Plot and Its Parts

Plot The sequence of events in a literary work. There are five parts. Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution

Exposition In the beginning. . . In the plot of a story or drama, the exposition is the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the conflict may be introduced.

Rising Action All events leading up to the climax. The excitement grows . . . All events leading up to the climax. Inciting incident – the incident that introduces the conflict Development – the time period in which the conflict increases

Climax The highest point of interest or suspense in the plot. It doesn’t get any more exciting. . . The highest point of interest or suspense in the plot. The moment everything changes.

Falling Action It’s all downhill from here. . . All the events that occur after the climax and lead to the resolution The final outcome of the story is not yet decided

Resolution (Denouement) The End. The conflict is resolved. A general insight may be offered to the reader.

Elements of Plot

Setting Time and place of a plot; can be stated directly or inferred by the reader

Conflict Struggle between opposing forces causes the action in a story to move forward Without conflict, there is no plot.

Two Types of Conflict Internal Conflict External Conflict Takes place within the mind of a character The character has to make a decision Occurs when a character has to deal with an external force such as another character, nature, society

Point of View How a writer chooses to narrate a story There are four types of point of view

First Person Point of View Narrator is a character in the story Uses first person pronouns: I, me, my, us, we, our Everything told from that character’s perspective This limits the information the reader receives.

Third Person Point of View Omniscient Narrator shares the thoughts, feelings, and actions of ALL characters Is not a character in the story Uses third person pronouns: he, she, they, them, his, her Limited Narrator focuses on one character Is not a character in the story Uses third person pronouns: he, she, they, them, his, her