Reading: Prose: Background of Novelist, Setting, Plot Summary, and Themes – JSS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note (Second Term)

A prose lesson on a novel looks at four things: the novelist’s background, the setting, the plot and the themes.

• Subject: Literature in English
• Class: JSS 1
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Topic: Reading: Prose: Background of Novelist, Setting, Plot Summary and Themes

Behavioural objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Identify the novelist and state facts about the novelist’s background.
2. Describe the setting of the novel in terms of place, time and society.
3. Summarise the plot using its five stages.
4. Identify and state the major themes in the novel.
5. Link the author’s life experiences to the novel.

Previous knowledge

• Reading: students have read several chapters of the prescribed novel this term.
• Characters: they know the main characters.
• Basic terms: they know the meaning of plot, character, setting and theme.

Teaching aids

• Novel: copies of the prescribed novel.
• Author: a picture or short biography of the novelist, if available.
• Plot chart: a chart showing the five stages of plot.
• Setting: a map or pictures of the novel’s setting.
• Theme chart: a chart of themes with examples from the text.

Introduction (4 minutes)

The teacher asks these questions:

• Who is the author of the novel we are reading?
• Where and when does the story take place?
• Can anyone give a short summary of what has happened so far?
• What lessons or messages have you noticed in the story?

The teacher then states the aim: to study the author’s life, the setting, the whole story and its messages.

Teacher’s note: fill in the details below with facts about your prescribed novel. Use only facts you can confirm from the book or a trusted source.

Step 1: Who is the novelist and what is the novelist’s background? (8 minutes)

A novelist’s background is the set of facts about the writer’s life, education and experiences that shaped the novel.

What facts should we find about a novelist?

Why is the novelist important to literature?

• Voice: some writers tell the African story from an African point of view.
• Influence: some writers inspire younger writers.
• Culture: some writers record customs, proverbs and traditions in writing.

How does the author’s background connect to the novel?

1. Personal experience: an author who grew up in a village can describe village life truthfully.
2. Historical context: an author who lived through colonial rule may show the clash between old and new ways.
3. Cultural knowledge: an Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa author knows the customs, beliefs and language of that people.
4. Social concerns: an author who values education may make education a theme.

Class discussion

• How might the author’s life have shaped the story?
• Do any characters share experiences with the author?
• Why do you think the author chose this subject?

Step 2: What is the setting of a novel? (6 minutes)

The setting of a novel is the place, time and way of life in which the story happens.

There are three parts of setting: place, time, and social and cultural setting.

What is the geographical setting (place)?

• Main location: the village, town, city or region where most events happen.
• Physical features: rivers, forests, hills, markets and farms.
• Specific places: the hero’s compound, the village square, the market, the forest, the school or mission house. Note what happens in each.

Example: a novel may be set in Umuofia, a traditional Igbo clan of nine villages in south-eastern Nigeria. The people live in mud houses, farm yams and hold ceremonies in a central place.

What is the temporal setting (time)?

• Period: pre-colonial, colonial, post-independence or modern times.
• Time span: a few weeks, several months or many years.
• Season: rainy season, planting season, harvest or dry season, if the story names one.
• Why it matters: the period explains the customs, beliefs and events in the story.

What is the social and cultural setting?

• Leadership: king, council of elders or elected leaders.
• Family life: nuclear or extended family, and the roles of men and women.
• Work: farming, trading or crafts.
• Religion: traditional religion, Christianity, Islam or a mixture.
• Customs: marriage, naming, burial, festivals and coming-of-age rites.
• Education: how children learn, at home, in the community or in school.

What is the background of the novel itself?

• Publication: the year first published and the publisher.
• Historical context: what was happening in the country when it was written. A novel of the 1950s, for example, was written just before Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
• Purpose: why the author wrote it, such as to preserve culture or show the effects of colonial rule.
• Audience: the readers the author had in mind.

Step 3: What is the plot of a novel? (10 minutes)

The plot is the sequence of events in a story from beginning to end.

There are five stages of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

What is the exposition?

• Opening: the story begins and the main characters are introduced.
• Normal life: we see the place, time and daily life before major events.

What is the rising action?

• Events: a series of events that build problems and tension.
• Conflicts: the struggles between characters, or between a character and society, nature or fate.
• Subplots: smaller stories that run alongside the main story.

What is the climax?

• Meaning: the highest point of tension and the turning point of the story.
• Features: the main conflict reaches its peak and a key decision or action takes place.
• Effect: things cannot return to how they were before.

What is the falling action?

• Events: what happens straight after the climax.
• Loose ends: questions are answered and problems begin to be settled.

What is the resolution?

• Ending: how the main conflict is settled and what happens to the main characters.
• Type of ending: happy, tragic or open-ended.

How do we write a plot summary?

1. Name the main character and describe the opening situation.
2. State the problem or event that starts the conflict.
3. List the main events in the order they happen.
4. State the climax.
5. State how the story ends.

Plot timeline activity

• Students list the ten most important events in order on the board.
• The class marks which stage of plot each event belongs to.

Step 4: What is a theme? (10 minutes)

A theme is the main idea or message about life that the author presents through the story.

What are the features of a theme?

• Universal: it applies to life beyond this one story.
• Message: it is what the author wants readers to think about.
• Statement: it is best written as a full sentence, not one word.

What is the difference between a topic and a theme statement?

A topic is a single word or phrase for the subject. A theme statement says what the novel teaches about that subject.

How do we find a theme in a novel?

1. Think of the big subject the story keeps returning to.
2. Note what the main character wants and what stops them.
3. Note what the main character learns or loses.
4. Write one sentence stating the lesson.
5. Support it with two examples from the text.

What are universal and culturally specific themes?

• Universal themes: ideas that apply to people everywhere, such as belonging, loss and change.
• Culturally specific themes: ideas tied to the culture in the novel, such as respect for ancestors or the roles of men and women in that society.

How are themes linked?

• One theme can cause or complicate another, for example tradition and change.
• The clash between two themes often drives the main conflict.

Class activities

• Discussion: which theme matters most to people your age, and why?
• Skit: in groups, act a 3-minute skit showing one theme in school life or your community.
• Writing: write a short paragraph on the theme you find most powerful, with examples from the novel.

Evaluation (2 minutes)

1. Who wrote our novel? Give three facts about the author’s life.
2. State the place and time of the novel. Why does the setting matter?
3. Name the five stages of plot and give the climax of our novel.
4. Name two themes in the novel and write each as a full sentence.
5. How does the author’s background influence the novel?

Assignment

Write a short note on the prescribed novel with these parts:

1. Three facts about the novelist.
2. The place and time of the setting in two sentences.
3. A plot summary of five sentences, one for each stage.
4. One theme statement with two examples from the novel.