1. Elements of a Short Story

2. OBJECTIVES Identify elements of a short story
Define elements of a short story
Demonstrate mastery of short story elements

3. OVERVIEW
Short stories often contain structural and character elements that should be familiar to you.
These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the actions, themes, and contexts of the story.

4. Elements of a Short Story
Plot
- exposition statement
- rising action
- conflict
- climax
- falling action
- resolution
Theme
Setting
Characters
Point of view
Characterization

5. THEME
The main idea of a literary work, usually expressed as a generalization.
I call it the “BIG IDEA.”
SETTING
The time and place in which a work of literature happens.

6. CHARACTERS The people (or actors) in the story.
POINT OF VIEW: Who is telling the story (narrator).
First Person Point of View: Uses “I, me, we,” etc.; narrator is also a character in the story
Third Person Point of View: Uses “he, she, they,” etc.; narrator is outside the action.

7. CHARACTERIZATION
The description of the personalities of the characters in the story and the way in which an author reveals their personalities.

8. Characterization Readers learn about characters through:
Actions (what they do)
Words (what they say)
Thoughts (what they think)
Appearance (how they look)
Other Characters (what others say and think about them)

9. 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.
Conflict - Struggles or problems between opposing forces.

10. Types of Conflict
External Conflict: A problem between a character and another character, the government, nature, technology, etc.
Internal Conflict: Conflict WITHIN a character, such as struggling with a difficult decision, addiction, etc.

11. More PLOT
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 (denouement) - The part of the plot that reveals the final outcome.

12. PLOT DIAGRAM Climax Rising Action Conflict Exposition Resolution
Falling Action
Exposition
Resolution

13. CONCLUSION ANALYZING CINDERELLA
Now that we have identified and defined the elements of a short story, let us use the elements to analyze a familiar fairytale.
ANALYZING CINDERELLA

14. Bibliography
Dinneen, K. Elements of the Short Story. Retrieved Jun , 2003, from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute:
Five Elements of a Story. Retrieved Jun. 19, 2003,
Guevin, D. Short Story Elements. Retrieved Jun. 19, 2003,