Reading

Parts of a story

There are five parts of a story.

- Exposition

- Rising Action

- Climax

- Falling Action

- Denouement

Exposition:

This is where you meet the main characters and learn the setting and the main conflict of the story.

Characters:

There are various types of characters.Main – the ones around whom the plot focuses

Minor – those who interact with the main characters and move the story along

Dynamic – show change as a result of events

Static – their personalities remain unchanged

Main characters:

Protagonist – This is the main character of a story.

While this character is often the hero, it is not synonymous with hero. For example, Scrooge is the protagonist of A Christmas Carol, but he is not someone thought of as a good guy.

Antagonist – a character that comes into conflict with the protagonist.

Setting:

Setting includes three parts:Time – When does the story take place? Over what period of time does the story elapse?Place – Where does the story take place? Is there more than one locale for the story?Mood – What is the emotional backdrop for the story? Are the times happy, sad, stressful?

Conflict:

The main conflict refers to the problem that needs to be resolved before the story ends. For example, does Pinocchio get his wish to be a real boy?

Do not confuse the main problem to be solved with those that come along the way of trying to resolve the end problem. For example, Pinocchio and his ditching is not the main conflict.

Types of conflict:

Internal – a struggle one has with one’s self (such as whether to go to a party or stay home and study)

External – a struggle with another partyMan vs. Man – struggles with other individuals

Man vs. Society – the struggle to change the views of society

Man vs. Nature – battles again the elements or animals

Man vs. Machine – struggles with technology

Rising Action:

This is the portion where complications occur.

Complications are problems that arise along the way while trying to resolve the main conflict.

For example – Pinocchio getting “kidnapped” or eaten by the whale

Climax

This is traditionally the most intense moment of the story. The climax is generally towards the end of the story and is where the fate of the characters is about to be determined.

Falling Action

Things are coming to a close. This is where any minor complications are resolved.

Denouement:

This is also know as the resolution (but you need to know it as denouement).

This is the conclusion of the story. This is the answer to the main conflict.