Literary Elements In Literature

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes, “A civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries.” In other words the fundamentals of a civilization over time is made up of many elements and components. Similar to a civilization, literary works also need necessary elements or devices. Even over time the essential elements are still followed in works of literature. The fundamental elements that are important and maintained in literary works are characters, themes, and symbolism. Each of them interconnects with each forming a better understanding and flow of the stories authors write. Some examples of authors from different time periods that maintained the fundamental elements are Nathanial Hawthorne, Anton Chekhov, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, and Franz Kafka. Their specific works that exemplify the literary fundamentals of character, themes, and symbolism is “How I met my Husband,” “Metamorphosis”, “Happy Ending”, “Misery”, and “Young Goodman Brown.”

A common element shown in most stories is the input of characters. Characters are one of the most important components. They often lead the stories to many components of other literary elements. For example, they include conflict, plot, and resolution. Characters are commonly the main subjects and backbone of stories. They can serve as the protagonist and antagonist of stories, which leads to the pivotal points of stories. Stories with multiple characters do create more intense and in depth plots. It can create drama and intense emotions that can capture the audience. Characters also help the audience connect and create a better understanding. If characters within a story capture the audience it often creates a willingness to continu...

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...ized the physical and mental condition of Gregor steadily decreased. He felt weaker and started to lose his ability to see, sense, and move. “Because of his injuries, Gregor had lost much of his mobility - probably permanently,” (The Art of Short Story 489). His inabilities to move and express himself made him feel secluded and not wanted. Identical to Gregor’s feelings, Kafka may have felt in his own life after abuse from his father. Kafka wrote “Metamorphosis” very skillfully that it expressed his life and opinions well.

All three elements are important for short stories and cannot do one without the other. Characters and theme are primarily the backbone to every story. Symbolism of authors experience is what sets and from some of the main ideas in the stories that form and shape characters and themes. Granted, people typically write about what they understand.