Introduction to Fiction

Madam Bovary – Chapter 1

Describe :

– Characters : Charles Bovary (son ), Charles Bovary (father), Madame Bovary (mother), Madam Bovary (wife), school kids, head-master, and the doctor in Tostes.

– Setting: There are multiple settings in this chapter, but in general events take place in early 19th century in France.

– Theme: Pressure, obligation to become what the parents want him to be. Middle class family trying to gain social status so the pressure falls on the son to get them to make the leap to the upper class society.

– Narrative point of view : Narration starts off as a first person narrator ( as a character) then changes to a third person objective narration and changes between the two.

– Tone : You feel sorry for Charles for not having a say in his own life.

As a group we all agreed that we would like to read the rest of the novel. The reason is the author describes the characters, places, even small, mundane objects so perfectly that you can almost see them coming alive in front of your very eyes.

Group Members : Marissa ( Note-taker),  Aygun (Presenter), Seyhan (Poster), Ben (Editor)

Tiana C, Melissa H, Estefania L,

Describe: starts with the boy being in school. He was a farmer and the school was in the village. The story then goes back to how his parents met. His father liked the finer things in life. The mother wanted the boy to be smart and the father wanted him to be strong and tough.

Analyze: The story mostly talks of the boy so we think that the story will follow with the mother, Madame Bovary

-The boy goes to a new school

– how his parents met.

– when he went to the university to study

– he becomes a doctor

– he gets married. And his wife gets sick.

2) This story is not very interesting but it does spark curiosity because it makes you want to know what the story’s about as a whole. In the first chapter they only tell you so much about the boy but the title is the mothers name. Maybe there is a reason why they mainly talk about the boy in the first chapter but we don’t yet know why.

Honey Pinzon – Open Lab Poster

Mariah -Note Taker

Ajany- Presenter

1. The chapter follows the detailed events that happen to young Charles. The chapter follows chronological order, very similar to proportion surviving. The story describes that Charles grew up in a farm and is attending school.  The chapter leads on to talk about how Charles parents do not get along and takes full control of Charles life. Charles is very lazy and unimaginative, which is the reason why he is treated the way he is. His mother even found him a wife, who nags and scolds him all the time.

2. in our group, we personally do not like this essay. The language seems very dragging and complicated to read. There is much dialect, and difficult to understand.  At some points, seem very confusing, so it makes us stop wanting to read it.

3. There are many different levels of reality.

Setting – his house, farm, wife’s house

Characters: Narrator, Charles, Charles father and mother, wife . The Master.

In Italo Calvino’s essay “Levels of Reality,” which is in his book, The Uses of Literature, it is explained how Fiction contains different levels of reality. Calvino first used Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to describe the levels of fiction in its degrees of realism. He explained how the first level would be more real than the last; making the last level the least real to the human world. Although these levels have different degrees of realism, it is all molded and smelted like steel and become part of one story and world in which we perceive in our minds. Another way Calvino discusses the levels of reality is by using the statement, “I write.” He stresses that “I write” would be the first level or reality because it is the first dimension the reader perceives. But if you read “ I write that Homer tells that Ulysses listens to the sirens,” there are 3 levels of reality taken place because there is now 3 dimensions, worlds, or timeframes in that particular phrase. This is how we know now that levels of fiction is in our readings everywhere without us being aware of it before getting introduced to Calvino’s essay.
QUESTIONS:

1.      Can levels of reality exist in non-fiction? Can the explanation be found in the essay?

2.      Is it easier to find the levels of fiction in classical pieces of literature?

3.      What did he mean in page 117 that a story can create a structure in persepective?

Describe:

Setting-19th century, France, school, city, farm(too many)

Plot-A mother pushes her son to bring their family into wealth.

Figurative language-simile.

Style/tone/mood-informal/subtle

Narrative perspective-first person and third person

Theme-pressure, expectations, depression

Character-Madame Bovary, Monseur Charles Bovery Sr., Charles Bovary Jr. Madame Dubac, head master, children, and the old doctor.

Analyze:

At first we were confused and couldn’t piece all the events together. Different narrations and constant time jumps made it hard to figure out what’s going on. Charles is like a robot where he only follows commands of others and can’t function without them.

Calvino’s “Levels of Reality in Literature” explains the relationship between fiction and reality.

1) How does Homer’s Odyssey help interpret Calvino’s ideas?

2) Why does Calvino use Shakespeare’s plays in his essay?

3) Why does Calvino focus on the issue of using “I” when writing about another author’s work?

One of Calvino’s main points is that there are several different levels of reality. Another point is that we as readers see fact and fiction as two separate things. Calvino is saying that we should see them as two coinciding factors in literature.

2 questions:

1) Why is the Odyssey used as frame for his discussion?

2) What does Madame Bovery have to do with Calvino?

Duaa- open lab poster

Veronica- presenter

Edgar- Note taker

1) Setting- the story is set in a village in France and takes place between a classroom and home.

Plot- was a story based about a shy young boy who moves around from school to school. his mother controls his life decisions all they way to adulthood. finally his mother arranges his marriage with a stranger and at the end he is not even happy.

Narrative point of view- third person point of view

Style, tone, and language- The Author uses a style of writing that is very descriptive and is filled with vivid imagery.

2) I enjoyed it although it was a bit complicated with the language. in order to fully understand i would have to continue reading the next chatter.

1) The elements of fiction use are :

Plot – When the “new fellow” is picked on in the classroom.

Setting- the classroom

Narrative Point of View- Third person p.o.v.

2) The chapter is confusing because the narrative perspective tends to shift. Also, there are flashbacks, which makes it difficult to understand the essence of the chapter.

Group 7 members:

Shavella – Open lab poster

Thad – Note taker

Michael- Presenter

1)

 In this chapter, it discusses a family who belongs to the middle class and who is trying to move forward but there  is no cost to moving up but the family members dont care about the situation and how it neglects them.

2)

The wife always complains about the husband cheating on her; its in the 1800’s. She is stressing out and while being under a lot of pressure. She takes it out to her family members.

3) There are actually three realities.

Settins: the school, the tour, the city

Fabrice  (Poster)

Nicole (Notestaker)

Ruth (Editor)

Florencia (Presenter)