1. Elements of a Short Story
Unit 1 Short Stories

2. Setting The setting is where the story takes place. Setting includes:
The geographical location (ex: Washington, Paris, Palmetto)
The time period (ex: 1929, WWI, today)
Where the characters live based off of their socio-economic status (ex: wealthy suburbs, depression dustbowl, in a shelter)
The specific building, room, etc… (ex: a prep school, a log cabin, a bus)

3. Setting
The setting can be used to tell readers about certain characters:
“That evening T.J. smelled the air, his nostrils dilating with the odor of the earth under his feet. “It’s spring, he said, and there was a gladness rising in his voice that filled us all with the same feeling.
It’s mighty late for it, but it’s spring”… We were all sniffing at the air, too, trying to smell it the way that T.J. did, and I can still remember the sweet odor of the earth under out feet. It was the first time in my life that spring and spring earth had meant anything to me. “ “Antaeus” by Borden Deal
What did you learn about T.J. from this except? What did you learn about the narrator? Explain.

4. Setting
The setting can also be used to set the atmosphere for the story.
“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on a horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of the country.” The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
What atmosphere is created within these lines? Which words help express the atmosphere?

5. Characters
Characters are the people, animals, or objects that appear in a literary work.
Round Characters: are convincing true to life characters. They have many different and sometime even contradictory personality traits.
Dynamic Characters: undergo some type of change or development in the story, often because of something that has happened to them.
Flat Characters: are stereotyped, shallow, and often have symbolic meaning associated with them. This character only has one or two personality traits.
Static Characters: do not change in the course of the story.

6. Characters
Protagonist: is the main character in a literary work (usually the “good guy”)
Antagonist: is the character who opposes the protagonist (usually the “bad guy”)

7. Types of Characterization
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Direct characterization: The author tells the audience what the character is like.
“Jack had been in basic training in Florida and Dottie was there on vacation with her parents. They’d met on the beach and struck up a conversation Dottie was the talker, the outgoing one- the extrovert. Jack was too shy around girls to say much at all.” Furlough by Harry Mazer
From this except, what do we learn about Jack and Dottie?

8. Types of characterization
Indirect Characterization: The author reveals a character’s personality through:
The character’s thoughts, words, and actions
The comments of other characters
The character’s physical appearance

9. Example of Indirect Characterization
“Moonbeam closed his eyes and pretended to sleep the rest of the way to Bamfield. He couldn’t believe what he had gotten himself into. How had this happened? He’d never held a gun in his life, much less gone hunting for animals.” Moonbeam Dawson and The Killer Bear” by Jean Okimoto
What do we learn about Moonbeam through indirect characterization?

10. Plot
Plot: is the structure of the story. It arranges the events and actions within a story.
Exposition: The start of the story.
Rising action: The series of conflicts (problems) in the story which lead to the climax.
Climax: the turning point in the story. This is the most intense moment of action.
Falling action: All of the events that happen after the climax.
Resolution: The conclusion to the story.

11. Types of conflict
Conflict: the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story.
Man vs. Man: When a character battles with another character
Man vs. Self: When a character fights an internal battle within.
Man vs. Nature: When a character has to fight something in nature like a storm or a bear.
Man vs. Society: When a character goes against social norms/rules.

12. Point of View
Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told.
First-Person: The narrator is a part of the story (you will see the use of I or We with this narration)
Second-Person: This POV is usually used for instructions (you and your are the pronouns used for this narration)
Third-Person: The narrator usually is not involved in the POV (he or she are the pronouns used for this narration).

13. Types of Third- Person
Third-Person Omniscient: The narrator is all knowing. The narrator tells thoughts and feelings of more than one character.
Third-Person limited: The narrator is limited to one character. The narrator tells thoughts and feelings of one character.
Third-Person Object: The narrator does not reveal any character’s thoughts or feelings. Only character’s dialogue and actions are narrated.

14. Theme
Theme: The central idea or central message of the story. The theme can be stated directly or implied by the events and actions in the story.

15. Symbolism
A symbol represents an idea, quality, or concept larger than itself.
A lion can be a symbol of courage
A red rose can represent love..
Water can represent a fresh start (renewal)

16. Forms of Irony
Irony: refers to a contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality (aka something happens that you do not expect to happen).
There are three types of Irony
Situational Irony: The difference between what is expected to happen and actuality.
Verbal Irony: The use of words to mean something different than what the person actually means or says they mean.
Dramatic Irony: When the audience is more aware of what is happening than the characters.

17. Literary terms
Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Imagery