Quarter 3 - Module 4
Literature: Mirror to a
Shared Heritage
of People with Diverse
Backgrounds
What is Literature?
Literature- refers to a body of written works such
as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays
that reflects the background of a certain culture. It
is derived from the Latin word litaritura/litteratura
which means “writing formed with letters.”
There are a number of ways that literature is
classified. The most basic types of literature are
fiction and non-fiction.
What are the Types of Literature?
1. Fiction. It is a type of literature that is a
product of a writer’s imagination. It can
be inspired by actual or completely made-
up events. It is usually created through
the use of clear details that we recognize
or that move us in some ways.
Examples:
The story “The Soul of the Great Bell” is a
Chinese fiction retold in English by Lafcadio
Hearn. The story is all about a girl named Ko-
Ngai, a virgin maiden, who sacrificed her life
to save her father Kouan-Yu from the anger of
the Son of Heaven and Yung-Lo. Her blood
was the main ingredient to successfully make
the great bell.
Another example of fiction is the “Story of the Aged Mother,”
a Japanese folktale by Matsuo Basho. It is about a son and his
mother going through struggles because of the unkind ruler
who issued cruel orders which included among others,
sending the elderly to the mountain to be abandoned and left
to die. However, the son took good care of his mother.
Meanwhile, the governor ordered that whoever could bring
him a rope made of ashes would be honored. It was the
mother’s wisdom that saved the entire town when the son
revealed that it was his aged mother’s brilliant idea to make
the order possible. The governor, in the end, denounced
his previous order of killing all aged people.
2. Nonfiction. It is a type of
literature that is based on facts.
It is a writing about real people,
places, and events which include
biographies, autobiographies,
and interviews.
Example:
“Long Walk to Freedom” is an
autobiography, a self-written story,
of Nelson Mandela who was a
South African activist and former
president (1918-2013).
What are the Elements of a Story?
1. Setting. It refers to the time and place in
which the action of the story happens.
Example:
In Ramayana, there is more than one setting
such as Ayodhya, Lanka, and the forest
(place). The story happened a long time ago
(time).
2. Plot. It is defined as an interrelated
sequence of events in a story where
each event affects the other, thus
showing the cause-and-effect
relationship. The illustration below
shows the sequence of events of the
story Ramayana.
A plot has 5 elements:
a. Exposition/Initial Action. This is the
very beginning of a story. In this part, authors
usually introduce the major characters and
setting to the reader. In the illustration above,
the author introduces the place Ayohdya as
the setting and presents the characters King
Dasharata, Rama, and Sita.
b. Rising Action. This is the part when
tension starts to build. It usually
involves facing and conquering minor
conflicts, which is what keeps the plot
moving forward.
In the illustration above, the tension
started when Ravana devised a plan to
abduct Sita.
c. Climax. This is the part of the story where the
characters finally have to face and solve the major
conflict. This is the "peak" of the plot or the
highest point of interest where all the tensions of
the rising action lead to the success or failure of
the hero.
In the illustration above, Rama solved the major
conflict when he fought and
killed Ravana to save Sita.
d. Falling Action. This is everything that
happens after the climax but before the
resolution. This is when the tension lessens
and starts bringing the action to a close.
In the illustration above, the tension started
to lessen when Rama saved Sita,
returned to Ayodhya, and became the king.
e. Resolution/Denouement. This is
the conclusion or ending of a story.
In the illustration above, the story
ended when Rama ruled Ayodhya in
peace and harmony with his people
3. Character. It refers to a person, an
object, an animal, or imaginary
creature personified in the story.
There are two types of characters:
the protagonist and the antagonist.
a. Protagonist. It is the main
character who does heroic acts in
the story.
In the story Ramayana, Rama is the
protagonist since he does the
heroic acts of saving Sita and
winning the battle against Ravana.
b. Antagonist. It is also a main
character who opposes the
protagonist in some way.
Ravana is considered as the main
antagonist of the story Ramayana
4. Conflict. It refers to the problem
that the main characters have to
face. The conflict of the story has
four major types: man vs. man,
man vs. self, man vs. society, and
man vs. supernatural.
Man vs. man. It is the conflict of the story in which the
struggle is between the protagonist and the
antagonist. In this conflict, the protagonist wants
something, and the antagonist obstructs the
protagonist from getting what he wants.
Example:
In Ramayana, the author illustrates man vs. man
conflict when Rama fought against Ravana who
abducted Sita
Man vs. self. It is a conflict that takes place within
the character himself. It often involves the
character in making a decision between right and
wrong.
Example:
Dasharatha had a conflict within himself in his
decision to set Rama into banishment even
against his own will.
Man vs. society. It is a conflict that occurs when
the character has a conflict with the
government, cultural, or societal tradition.
Example:
In Ramayana, the author shows man vs. society
when everyone including the
band of monkeys fought against Ravana to save
Sita
Man vs. supernatural. It is a conflict that
happens when the protagonist faces a struggle
against a god, gods, and supernatural forces.
Example:
In Ramayana, the author depicts man vs.
supernatural type of conflict when
Rama and Lakshmana fought against Rakshasas
or the evil creature.
5. Point of View. This is the angle of
narration or the perspective from
which the story is told. It can be
classified as first person and third
person.
a. First Person. The narrator is a character in the story
who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings.
It uses the personal pronoun I.
Example:
“I was standing in the dark. I was scared and cold.
Then, I felt something on my shoulder, and it was a
hand. I was trying to get away, but it wouldn’t let me
go. I screamed as loud as I could, but no one heard
me.” – In the Dark
b. Third person. This is when the narrator is removed
from the story and tells
it from an outside perspective. To do this, the narrator
uses personal pronouns like "he," "she," and "they" to
refer to the characters in the story.
Example:
“Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita. He sent a
magical golden deer which
Sita desired Rama to hunt. A long time had passed, but
Rama didn’t return. Thus,
Lakshmana went off to find his brother.” - Ramayana
6. Theme. It refers to the central idea or message of a
story.
In Ramayana, the theme is about showing love and
doing one’s duties and responsibilities, or known as
dharma. Rama showed his love to Sita by saving her
from the enemy. He also performed his duties and
responsibilities as a king, husband, son, and brother,
respectively.
