Elements of a Short Story

Elements of a short story Plot Characters Mood Point of View Figurative Language Irony Theme

Sequence of events or incidents that make up a story. Parts of a Typical Plot Sequence of events or incidents that make up a story. Exposition – designed to arouse the reader’s interest; background is provided Conflict – struggle between opposing forces (protagonist vs. antagonist) Rising Action – complication or development of the conflict Climax – turning point of the story; point of most intense interest Falling Action – events that lead to resolution Resolution (Denouement)– outcome of the conflict

Parts of a typical plot

Types of Conflict Man vs. Man– external struggle between two or more individuals Man vs. Self– internal struggle concerning emotion and decision Man vs. Nature – external struggle between person and an element of nature or the environment Man vs. Society – external or internal struggle between individuals making moral choices or frustrated by social rules in meeting their own goals

Generally the central or focal element in a story. Character Generally the central or focal element in a story. 2 Types of characterization (Direct and Indirect) Techniques the writer uses to develop a character: Physical Description Speech and actions of the character Direct comment from the narrator Characters actions toward other characters

Character Types of characters – Round – complex or presented in detail Dynamic – developing and learning in the course of the story Flat – characterized by one or two traits Static – unchanged from the story’s beginning to end Protagonist – the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text Antagonist - a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary

Analyzing Characters Motivation – cause of/reason for actions Behavior – actions of the character Consequences – results of actions Responsibility – moral, legal, or mental accountability Expectations – what the reader expects

Mood Setting – the time and place in which the story is taking place, including factors such as weather and social customs Atmosphere – the mood to feeling which pervades the story

Point of View Omniscient – the author tells the story using third person. Author knows all of what is done, said, felt, and thought by the characters Limited Omniscient – author tells the story from the third person, but limits observations of thoughts and feelings to one character First person – one character tells the story in the first person. The reader sees and knows only as much as the narrator Objective – the author is like a movie camera that moves around freely recording objects. However, the author offers no comments on the characters or their actions. Readers are not told the thoughts or feelings of the characters

Figurative Language Simile – comparison using like or as Metaphor – comparison using is or a form of is Personification – attributing humanlike qualities to inanimate things Onomatopoeia - imitates the natural sounds of a thing

Figurative Language Irony -a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. Dramatic - a situation in a story where the audience knows something that the character does not. Verbal- sarcastic Situational: When a characters actions are opposite of what you would think was going to happen.

Put it in action When analyzing a piece of literature you will look at all of the short story elements to help you determine the deeper meaning or literary significance of the author’s words.