Tolkien uses Gandalf to give both the heroes and the reader crucial bits of historical background, as the story moves along. To familiarize the reader with the setting, the writer can dedicate several pages of exposition before adding the enticing incident.ĭue to the massive size of a trilogy like "The Lord of the Rings," exposition there is presented in small portions throughout all three books. This is because authors that write in these genres create entirely new worlds that the reader knows nothing about. This literary device is especially useful in fantasy and science fiction works. Thus, all characters have a past that substantially determines their present actions. When the author gives context to the heroes or the world, it creates the impression that they existed before the book began. It can be conveyed through various means, such as descriptions, inner thoughts, monologues, and dialogues.įor students and researchers, studying the exposition of a literary work allows for a better understanding of the author's intent behind the piece, as these parts of a book usually include details that will play a vital role in the plot.Īnother benefit of using this device is that it makes the characters and the setting seem more realistic to the reader. This tool provides background, without which the reader will struggle to make sense of the events to come. This can mean either describing the heritage of a single family or town or giving context for an entire historical period or social structure.Įxposition is the introduction to the action, a short retelling of the affairs that happened before the main conflict was created, and it usually leads up to the enticing incident. It is also added to explain the setting of the piece. Writers use this device when they want to describe the events that shaped the character traits and values of the protagonist. Exposition, on the other hand, can even take the form of an explanatory paragraph that can be located anywhere in the piece.Įxposition has a wide range of functions. However, a prologue is always located at the beginning of the book and has a separate chapter dedicated to it. This tool is commonly mistaken for another term called "a prologue." The reason behind this confusion is that both literary devices share the same purpose – to provide background for the story. The term has Latin roots and derives from the word "expositio," which can be translated as "to put on display" or "to present."
In addition, this tool allows the writer to provide the context necessary for a better understanding of the main conflict. The primary function of this device is to tell the reader what happened to the heroes and the world prior to the main events of the plot. Exposition is a literary tool that is used to explain the setting of a work.
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