Transcript Elements of Fable

Author’s Purpose
TO INFORM
2. TO ENTERTAIN
3. TO PERSUADE
1.
SOME SELECTIONS MAY BE A
COMBINATION OF TWO OR MORE OF
THE ABOVE.
To Inform
 The author teaches the reader about a particular
subject.
Ex: Most science textbooks inform the reader. They
are not highly entertaining, and they do not try to
sway the reader one way or the other.
To Entertain
 The author provides the reader with an interesting
and enjoyable tale or column.
Ex: OMG Online or entertainment/gossip magazines
entertain the reader by providing details about
celebrities’ lives, but the reader doesn’t learn from
the articles.
To Persuade
 The author tries to convince the reader to take one
particular side in a debate.
Ex: Op-ed columns are submitted to the newspaper by
a reader. By name their function is to provide the
author’s opinion, or to persuade.
Elements of Fable
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Short tales
Typically humorous
The characters are typically animals, plants, or
elements of nature that have humanistic qualities
(they can talk).
The story identifies a particular moral.
The story may inform the reader about some aspect
of the culture from which it originated.
Myths, Legends, Fables, Fairy Tales
1.
Myths are ancient tales that explain some aspect of
the culture from which they originate. They may
also explain some aspect of nature itself (why crows
are black, why skunks have stripes, etc.).
2. Legends describe the incredible quest of a hero.
From legends, the reader learns about the qualities
that a culture valued (Hercules=strength,
Odysseus=wits).
Myths, Legends, Fables, Fairy Tales Cont.
1.
Fables are short stories that teach a moral.
2. Fairy tales are designed specifically for children.
They are also used to teach a lesson or to frighten
children into not performing an undesirable act or
behavior.