Elements of a Short Story

MYP English 8Ms. O’Malley

Short Story

• What is a short story?A short story is:-fictional (not true)-a narrative (tells a series of

connected events with a beginning, middle, and end

-is written in prose, which is words organized into sentences organized into paragraphs(as opposed to poetry)

Short Story

• What is a short story?A short story is:-usually 1500 to 3000 words long (but can range between 300 to 12000 words)-is concise, concentrated, and economical (everything in the story is related to a single idea or situation and has a good reason for being there)

Short Story

• A short story usually features one or more of the following: PLOT, CONFLICT, CHARACTER,THEME, SETTING,

(A writer might write a story emphasizing plot {or theme, or character}, and pay less attention to the other elements.)

PlotPlot is the sequence of

events that should be linked together and follow one another causally.

In most novels, dramas, short stories, and narrative poems, the plot involves both characters and a central conflict.

Plot can be represented by a graph.

PLOTLINE

ExpositionResolution

Ris

ing

Act

ion

Climax

Falling Action

Initial Incident

Plot -Introduction/Exposition

The Exposition is the introduction. It is the part of the work that hooks the reader and introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation.

Plot-Initial Incident

The Initial Incident is the first link in the story’s chain of events. If this event never happened, neither would the story. It is the “pont of no return”; once this has happened, there is no going back.

Plot-Rising Action/Complication

Rising Action is the part of the plot that begins to occur as soon as the conflict is introduced. The rising action adds complications to the conflict and increases reader interest.

Plot-Climax

The Climax is the point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in the plot of a narrative. The climax is the crisis moment and typically comes at the turning point in a story or drama. Now we know how the story will end.

Plot-Falling Action

Falling Action is the action that typically follows the climax and reveals its results.

Plot-Conclusion/Denouement/Resolution

The Resolution is the part of the plot that concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict. Questions are answered and the protagonist’s fate is revealed.

Plot Summary Paragraph

Total of 7-11 sentences1.Intro: 1-2 sentences that tell character, setting, basic situation2.Initial Incident: 1 sentence identifying the event that starts the chain of events3.Rising Action: 3-5 sentences that identify the main events building up to the climax4.Climax: 1 sentence that identifies the high point of the action5.Conclusion: 1-2 sentences that tell how the story ends, and ties up all the loose ends

Conflict

Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story or play.

There are two types of conflict that exist in literature.

External Conflict

External conflict exists when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another character, nature, society, or fate.

Person vs. PersonPerson vs. Nature/EnvironmentPerson vs. SocietyPerson vs. SupernaturalPerson vs. Machine/Technology

Internal Conflict

Internal conflict exists within the mind of a character who is torn between different courses of action.

Person vs. Himself

Characterization

• Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. 

• There are 2 types of characterization: Indirect and Direct

Indirect Characterization

• The author shows us the character’s actions, thoughts, and words, and we conclude for ourselves what the character is like.

• For example, “Bob grumbled whenever anyone said his name fast.”

Direct Characterization

• The author tells us what the character is like.

• For example, “Bob Loblaw was angry that his name sounded like ‘Blahblahblah’ when said quickly.

Protagonist

• The protagonist is the main character in a literary work

• The protagonist is not necessarily the good guy.

Antagonist

• The antagonist is a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

• The antagonist is not necessarily the bad guy.

Round

• Round characters are multi-dimensional, complex, unpredictable, and life-like.

• Round characters have strengths and weaknesses, positive and negative traits, just like a real person.

Flat

• A flat character is two-dimensional, does not have the depth or complexity of a real person.

• A flat character’s actions are predictable and not life-like.

Stereotypical

• A stock character is a familiar character who appears regularly in stories

• For example, the wicked landlord, the dumb blond or jock, the corrupt politician, the crazy scientist, etc.

Static

• A static character stays the same, and does not achieve any personal insight, growth or change by the end of the story.

Dynamic /Developing

• A dynamic character develops and undergoes a permanent change as a result of the events of the story.

Character Analysis / Sketch

• A common English assignment where you reread a piece of literature and focus on one character.

• Gather information that the author has presented directly, or draw conclusions from the clues the author has presented indirectly (via the character’s words and actions).

Character Analysis / Sketch

• Present the character analysis in a written paragraph or orally, covering:

1.Background (family, education, occupation, significant experiences

2.Physical appearance3.Personality (traits and values)4.Thoughts and feelings (likes,

dislikes, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, etc.)

