Plot and Literary Elements ESL English
Protagonist - the “good guy” (usually): the main character
Antagonist - the “bad guy” (usually): opposes the protagonist
Conflict - the struggle between two forces in a story Conflict - the struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.
All great stories have a conflict
Setting - the story’s time (or time period) and place
Mood - the emotion an author wants the readers to feel while reading. The mood is set by the description of the setting, dialogue, plot complications Examples – gloomy, happy, fanciful, romantic, tense
Theme - the message from the author to the reader about an important lesson to learn .
Plot - the pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.
Plot Diagram
Exposition - usually the beginning of a short story. Characters are introduced. We also learn about the setting of the story. We are introduced to the main conflict (problem).
Rising Action - the part of the story when conflict begins to develop.
Climax - the turning point of the story. Usually the protagonist comes face to face with a conflict. He or she will change in some way.
Falling Action - the part of the story in which all loose ends of the plot are tied up. It is when we find out what happens after the climax.
Resolution - the very ending. It should be reasonable and satisfying. It should answer most questions a reader might have.