Have you ever read, listened or viewed a story that made you turn away from it?  Was the reason that the protagonist was about to go into a dangerous, disturbing or deadly situation?  If so, this tells you how invested you were in some aspect of the story since you had a real reaction to a fictional situation.  Whether this was because you could empathize (definition:To empathize is to understand and share the feelings of another.)with or imagine what was occurring with the character or situation, ultimately it was the author who crafted the story in such a way that you were, temporarily, unable to go on.

In many cases, it could be the plot's structure that made you feel the way you did.  To build a good plot, an author needs to build tension – that's what keeps you turning pages or perched on the edge of your seat. Traditionally, plot can be visualized in the following manner with these key elements: 

Beginning Situation and Exposition: Here, we are introduced to the characters, the setting, and most importantly, the conflict.

Rising Action: Here, the conflict is developed. There can be more than one incident that helps to develop the conflict and to create suspense and interest in the story.

Climax: This is the turning point of the story. Here is where the main character usually has to confront the conflict, and this often results in the character being changed in some way afterward.

Falling Action: At this point, all the loose ends, sub plots, and details surrounding the climax are resolved.

Conclusion/Denouement: Here, the story comes to a reasonable ending.

Much like a hearty meal, fictional stories are made up of several different ingredients.  What the preceding simile (definition: A simile is a direct comparison of two different things using “like” or “as.")tells us is that stories, like meals, are delicious when care and attention is given to what goes into them. As you proceed through this unit, you'll read, listen and view several stories that use various ingredients to make fictional fantasies come alive.

Charging Bull is a famous bronze statue that can be found in the Financial District of New York City.  After unofficially installing the statue in 1989, Artist Arturo Di Modica's guerrilla art (definition:Also referred to as "street art," guerilla art is a method of making art where the artist leaves anonymous art pieces in public places.)has been said to symbolize (definition:An artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind.)the resiliency of the American people in the face of an economic downturn. However, just before International Women's Day in 2017, a bronze statue known as Fearless Girl was installed in front of the bull to symbolize workplace equity and, according to artist Kristen Visbal, was designed to "to keep her features soft; she's not defiant, she's brave, proud, and strong, not belligerent."  However, while Fearless Girl is certainly art on its own, it's the juxtaposition (definition:The deliberate placing together of two or more elements that emphasize each other through this placement.)of it in front of Charging Bull that deepens their combined meaning.

Think back to a time when you were somewhere dark.  What did you do?  Odds are, in addition to moving cautiously to avoid bumping into something or someone, you found the nearest light source.  After that, you were likely more confident in your movements.  Well, the preceding analogy (definition:An analogy is a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.)represents what it's like to consume a story after learning how to identify literary devices. No matter whether you read, listen or view a text, authors use literary devices as a means of allowing their audiences to understand and appreciate what's occurring throughout their stories. Fortunately, authors have a wide-array of devices they can use to make their stories stronger.  In your upcoming assignment, you will choose a literary device, research it, and record your findings.