The Basic Characteristics of Literary Journalism - Coursework Example

The basic characteristics of literary journalism Introduction In the literary journalism, the art of storytelling is a key aspect as it requires the use of technical language such as characterization, scene setting and dialogue (Forde 10). However, there are certain other factors involved in the entire process of the literary journalistic writing in which dialogue, perspective, chronology, structure and parallelism are the key important tools which are normally used by the literary authors in their journalistic pieces of writing. Dialogue plays a very important role in the literary journalism as it is used to describe and represent the dimensions of characters involved in the piece of literary writing. The dialogue has also been used to highlight the type of character’s mood as per the demand of the situation in a particular scene within the story. By appropriately representing the mood through the use of dialogue, the author puts the effect of reality into the entire piece of journalistic writing. At the same time, dialogues are also used to represent personality qualities and traits of a particular character and this highlight is essential as it is demanded by the particular type of personality within the context of the main theme of the literary piece of writing. At the same time, dialogues are also used to highlight and describe the physical attributes and appearances of nature and other elements of nature found in a real life story. At the same time, perspective is also included in the literary journalism as it represents the point of view of characters involved in the story. Due to its importance for real life stories, the authors employ them to highlight the actual characters’ overall motives and scene specific motives within the story as well. In the following parts of this paper, first the basic characteristics of literary journalism have been defined and explained as well. In which, each element is described to represent its meaning and use within the context of the story of Gunnar Larsen. Subsequently, the real life story has been evaluated within the context of literary journalism before the conclusion part. Definition of Dialogue Dialogue refers to specific qualities of communication (Alro and Skovsmose 235). Particularly, in the literary journalism, the use of dialogue is very common and is primarily involved to highlight and explain the different aspects and the perspectives of various characters involved in the factual story. They are also used to elucidate a particular mood and its effect on the particular scene because this increases and represents the role of that character more effectively and strongly as well. At the same time, it has been seen that the use of dialogue is also included for highlighting the character’s motive and by highlighting the character’s motive; it becomes more easily understandable to comprehend the effect of this particular character on other characters and on their roles as well. Definition of Perspective Literary perspective is mainly discussed in relation to the new or literary journalism (Chevalier 696). It means the perspective has been given a particular emphasis and importance especially in the field of literary journalism because it enables the author or narrator to appropriately understand the role and involvement of characters and their overall purpose with respect to the other characters and to the overall theme of play or writing. More specifically, the perspective represents a dimension or point of view of a particular character within a particular context, keeping in the view the entire theme and objective of play or a piece of literary journalistic writing. For example, in the quoted novel, “it sent shivers down spine” (Bech-Karlsen 46), highlights the perspective of Larsen in which he and his companion, during the hunting, felt the heat of the moment and realized the severity of the entire chasing process. From the perspective of other natural elements, such as dew, forest, it was irrelevant because their perspective with regard to the scene was different than the perspective of Larsen and his companion. Definition of Chronology Chronology refers to the arrangement of scenes or events in order in which they take place in a particular eventful situation from the perspective of journalism (Potts 136). Within this context, it can be deduced that this arrangement can be of two types: scenes or observations. In the scenes, there is a particular sequence or arrangement of carefully arranged scenes because this sequence is highly important as it retains a required level and type of structure which is the base of any particular theme involved in the scenes. Subsequently, a sequence of observations can also be used to describe a particular events leading to a meticulous outcome or other effects. Simultaneously, within this context, both types of chorology have different objectives and outcomes as the entire piece of literary journalistic writing is based on the factual or real life situations in which a particular arrangement of scenes retains a specific type of chronology. As a result of in-built chronology, the piece of journalistic writing becomes able to create an impression of depicting or portraying reality as if it is happening in front of the reader. Definition of Structure Logic, meaning and order are known as