Elements of a Short Story Mrs. Smith – English 9A

What is a short story?  Fiction  Shorter than a novella and a novel  Usually have… a single setting, only a few main characters, a single plot, and attempt to resolve one conflict.

What is Setting?  Setting: time and place of the story Where?When?

What is a Character?  Character: A person, or any thing presented as a person, in a literary work (animal, object, spirit, etc.).

Types of Characters:  Protagonist: The main character The “hero” of the work  Antagonist: A character (or force) that works against the protagonist of a story

Types of Characters:  Round: A major, fully-developed character who changes and learns things as the story develops.  Flat: A minor character that does not undergo major change or growth throughout the story.

Types of Characterization  Characterization: the method the writer uses to reveal the character to the reader.  Direct Characterization: This is when the author tells the reader what the character is like.  Indirect Characterization: This is when the author shows words, thoughts, and actions of the character and lets the reader determine what the character is like.

What is Plot?  The series of events that make up a story.  Two main forms of organization: Chronological: in order by time Flashback: when the action shifts between past and present

Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution The Parts of Plot Conflict

Exposition The Parts of Plot  Exposition: the beginning of the story that introduces the setting, characters, and basic situation.

Rising Action The Parts of Plot  Rising Action: begins with the main conflict and helps build suspense up to the climax

Climax The Parts of Plot  Climax: the point of greatest tension in the story. The “ah, ha” moment when we find out how the problem will be solved.

Falling Action The Parts of Plot  Falling Action: all of the events after the climax; wraps up the loose ends of the story.

Resolution The Parts of Plot  Resolution: how the story ends.

The Parts of Plot Conflict  Conflict: the problem that the characters face in the story. Begins with an inciting incident.

Types of Conflict?  Internal Conflict: Takes place within a character man vs. self  External Conflict: man vs. man man vs. nature man vs. society

Point of View  1 st Person Point-of-View The narrator is a character in the story Uses the words I, me, we, us, my…

Point of View  3 rd Person Limited Told from a narrator outside of the story that is limited to one character’s view of the events.  3 rd Person Omniscient a narrator outside the story who is “all-knowing”

A few last things…  Foreshadowing: When the author provides hints about later events in the story  Theme: A central message about life that the story is presenting Described in general terms, not in relation to specific events or characters in the story