Instructor+Notes

=[]= = = =The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:= [] []

Allegory:
**allegory** (AL-eh-GOR- ee ): a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and almost any other style or genre. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that have both literal and figurative meanings. The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that an allegory is a complete narrative that conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept that can have a different meaning throughout a literary work (//A Handbook to Literature//). One well-known example of an allegory is Dante’s //The Divine Comedy.// In //Inferno//, Dante is on a pilgrimage to try to understand his own life, but his character also represents every man who is in search of his purpose in the world (//Merriam Webster Encyclopedia of Literature//). Although Virgil literally guides Dante on his journey through the mystical inferno, he can also be seen as the reason and human wisdom that Dante has been looking for in his life. See //A Handbook to Literature//, //Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature//. **Machella** **Caldwell, Student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke** []

Themes:
**theme** ( theem ): a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader that may be deep, difficult to understand, or even moralistic. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a work. The author utilizes the characters, plot, and other literary devices to assist the reader in this endeavor. One theme that may be extracted by the reader of Mark Musa’s interpretation of Dante’s //The Divine Comedy// Volume I: //Inferno// is the need to take account of one’s own behavior now, for it affects one's condition in the afterlife. One example of this theme can be found in Canto V - “...when the evil soul appears before him, it confesses all, and he [ Minos ], who is the expert judge of sins, knows to what place in Hell the soul belongs: the times he wraps his tail around himself tells just how far the sinner must go down” (7-12). In addition, Dante’s use of literary techniques, such as imagery, further accentuates the theme for the consequences of not living right, for he describes “the cries and shrieks of lamentation” (III :22 ), “…the banks were coated with a slimy mold that stuck to them like glue, disgusting to behold and worse to smell” (XVIII:106-108) and many other terrifying examples of Hell. In truly great works of literature, the author intertwines the theme throughout the work and the full impact is slowly realized as the reader processes the text. The ability to recognize a theme is important because it allows the reader to understand part of the author’s purpose in writing the book. See //Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama//, //NTC’s// //Dictionary of Literary Terms//, and //Literary Terms: A Dictionary//. **Susan Severson, Student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke** []

Examples: Gluttony, Power of Satan, Redemption

Motifs:
**motif** ( moh -TEEF): a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil. In the Book of Genesis, we see the motif of separation again and again throughout the story. In the very first chapter, God separates the light from the darkness. Abraham and his descendants are separated from the rest of the nation as God's chosen people. Joseph is separated from his brothers in order that life might be preserved. Another motif is water, seen in Genesis as a means of destroying the wicked and in Matthew as a means of remitting sins by the employment of baptism. Other motifs in Genesis and Matthew include blood sacrifices, fire, lambs, and goats. A motif is important because it allows one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one might be able to interpret the work more accurately. See //A Handbook to Literature//, //The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms.// **Robert Bean****, Student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke** []

Example: Seasons

Symbols:
**symbol** ( sim-bol ): a symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The object or word can be seen with the eye or not visible. For example a dove stands for Peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot. The word is from the Greek word symbolom. All language is symbolizing one thing or another. However when we read the book of Genesis it talked about a few symbols. In the story of Adam and Eve when Eve ate the apple, the apple stood for sin. Another reading Cain and Able. The two brothers stood for good and evil, humility and pride. Cain pulled Able to the fields and killed him. In this it is a hidden symbol. It is showing that Cain stands for the bad and Able stands for the good. See //The Encyclopedia of Literature// and //A Handbook to Literature//. **Misty Tarlton, Student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke** []

Examples: Aslan, The Stone Table, The Sea

Chapter 1:
Character Development: []

The Children: p. 1 - by name: Peter, Susan, Edmond, Lucy p. 3 - by animal: hawk, rabbit, fox, badger

The Professor: p. 1-2 - by description

Summary