1. Short Stories

2. Key Vocabulary
The following vocabulary terms are essential for your success in the short story unit. Please take notes on the following key terms. You will be tested on these terms soon.
Remember: When taking notes, do not write down every little thing, just the points necessary for understanding.

3. Character Protagonist Antagonist
In short stories, there are many different types of characters. Two of the main types are:
The main character in a story.
The person or thing in a story which is in conflict with the protagonist (main character).
Protagonist
Antagonist

4. Stock Character Stupid Jock The dumb blonde The computer geek
The stock character is instantly familiar to readers because they have a common personality/feature which most people are familiar with.
The dumb blonde
The computer geek
Stupid Jock

5. Can you think of any more examples of stock characters
or stereotypes?

6. Some other stock characters…
Teacher’s pet
Heartless businessman
Eccentric artist
“intense” / crazy sports coach
Drama queen
Strict librarian
Evil stepmother
Mad scientist
Forgetful/Nearly blind/Nearly deaf senior citizen

7. Chronological Order
The order in which things happen starting from the beginning of a story, poem or script and progressing to the end.
Exposition Rising Action Climax (Conflict)
Falling Action Resolution

8. Exposition/Introduction
Sets up the story by introducing three story elements:
The main characters
The setting
The problem to be solved (which leads to the events in the rising action)

9. Rising Action
The rising action includes all of the major events which lead up to the climax.
The highest point of suspense or intensity in a story. This is where the protagonist tries to solve the main problem in the story
- The reader usually doesn’t know what will happen next (suspense)
Climax

10. Falling action
The falling action immediately follows the climax. It is where we learn what happens to the characters after the events of the climax.
Key question: Was the main problem solved?

11. Resolution Contains the final outcomes of a story.
Where you find out if the story has a happy (optimistic) or sad (pessimistic) ending.

12. Some other goodies……. Setting: Where and when the story happens
Plot: The events in the story which make up the action. (rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
Suspense: A feeling of tension, anxiety or excitement when you don’t know what will happen next.
Keep readers interested.
If it’s at the end of a story (“to be continued…”) it’s called a cliff-hanger

13. 2. Third Person Omniscient
Point of view (POV):
Point of view describes how a story is presented to the reader. There are 4 types of POV
1. First Person – The narrator is a character in the story. Readers experience the story as though they are this character.
When narrating, uses personal pronouns: “I” “Me” and “My”
Ex. When I visited the rainforest, a rose said to me, “Welcome to the jungle.”
2. Third Person Omniscient
The narrator knows all events, thoughts, and feelings of ALL characters (god-like knowledge)
If you know the thoughts of 2+ characters, then it is Omniscient POV

14. 3. Third Person Limited Omniscient
The narrator knows all events and the thoughts and feelings of ONE or SOME characters, but not all.
When narrating, does NOT use personal pronouns
Ex: Jason felt incredible joy when his teacher announced, “We are doing a practice exam today.”
4. Third Person Objective
The narrator knows all events but NONE of the character’s thoughts and feelings (like a movie)
If you know what a character thinks, then it is NOT objective POV.

15. What is the difference between…
Narrator Narrative Narration

16. What’s the difference?
Narrator- The person or character telling the story.
Narration- Is the process of telling the story or series of events.
Narrative- Is the story itself.