Setting• The setting of a literary work

is the time and place of the action, and by implication, the norms and customs of that time and place.

• In most stories, the setting serves as a context in which the characters interact. The setting of a story often helps to create a particular mood, or feeling.

Setting

• Consider the difference the setting plays in the story of a 16-year old girl getting pregnant:

• in Jerusalem in 30 A.D.• in Victorian England• in San Francisco in the swingin’

60’s• in Surrey today• 50 years in the future on Mars

Narrator

• The person telling the story

• The narrator is NOT the author or writer.

• The narrator can be a character in the story.

Point of ViewPoint of View is the identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. It is identified in two ways:1.Who is telling the story? (Mary, the father, the unknown narrator, etc., not the author)2.Which point of view is the author using? In other words, how much access do we have to the narrator’s thoughts and feelings?

.

Point of View

2a. First-person (I, We) The narrator is standing in the middle of as it happens. The reader has total access to the to the narrator’s thoughts/feelings ONLY. e.g.: “I told him to leave me alone. I was furious.

Point of View

2b. Second person (You)

The style which addresses the

reader as you, hoping tomake you identify with thecharacter.

Point of View

2c. Third Person (He, She, Mrs. Fancypants, They)

The narrator is standingoutside the story, watching ithappen.e.g.: She told me to leave her alone.The reader has access to the thoughts /feelings of none, or one or more of the characters. (see next slides)

Point of View

2c. Third Person Objective (none):The narrator knows thoughts / feelings of none of the characters, but reports the words / actions observed.e.g.: Bob glared at Mandy, who was talking to Rico. When Bob ordered her to come over, Mandy’s face got red and her jaw clenched. Rico said, “Man, I hate your boyfriend! Tell him to chill!”

Point of View

2c. Third Person Limited Omniscient (one):The narrator knows thoughts / feelings of only one of the characters.e.g.: Bob was jealous. Mandy’s face got red and her jaw clenched. Rico said, “I hate that Bob! Tell your boyfriend to chill, Mandy!”

Point of View

2c. Third Person Omniscient (two or more):The narrator knows thoughts / feelings of all of the characters, plus has “god-like” access to events past, present, future, anywhere.e.g.: Bob was jealous. Mandy got angry. Rico hated Bob.

Symbol

• An object, person, situation, or action which has a literal meaning in the story but suggests or represents other meanings as well.

• For example, a cross represents Christianity, a heart represents love.

Theme

• Theme is the main idea or message of the story, usually implied rather than stated.

• Theme is NOT a summary of the action.

• Should be stated in a sentence, as opposed to one word. It is what the author wants to say about the topic.

Theme

• “is” theme: this is the way life is (e.g. love is frightening and painful, but wonderful)

• “should” theme: this is the way life should be, presents a moral (e.g. true love should conquer hatred)

• The author told us the story to teach / show us a general truth about life (we don’t have to agree)

Mood

• The mood is the general emotions of the story, or of the author in creating the story

• Writer’s use many devices to create mood, including images, dialogue, setting, and plot.

Tone

• The tone is the attitude a writer takes towards his/her subject (e.g. Serious, admiring, angry, envious, etc.)

• Tone is created through choice of words and details.

Comic Relief

• Comic relief is a funny part inserted into a serious or tragic work (especially a play) to break the tension.

Suspense

• Suspense is the growing interest and excitement readers experience while awaiting a climax or resolution in a work of literature.

• Writers create suspense by raising questions in the minds of their readers.

Dilemma

• The dilemma is the situation in which the character must choose between two equally unfavourable and undesirable outcomes

Dialogue

• Dialogue is actual conversation between characters.

• Dialogue creates interest, develops plot, and reveals character.

• When writing dialogue, a new paragraph is started whenever a new character speaks.

Irony• Irony is the difference between what

you expect to happen, and what actually occurs. There are 3 kinds of irony:

1.Verbal - the difference between what is said, and what is meant / intended.

e.g. “Nice haircut!” to a friend whose hair looks terrible(Note: sarcasm is verbal irony intended to hurt or ridicule)

Irony

2. Situational - the difference between what is appropriate / expected, and what actually happense.g. The police station gets robbed; the fire chief’s house burns down; the day you finally make it to school on time, it turns out to be a Pro-D Day

Irony

3. Dramatic - the irony occurring when the implications of a situation, speech, etc., are understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play / story because the audience knows something that the character doesn’te.g. In “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo plans his suicide thinking Juliet is dead, but we know she isn’t.