Developing our skills
Beryl Clarke, Contributor

In today's 'class' we are going to reflect on what CXC intends for us to do with this subject. The syllabus tells us that we must consider how those who write the novels, short stories and poems make an impact on those of us who read their works. We are, therefore, to spend time on the methods they use to arouse and keep our interest, how they make us learn about our fellow human beings, how they make us smile, laugh, cry, feel afraid and take sides with the characters they create. CXC wants those who study literature to become aware of the world in which we live, of what makes us human, what makes us similar to and what makes us different from each other regardless of our race, colour or nationality.

It means, therefore, that we must get close to the writers by not only finding out all we can about them, but we must read their works with a willingness to learn about people and places and things. We must read in such a way that we get what is written and then try to understand it. If you read a summary or a blurb or some notes, you will not be doing justice to the writer or, more important as students, to yourself. So, let us make a pact right now to read or to finish reading the texts-drama, prose and poetry.

Do you know that there are a number of skills that CXC wants you develop as you study literature? Yes, by the time you get to the end of this course, you should be able assess and evaluate situations and persons in the texts you study; be able to understand and analyze actions; to know the words and terms used in literary criticisms, to share your opinions based on judgements you make; to make moral judgments and to write clear, well thought out and properly organised essays in standard English.

After several years, we have short stories on the list of texts again and this is where we will start our literary exploration. We always have fun with these abbreviated narratives - after all, we can read one two or three times in an hour, sink our teeth into it, tear it apart, put it back together, criticise it, take sides, laugh and have a good time doing so.

You may have studied some of them or even all of them in class already, and this, then, may just be revision. Narratives tell stories. These come out of the fertile imaginations of authors. Authors are people with creative urges and abilities and they come from everywhere. Writers are black, brown, white and every shade in-between. They are male and female, short, tall, fat and slim. What makes them writers/authors is that they all have stories to tell. Now your knowledge and my description prepare you for the fact that there are millions of stories. There are, as you are aware, different types of narratives, and this is only natural, given the fact that there are so many writers with different ideas, feelings, backgrounds and interests. Please bear in mind that stories have to be told in some sort of order or at least logically.

Since our focus this time is the short story, I want to point out a few things to you as follows:

o It is limited in length and range

o It usually has only one major character

o It may start close to the climax

o Often only one incident is dealt with

o The plot is not usually difficult.

Short stories vary in length. This means that some may only be five pages, others 16. Such stories, like the novels, can be on any topic or matter, can be set anywhere, even in space or under the ocean, and can be about people, animals, trees or anything the writer chooses. Stories can take any form - a diary or letter, for instance, and the narrator can be anyone. The tale can be told in standard language, dialect or a combination of both.

When we read a short story we need to contemplate the plot, characters, setting, the language, the themes, symbols and point of view.

Please read The Man of the House, Septimus and The Day the World Almost Came to an End for we will begin our discussions next week. Until then, be good citizens and God bless!

Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com