the by-products of the journalistic structure (Sims 215). Based on this description, it can be extracted that the logic is, sometimes, inbuilt to certain real stories and the author or narrator only gives a verbal support and provides such type of impression in which a past event becomes a present event by portraying the real story in a professional manner through using the basic characteristics of literary journalism. Within this context, it can also be deduced that order has been defined as a sequence of events taking place in a specific manner. However, it is important to highlight that structure is different than the chronology as the former is more related to the actual events and the latter is more specific to observations of the narrator or author elaborating the details of a real life based story or scenario. Definition of Parallelism In the literary journalism, parallel structures are those storylines in which story have more than one causal chain of events and have two different stories are highlighted simultaneously (Pan et al. 172). And parallelism is also defined as sequences that represent the activities of others involved in the stories (Hardcastle 40). More specifically, it can be said that the use of parallelism can increase the level of suspense and adventure in the story in which a particular perspective or use of chronology can be included to make effective use of parallelism in the story. In other words, the role and effect of different characters on the overall theme and on the individual’s characters will be appropriately understood and highlighted through using the tool of parallelism in the literary journalism. By using parallelism effectively, the story and its different small and big characters play their role and contribute to the complexity and excitement in the entire story. However, it is important to mention that certain stories are only limited to a particular character who primarily dominates the entire theme. Background Gunnar Larsen covered a murder story, known as “The Country Policemen Murders” in Norway in which two policemen were murdered after an event of robbery (Bech-Karlsen 39). After this real life story, Larsen wrote a book called (Two Suspicious Characters) on all the relevant and factual information that he gathered throughout his intensive investigation in the case in which he chased the murderers and described their activities and moves throughout this case (Bech-Karlsen 39). Figure one: Source : (Bech-Karlsen 46) Fundamentally, the above given description is not about woods and is not about any kind of account description of natural events but is about a chase of a news reporter who was hunting down the murderers. This entire passage is composed of certain lines and each line has its distinctive depiction of different things relating to the nature. In the first line, the author provides description about the day time in which evening is about to end and the period of dusk is about to start, creating a sense of natural events in which transition from evening to dusk is taking place. The second line is not elaborating anything relating to the actual story but is explaining the air in which the physical description of surroundings is being largely highlighted and admired as well. Moreover, this line is reflecting that air was cool and in which sense of autumn was felt by the narrator. Here, it is also important to highlight that the narrator is giving his own perspective about the surroundings and type of nature and their effect on the personal understanding of the natural environment. In the third line, the narrator has described another physical object (a pair of cranes) which is flying low and is experiencing the effects of last rays of the sun, highlighting that the day time is about to end as the sun has started to set. Here, the narrator is not talking about the case in the details but highlighting the different objects and their physical movements during the entire process of chasing. In the fourth line, the author is highlighting another natural element in this nonfictional description about the novel (Two Suspicious characters). While describing the situation of the evening dew, the author is admiring the effect of spread dew portraying the image of fairytales. In these three lines, the author has maintained chronology of the personal observations about the nature and features of other objects. Also, in this line, the narrator has used metaphor in which he is comparing the evening dew with the environment surrounded to fairytales and their overall depiction of the event. Moreover, in this metaphorical comparison, it looks the narrator is feeling the sense of serenity being provided by the surrounding environment including the natural and non-natural objects. Till this point, the depiction of events give serene and natural effect to the narrator and story itself as it looks that the story was not about any murder but about background events supporting the meeting between characters, such as Romeo and Juliet. In the next line, the narrator is changing the background scenario and is trying to highlight that the sky has been completely covered by the dark clouds or the night has replaced the day light and that has required the car driver to start the car headlights. In such type of situations, the car headlights have no role to play and they are of no use and no particular relevance but it