1. THE SHORT STORY

2. A short story Is a brief work of FICTION
One main character faces a CONFLICT
The conflict is resolved in the PLOT

3. There are 5 major elements in every short story
Plot
Setting
Characters
Point of view
Theme

4. The plot The sequence of EVENTS
Involves CHARACTERS and a problem (CONFLICT)
Has 7 basic parts

5. CLIMAX
MOMENT OF
DISCOVERY
RISING ACTION
STORY
TITLE
FALLING ACTION
INCITING
INCIDENT
RESOLUTION
EXPOSITION

6. CLIMAX
High point of interest or suspense
MOMENT OF
DISCOVERY
The “ah-ha!” for the
character
RISING ACTION
All the events leading up
to the climax
STORY
TITLE
FALLING ACTION
All the events after the
climax leading to the
resolution
INCITING
INCIDENT
Sets the plot in
motion
RESOLUTION
EXPOSITION
Introduces setting, characters, situation
The conflict is
resolved

7. CLIMAX
High point of interest or suspense
MOMENT OF
DISCOVERY
The “ah-ha!” for the
character
RISING ACTION
All the events leading up
to the climax
FALLING ACTION
STORY
TITLE
All the events after the
climax leading to the
resolution
INCITING
INCIDENT
Sets the plot in
motion
RESOLUTION
EXPOSITION
Introduces setting, characters, situation
The conflict is
resolved

8. The setting
The TIME of the story including HISTORICAL PERIOD, YEAR, SEASON, TIME OF DAY
WHERE the story takes place including geographical LOCATION (region, country, state, town), SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL environment
Presents the EXISTING SITUATION
Provides a PROBLEM the characters must face and overcome

9. Characters The people or animals who PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTION
Details are revealed through:
physical DESCRIPTION
words (WHAT THE CHARACTER SAYS)
actions (WHAT THE CHARACTER DOES)
interactions with others (WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THE CHARACTER)

10. Point of view The vantage point from which the story is told
First-person narration:
the narrator is a character IN THE ACTION
uses first-person pronouns; I, ME, WE
Third-person narration:
the story-teller REPORTS events
the story-teller DOES NOT TAKE PART in the action

11. THEME
The CENTRAL MESSAGE or INSIGHT INTO LIFE; the LESSON to be learned
A GENERALIZATION about people or about life
The main idea

12. The theme is NOT a summary of the plot.

13. The theme can be: STATED DIRECTLY IMPLIED
The author expresses the theme directly in a sentence or two.
IMPLIED
The reader must “read between the lines” and decide what the work is saying about the nature of people or life.

14. Read between the lines to find the theme by analyzing:
The TITLE = clues to the main idea
The SETTING = details revealing the author’s attitude toward the world in general
The PLOT = conflict and resolution of the conflict
The CHARACTERS = actions, traits, motivations, moment of discovery, conclusions they draw

15. There are 5 major elements in every short story
Plot
Setting
Characters
Point of view
Theme