1. Short Stories
English 9.1

2. What is a short story? A condensed form of literature
Usually contains:
Only 1 major plot
Fewer characters
Fewer settings (many have only 1)
A short period of time

3. Protagonist: main character
Types of characters :
Protagonist: main character
Antagonist: character who is pitted against the protagonist

4. Types of characters:
Flat character: character who does not change during the story
Round character: character who does change during the story
Stock character: character who is found again and again in different literary works.
Ex. mad scientist

5. Characterization The method writers use to create a character.
Direct characterization: author tells us about the character
Indirect characterization: author shows us about the character
(ex. describes how they dress, what they think)

6. Conflict Man v. Man Man v. Society Man v. Nature Man v. Fate
Struggle between two forces in a literary work
Man v. Man
Man v. Nature
Man v. Self
Man v. Society
Man v. Fate

7. Plot Series of events related to the conflict Climax Rising Action
Falling Action
Conclusion
Exposition

8. Other literary terms found in short stories
Foreshadowing: clues and hints the author gives about what is to come later
Flashback: an interruption in the plot to go back to an earlier time
Irony: when the audience expects something to happen and the opposite occurs

9. Narration and point of view
Narrator: the person telling the story
1st person: a character in the story is the narrator and tells what happened from his/her point of view.
Words like “I,” “me” and “we” will be used.
Limited: story is told from the point of view of a single character but no “I” or “me” is used.
“He did this”
Omniscient: “Godlike” point of view where narrator can tell readers the thoughts, feelings and actions of all characters

10. Setting, Tone, Theme
Setting: the time and place the story takes place.
Tone: the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience
Theme: central idea in a literary work