Elements of Story Review Notes

Plot  All the events in a story – from beginning to end 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action/ Complications 3. Climax 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution

Conflict  A struggle or clash between forces  There are five basic types: Person vs. Person Person vs. Nature Person vs. Fate Person vs. Society Person vs. Self External Conflict: Conflict dealing with outside forces Internal Conflict: A struggle within a character

1. Exposition  The beginning part of the story  Characters, setting, and basic situation are learned Setting  The time and place of the story  Details like location, weather, time of day, time period, etc.

2. Rising Action/ Complications  All of the events of the story leading up to the climax.  Complications refer to the series of successes and set-backs the character often experiences throughout the story.  Rising Action includes the conflict.

3. Climax  The most intense or exciting part of the story  The main conflict is addressed 4. Falling Action  All of the events following the climax  Usually quickly leads to the end

5. Resolution  The ending of the story  All plot events may be wrapped up or the story may leave the reader wondering 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action/ Complications 3. Climax 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution

Characters: The players in the story Protagonist  The “main” character of the story, usually the “good” character.

Antagonist  The character or force working against the protagonist, usually the “bad” character or force.

Characters Static  Characters that do NOT change over the course of a text Flat  One-dimensional or one-sided characters Dynamic  Characters who change over the course of a text Round  Multi -dimensional or many-sided characters

Characterization  Author’s process of revealing character’s personality through description  Two Types: - Direct Characterization - Indirect Characterization

Direct Characterization  The author explicitly tells the reader what the character’s personality is like. “Jenna is a caring young woman who always looks out for her friends.”

Indirect Characterization  The reader must use clues to figure out the character’s personality traits.  Authors often describe - What the character says - What the character does - What others think/feel about the character

Point of View  Vantage point from which the story is told  Usually an author will create one or more narrators to tell the story Three types of POV:  First Person  Third Person Limited  Third Person Omniscient

First Person POV  The narrator is a character in the story  I, me, my, we, us, etc. Third Person Limited POV  Narrator outside the story  Focuses on one or two character’s thoughts and feelings

Third Person Omniscient POV  “All-knowing” narrator describes the thoughts and feelings of all or many characters Things to Consider About POV  Is the narrator trustworthy?  Is the narrator biased?  Does the narrator know all sides of the story?

Theme  Universal idea or message that can be gleaned from story  Many possible themes in a text Must be a statement, not a single word. Rather, the theme is a statement about love. Theme can’t be “love.” “Love conquers all.”

Tone  An impression about how the AUTHOR feels toward the characters or situations  Closely related to the author’s word choice and descriptions “If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she’s late? Nobody.” Mood  The feelings evoked by the story for the READER  Closely related to SETTING “It was a dark and stormy night…”

Foreshadowing  Clues or hints that suggest later events in the story Flashback  The story jumps back in time to an earlier event or a time before the story

Irony  A figure of speech where words may mean something than their actual meaning or an outcome could be opposite what was expected. In short, Irony is the difference between the appearance and the reality.  Three types: - Dramatic - Situational - Verbal

Irony -Dramatic Irony  The audience knows something the character does not -Situational Irony  The outcome is opposite of what was expected -Verbal Irony  What is being said is the opposite of what is meant

Inference  An educated guess the READER can make using evidence from the story. Evidence James always helps old ladies cross the street. Inference James is kind and respectful of his elders.