is the contribution of non-fictional writer to use different objects and their effect for creating dramatic situation in particular events. This line is very important. First, the narrator is trying to create fear and negative feelings by portraying the situation in a horrible way. For example, in this line, the car headlights do not shine continually but an uneven flow of light coming from the car headlight particularly on the large branch of spruce tree is adding more newness and drama into the situation. It looks as if a horror movie scene is underway in which suspense and mystery are added to it. Subsequently, the effect of this portrayal is not limited to that tree but the whole forest has started to experience the influence of mysticism and dread as well. Moreover, it is significant to highlight that till this point, the narrator has described the situation from the perspective of forest and its different parts, such as grass, dew, spruce and so on. Here, the narrator has mainly used the interaction between and among natural and man-made things in the scenes detailed by him. In which, he has chronologically explained all observations from the start of evening and its transformation into the dusk and during that period the nature of dew and metaphorically comparing that dew with the breath of autumn. Then, the narrator takes into account the pair of cranes, the evening dew, overt sky and the car headlight. In the sixth line, the author changes the perspective in which he is explaining the effect from the perspective of “we,” and that means he was not alone in the chasing but was accompanied by someone. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, the narrator explains that the fear and horror of forest and its surrounding natural environment was so intense and substantial that they started to shiver and the impact of this shivering was not limited to the hands or any other part of the body but the whole body was shivering because the effects were felt to the extent of the spinal cord or spine (i.e. back bone). Moreover, they (the author and the companion, who has not been identified by him) started to receive the impact from the entire chasing process and from the dreadfulness of the forest situation as well because the evening was turning into dusk and the natural sunlight was vanishing away and the night and its darkness were slowly and gradually making visibility more challenging and the forest was started to displaying the picture of intense darkness filled with horror and fear. Additionally, the narrator has used them as dialogue in which they have described their emotional condition, reflecting the deep impact of fear on their mind and body as well. The use of dialogue has been common in such type of situations as they clearly and authentically represent the condition in which a particular character faces threatening situations. Till this point of time, it will not be incorrect to say that the narrator has mainly used a range of dialogues to elucidate the nature and type of impact on the entire process of chasing and the depiction of the entire dreadful chasing scenario as well. However, in the last line, the narrator finally highlights that they are not here for any adventure but for hunting down the murderers. Conclusion Dialogue, chronology, structure, perspective and parallelism are the main foundations of literary journalism. Based on this structure, the story of Gunnar Larsen has been evaluated. Primarily, the narrator, who is the actual character in this real life story, does not tell story as it is told in the ordinary journalistic manner but he uses the nonfictional material to elaborate the story in which he has used all tools of literary journalism and have clearly elucidated the story. For example, he uses parallelism in the story by comparing the air with a breath of autumn. Subsequently, he retains structure within the story by telling the entire story within a proper sequence of events in which he starts his journey from Saturday evening till the fall of dusk. Similarly, he provides the perspective of different elements. For example, he explains that the fear and horror were so intense that they started to shiver because the darkness and night were adding more fear to the already fearful chase of murderers. At the end of story, he concludes that he and his companion were chasing the murderers. Works Cited  Alro, Helle, Skovsmose, Ole. Dialogue and Learning in Mathematics Education: Intention, Reflection, Critique. Miami: Kluwer Academic, 2004. Print. Bech-Karlsen, Jo. “Two Suspicious Characters: Thirty-three years before In Cold Blood.” Literary Journalism Studies, Vol. 5, No.1, (2013), 39-60. Print. Chevalier, Tracy (Ed.). Encyclopedia of the Essay. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. Print. Forde, Kathy Roberts. Literary Journalism on Trial: Masson V. New Yorker and the First Amendment. The United States: Vail Book, 2008. Print. Hardcastle, Valerie Gray. Constructing the Self. Amsterdam: John Benjamin, 2008. Print. Pan, Zhigeng, Cheok, Adrian David, Muller, Wolfgang, Chang, Maiga, Zhang, Mingmin (Eds.). Transactions on Edutainment VII, Volume 7. New York: Springer, 2012. Print. Potts, Daniel. T. Ancient Magan: the Secrets of Tell Abraq. The UAE: Trident Press. 2000, Print. Sims, Norman. (Ed). Literary Journalism in the Twentieth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Read More