-Ended vs. Didactic - Is the author's message open to interpretation, allowing readers to think in different ways, or does it clearly teach a specific lesson?
Examples & Analogies
Consider watching a movie. After it ends, you might think about what it taught you about friendship or bravery. For instance, in the movie 'The Lion King,' the message about responsibility and coming of age can spark discussionβit's not just a story about lions; it raises questions about what it means to grow up and take charge of oneβs life.
Authorial Voice vs. Narrative Voice
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Authorial Voice vs. Narrative Voice: Distinguish between the author (the real person who wrote the story) and the narrator (the voice telling the story within the text). While the author's purpose is reflected in the narrative, the narrator's voice may not directly align with the author's personal views, especially with unreliable narrators.
Detailed Explanation
This chunk explains the distinction between the author's actual voice and the voice of the narrator who tells the story. The authorial voice is the real person behind the text, providing insight into their beliefs and purposes. In contrast, the narrative voice is the perspective through which the story is told, which might not always represent the author's views. Sometimes, an unreliable narratorβone who might mislead or misinterpret situationsβcan complicate this understanding. Recognizing both voices can deepen readersβ appreciation of a story's complexity.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a two-person cooking show: one host (the author) might be a professional chef sharing stories about food, while the other (the narrator) could be a quirky character who exaggerates things to entertain viewers. While both provide insights, they serve different rolesβmuch like how the narrator can add intrigue or humor that doesnβt necessarily reflect the chef's actual experiences or techniques.
Definitions & Key Concepts
Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.
Key Concepts
-
Literary Purposes: Literature serves to entertain, inform, educate, persuade, explore, and express.
-
Character Transformation: Changes in a character often reflect major themes and messages.
-
Conflict: The underlying struggles within a story help reveal the author's message.
-
Narrative Voice vs. Authorial Voice: Understanding how they interact enriches the reader's experience.
Examples & Real-Life Applications
See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.
Examples
-
In 1984 by George Orwell, the conflict between the protagonist and the totalitarian regime emphasizes the theme of oppression.
-
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the narrative voice of Scout Finch provides a unique perspective on themes of racism and morality.
Memory Aids
Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.
π΅ Rhymes Time
-
Literature's purposes are many, EIEE helps you keep plenty: Entertain, Inform, Educate, Explore, remember these, and youβll learn much more!
π Fascinating Stories
-
Imagine a world where a wise old tree narrates tales of human struggles, sharing its own wisdom on love, loss, and the power of stories. Each season in the world signifies a different authorial voice, guiding the treeβs audience through life lessons via narrative.
π§ Other Memory Gems
-
To remember the purposes, think EIEE: Entertain, Inform, Educate, Explore.
π― Super Acronyms
Using the acronym **CLEAR** for Character, Literature, Emotion, Analysis, and Reflection helps remember the key elements in understanding literature.
Flash Cards
Review key concepts with flashcards.
Glossary of Terms
Review the Definitions for terms.
-
Term: Author's Purpose
Definition:
The reason an author writes a text, often categorized as to entertain, inform, educate, persuade, explore, or express.
-
Term: Narrative Voice
Definition:
The perspective from which a story is told, influencing the reader's connection to the characters and events.
-
Term: Theme
Definition:
The central idea or message conveyed by a text, often reflecting on human nature or societal issues.
-
Term: Conflict
Definition:
A struggle between opposing forces that drives the narrative and often reveals themes.
-
Term: Authorial Voice
Definition:
The distinctive style or tone that an author uses in their writing, which can reflect their perspectives and experiences.