Short Story Notes Protagonist – The main character who experiences some kind of conflict. The protagonist is often, but not always a good guy. Antagonist – The person or force that opposes the main character. The antagonist is often, but not always the bad guy.

Short Story Notes Types of Characters Round Character-possesses many different character traits Flat Character-only one basic trait Dynamic Character-changes in a significant way by the end of the story Static Character-remains the same, no matter what he or she experiences

Conflict The plots of most stories centers around conflict. There are two main kinds of conflict in stories: external (physical) and internal (feelings).

Internal Conflict Man vs Himself Internal conflict exists when a character struggles with an ethical or emotional challenge. You can identify an internal conflict when you sense that a character is constantly asking himself or herself "Am I doing the right thing?" or "Should I speak out against this behavior?“ The struggle takes place in the mind.

External Conflict An external conflict is a conflict between a character and an outside force. Man vs. Man –Protagonist vs. Antagonist (Classic good guy vs. bad guy) Man vs. Nature –Character struggles against a force of nature (Natural disaster, weather, animal, etc.)Usually the character is struggling to survive Man vs. Society –the character is usually fighting against social traditions or rules (freedom, rights, a cause)

Other Types of Conflict Man vs. Supernatural - Ghosts, spirits, monsters, aliens, etc. Man vs. Fate -Fight for choice; Fight against destiny Man vs. Technology- Computers, machines, phones, etc.

Allusion a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events. They are often used to summarize broad, complex ideas or emotions in one quick, powerful image. Think of Simpsons Episodes, Disney Movies, Cartoons, etc. Many works of literature include allusions to the Bible.

Types of Irony Verbal irony occurs when the speaker means something totally different than what he is saying . Sarcasm is verbal irony. Dramatic irony occurs when facts are not known to the characters in a work of literature but are known by the readers. Romeo finds Juliet dead and therefore takes his own life; Juliet is alive and then takes commits suicide because Romeo is dead.

Situational Irony: irony involving a situation in which the outcome is contrary to what was expected.

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing frequently serves two purposes. It builds suspense by raising questions that encourage the reader to go on and find out more about the event that is being foreshadowed. Foreshadowing is also a means of making a narrative more believable by partially preparing the reader for events which are to follow. Usually a hint/clue about what to expect later

Flashback: an interruption of the chronological sequence (of a literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence. A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration. By giving material that occurred prior to the present event, the writer provides the reader with insight into a character's motivation and or background to a conflict.

Mood: The atmosphere that pervades a literary work with the intention of evoking a certain emotion or feeling from the audience. In drama, mood may be created by sets and music as well as words; in poetry and prose, mood may be created by a combination of such elements as setting, voice, tone, and theme. The moods evoked by the more popular short stories of Edgar Allen Poe, for example, tend to be gloomy, horrific, and desperate.