Literary Elements Review

Basic Literary Elements Characters Characterization Setting Theme Point of view Plot exposition rising action conflict climax falling action resolution

CHARACTERS The people (or actors) in the story. ANTAGONIST PROTAGONIST A major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play. PROTAGONIST The main character of a novel, play, or story.

TYPES OF CHARACTERS Flat Round Dynamic Static Not fully developed Undergoes a significant change Static Does not change over the course of the story

CHARACTERIZATION The description of the personalities of the characters in the story and the way in which an author reveals their personalities. Direct Characterization - an author directly describes the appearance and/or personality of the character. Indirect Characterization - an author shows the personality of the character through dialogue and actions.

PLOT The sequence or order of events in a story. The plot includes: Exposition Statement - The part of the plot that tells how the story begins. Rising Action - The action in the story leading up to the climax. Climax - The point of crisis in the plot. It may be the reader’s point of highest interest. Falling action - The action in the story after the climax is revealed. Resolution - The part of the plot that reveals the final outcome.

Plot Mountain Exposition Rising action Climax Falling action Resolution

CONFLICT The struggle between two or more forces in the story. man vs. man (external) man vs. society (external) man vs. nature (external) man vs. self (internal)

SETTING The time and place in which a work of literature happens. May or may not have a important influence on the story. Can affect the mood or act as a symbol.

Example of Setting A story may be set in a certain time period like the 1800s. A story may be set in a certain area of the world like China. A story may be set in a general place like a farm.

THEME The main idea of a literary work, usually expressed as a generality. The lesson the author is trying to convey. The “moral” of the story.

Example of Theme To say that a theme is “friendship” is too broad. A theme should express a complete idea: Friends are a valuable possession. You can always trust a true friend. Friendship is more important than success.

POINT OF VIEW The story teller from whose point of view the story is being told, the narrator. First Person uses "I" - A character in the story is telling the story. Second Person Uses “you” – The author is speaking directly to the reader. Third Person uses "he," "she," or "it" - The author is telling the story but is not part of it. This is the most common narrative style. Third Person Omniscient uses "he," "she," or "it" - The author is telling the story but has insight to the thoughts or feelings of the characters in the story.

CONCLUSION Now that we have identified and defined the elements of a short story, we will use these elements to read and analyze literary texts.