elements of a short story. setting time place surrounding ideas, customs, values, and beliefs
TRANSCRIPT
Elements of a Short Story
Setting
Setting
• Time• Place• Surrounding ideas, customs, values, and
beliefs
Characters
Characters
• Protagonist – main character• Antagonist – in conflict with the main
character– Not always the “bad guy”– Not all stories have an antagonist
Point of View
Point of View• Narrator – person telling the story• 1st person – narrator is a character in the story,
uses “I” and “me”• 2nd person – narrator uses “you” in reference
to self or reader• 3rd person – narrator is outside the story– 3rd person omniscient narrator – knows everything
that goes on– 3rd person limited narrator – describes events as
one of the characters sees them
Theme
Theme
• Message of a story readers can apply to life• Stated themes – directly presented in a story• Implied themes – can be implied by the story
but are not explicitly stated
Plot
Plot
• Sequence of events in a story, a series of related events
• Most plots deal with a conflict or problem between opposing forces– External conflict – between a character and
outside forces (another character, nature, society, or fate)
– Internal conflict – within a character who struggles with opposing feelings or indecision
Parts of Plot
• Exposition• Rising Action• Climax• Falling Action• Resolution
Exposition
• Introduces the story’s characters, setting, and conflict
Rising Action
• Develops the conflict with complications and twists
Climax
• Emotional high point of the story
Falling Action
• Shows what happens to the characters after the climax
Resolution
• Shows how the conflict is resolved or how the problem is solved
Book or Movie• Setting• Characters• Point of view• Theme• Plot– Exposition– Rising action– Climax– Falling action– Resolution
Homework: 10-sentence story
• Write a 10-sentence story that includes all the elements of a short story.
• Be sure to consciously include your setting, characters, point of view, theme, and plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution)