Alicia and Sarah embrace the whimsy of Roald Dahl and Willy Wonka as they discuss the holiday film Wonka. They discuss teaching the literary and writing concepts of style, tone, and voice and all of the ways Wonka captures the literary style of Roald Dahl. At the end of this week’s discussion, they talk about the things they've been reading, watching, and analyzing outside of the classroom.
Literary terms of the week: Style, Tone, Voice
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Music by Craig Harmann
Cover art by Matt Holman
Show Notes:
Literary terms of the week:
Style: the effect a writer can create through attitude, language, and the mechanics of writing
Tone: word choice in writing that impacts the way a story is told (verbs, adjectives, adverbs)
Voice: who the readers hear talking when they read
(Arguably a combination of the first two)
How does an author find their voice?
Write as they talk
Varying punctuation
Change verb tense, narrative perspective
Stories that speak to personal experience
Elements of Roald Dahl’s voice as an author
Orphaned, isolated child (has to break away from corrupt adults)
Whimsy in the midst of darkness (“The greedy beat the needy every time.”)
Hyperbole as satire
Wordplay
Themes: food, family, transformation, monsters, power
What are we enjoying right now?
Alicia: Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus), His Dark Materials (Max)
Sarah: How Far to the Promised Land (Esau McCaulley), Aquaman 2 (movie)
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Chapter 4.9 - Wonka, Dahl, and Creative Voice