STORY ELEMENTS

Miss Cifu

INTRO

Every story has some basic elements, whether it is

a short story, novel, play, folk tale, etc.

PLOT

The plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or

dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story.

Every story has a plot because if it didn’t, it

wouldn’t be a story.

Plot can also be referred to as storyline.

PLOTTING PLOT

Exposition

Ris

ing

Actio

n

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

EXPOSITION

Literary device used to provide the reader with

background information about events, setting,

characters, etc.

Which of the literary elements that we have

studied in the past few days might we find in the

exposition?

RISING ACTION

Series of events that build up to the main point of

interest in a literary work.

Example: • In the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers as tribute,

goes to the city, trains for the Hunger Games, becomes the “Girl on Fire.”

CLIMAX

The point at which tension is at its highest.

Which of the literary elements that we discussed

yesterday would also be labeled as the climax?

FALLING ACTION

The part of the story at which the climax has been

reached and the conflict is being.

RESOLUTION

The ending of the story.

The conflict has already been resolved.

YOUR TURN

With a partner, choose a literary work, movie, play,

etc.

Draw a plot diagram and describe the exposition,

rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

SETTING

The setting is when and where the story takes

place.

Example:• Batman takes place in Gotham City.• Romeo and Julieti takes place in Verona, Italy.

Describing the setting can be as vague as the name

of a city or as detailed as this:• On a dark and stormy night in 1869 London, a

detective sat in a cozy, but drab room by a fireplace.

ADD

To your plot diagram, add the setting of your

chosen story.

CHARACTER

Characters are the people (or animals in some

cases) that the story is about.

There are major characters and minor characters.

There are dynamic, static, flat, and round

characters.

CHARACTER TRAITS

Aspects of the character’s behavior or personality.

These are intrinsic qualities NOT physical

attirbutes.

DYNAMIC CHARACTERS

Dynamic characters change throughout the course of the

story.

Example:• Luke Skywalker started off as a small town boy living on

Tattooine, but he became a well-respected Jedi knight.

The central conflict of the story is usually what changes the

character.• In Up, the old man is super nice until his wife dies, and then he

is really mean, but after going on his adventure with Russell and getting his house to Paradise Falls, he becomes nice again.

STATIC CHARACTERS

Static characters do not change over time.

The Emporer in Star Wars is evil in the beginning,

and he is evil at the end.

ROUND CHARACTER

Characters that have a complex personality are

referred to as round characters.

They may be conflicted or contradict themselves

often.

Example:• Harry Potter is an example of a round character.

FLAT CHARACTERS

This character has one trait.• The tiny robot, Mo, in Wall-E that is always cleaning

up dirt is a flat character.

ADD

With your partner, choose three characters from

your chosen text/movie.

Write down the character’s name, which type of

character they are, and list some of their traits.

PROTAGONIST

The protagonist is a central character in the story,

but not necessarily the main character.

This is the person you’re cheering for.

The good one.

ANTAGONIST

This character works against the antagonist.

This character is presents an obstacle that the

protagonist needs to overcome.

ADD

With your partner, decide if any of the three

characters were the protagonist or antagonist of that

text/movie.

Write that down.

THEME

An idea that is repeated in a literary work making

it the most important idea in the text.

Generally, themes are universal concepts.• Examples: love, greed, friendship.

If it keeps popping up, it’s probably a theme.

ADD

Write down any themes that you think are part of

that text/movie.

What ideas kept reoccurring?

Think about how you can state that idea generally.

TONE

The attitude of the writer toward a subject.

This is conveyed through diction (word choice).• Here’s an example of how you can say the same

thing, but the tone changes because of diction.• I looked outside, and it was pouring down rain outside.• I looked out the window, and the sky was black and it

seemed as if there was no end in sight to this storm.

MOOD

Literary element that evokes feelings in the reader.

Similar to tone

Creates the emotion that the reader feels while

reading the text.

ADD

Describe in 3-5 sentences the tone and mood of

that text/movie.

Make sure both your names are on this sheet of

paper.