Understanding &Reading Fiction

LiteraryElements

Regina List-Grace 2006

Objectives

• Identify elements of a short story

• Define elements of a short story

• Demonstrate mastery of short story elements

Overview

• Short stories often contain structural and character elements that should be familiar to you.

• These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the actions, themes, and contexts of the story.

Fiction

A prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. The term is usually for novels and short stories, but it also applies to dramas and narrative poetry.

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Short StoryA brief work of fiction.

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Novel

A longer work of fiction. Often divided into parts or chapters.http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.planethelium.com/lotr/aragon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.planethelium.com/rings.html&h=600&w=800&sz=63&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=xBQThcEOyu7fcM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daragon%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official_s%26sa%3DG

Literary Elements

Characterization

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CharacterA person, animal or machine who

takes part in the action of a literary work. Characters are sometimes

classified as round or flat, dynamic or static.

A character can be revealed through their actions, speech, and appearance.

They may also be revealed by the comments of other characters or the

author.

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Characterization

The act of creating and developing a character.

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ProtagonistThe main character in a literary work.

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Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

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Static Character

This character does not

change much in

the story. http://static.flickr.com/39/82639167_4bdae091fd_m.jpg

Dynamic Character

This character develops and grows during the course of

the story.http://www.eurpac.com/hepicts/tsdvd/princess%20diaries%20dvd.jpg

Direct Characterization

The author directly states a character’s traits.

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Indirect Characterization

An author tells what a character looks like,

does, and says, as well as how other

characters react to him or her. It is up to the

reader to draw conclusions about the

character based on this indirect information.

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Has only one or two traits.

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FlatCharacter

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ROUNDCHARACTER

This charactershows many different traits—faults as wellas virtues.

Character Foil

A character whose traits are in direct contrast to those of the main character. The foil highlights the traits of the main character.

Stereotype

A character who possesses traits of a large group rather than being an individual; usually considered an indication of poor qualities (minorities, disabilities, women).

Literary Elements

Conflict

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces, usually it will form the basis of stories, novels, and plays. Conflict creates plot.

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Internal Conflict

Involves a character in conflict with himself or herself.

Man vs. himself

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External Conflict

The main character struggles with an outside force. Usually the outside force consists of:man vs. manman vs. natureman vs. societyman vs. supernatural

Man vs. Man

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Conflict that pits one person against another.

Man vs. Society

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The values and customs by which everyone else lives are challenged by an individual. The character may die as a result of this challenge OR may bring others to a sympathetic point of view OR perhaps society is right.

Man vs. Nature

http://www.canadian-titanic-society.com/book_cover.jpg

A run-in with the forces of nature. On

one hand, it expresses the

insignificance of human life in the

cosmic scheme. On the other hand, it

tests the limits of a person’s strength

and will to live

Man vs. Supernatural

http://www.kidsclick.com/images/hercules_aaction.jpg

A run-in with forces not of this earth. May be similar to the conflict of man vs. nature.

Literary Elements

Elements of Plot

Setting

The time and place of a literary work.

Example: The Cask of

Amontillado is set “Early evening in an Italian city during a

carnival immediately preceding Lent.” http://cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/PoeTales.jpg

http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/toolkits/images/TMP_plotdiagram_large.jpg

All fiction is based on conflict and this conflict is presented in a structure called

plot.

Plot

The sequence of events in a literary work. In most novels, dramas, short stories, and narrative poems, the plot involves both characters and a central conflict. It usually includes:

ExpositionInciting incidentRising action (development)ClimaxFalling actionResolution

Exposition

Writing or speech that explains a process or presents information. In the plot of a story or drama, the exposition is the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the basic situation.

EXPOSITION

Inciting Incident

An event that creates the central conflict, or struggle, that the work is about. It often involves a plan that creates conflict.

INCITING INCIDENT

Foreshadowing

The use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. Use of this technique helps to create suspense, keeping readers wondering and speculating about what will happen next.

http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/images/foreshadowing.jpg

Rising Action

All the events building from the conflict(s) and leading up to the climax.

RISIN

G ACTIO

N

Climax

The result as the rising action reached a crisis. It is the high point of interest or suspense in the story.

CLIMAX

Falling Action

The events after the climax which close the story.

FALLING

ACTION

ResolutionThe point at which the conflict in the work is

ended, or resolved. Rounds out and concludes the action.

RESOLUTIONOpen ending

Closed endingCliffhanger

Denouement

This includes any events that might occur after the resolution. Often writers

include a denouement in order to tie up loose ends.

RESOLUTION

DENOUEMENT

Literary Elements

Point of View

Point of View

The point from which the story is told, usually the narrator, character or

outside observer who tells the story.

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The narrator is a character in the story. He can reveal the action as well as his own thoughts and feelings.

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First PersonPoint of View

THIRD PersonPoint of View

LIMITED-The narrator is an outsider who focuses on the thoughts and feelings of just one character.

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THIRD PersonPoint of View

OMNISCIENT-The all knowing

narrator can tell us about the past,

present and future of all the

characters (godlike).

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THIRD PersonPoint of View

OBJECTIVE-The narrator is an outsider

who can report only what he sees and hears. The narrator

can tell what is happening, but cannot tell us the thoughts and inner feelings of the

characters.

Literary ElementsIrony

Irony

The general term for literary techniques that portray differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention.

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Verbal Irony

Words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.

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Dramatic Irony

There is a contradiction

between what a character thinks and

what the reader or audience

knows to be true. http://www.sunnews.com/images/2003/0821/jasonRGB.jpg

Situational Irony

An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.

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Literary Elements

Devices of Style

NarratorThe person that tells the story.

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Metaphor

http://www.alyon.org/generale/theatre/cinema/affiches_cinema/s/seu-smo/simon_birch.jpg

A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else.

Example:“Time is a monster that cannot be reasoned with.”

Simile

A figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two basically unlike ideas.

Example:Claire is as flighty as a sparrow.

http://www.abcteach.com/circus/images/simile10.gif

Symbol

Anything that stands for or represents something else. An object that serves as a symbol has its

own meaning, but also represents abstract ideas.

http://wynn.house.gov/images/American%20Flag.gif

Theme

A central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work. It is a generalization about people or about life that is communicated through the literary work. Readers thinks about what the work seems to say about the nature of people or about life.http://victoryatseaonline.com/war/otherwars/images/patriot.gif

Connotation

All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition.

Dialect

• Is the way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or of a particular group of people.

• This involves three important elements: vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

Imagery

The descriptive or figurative language used in literature to

create word pictures for the

reader. These pictures, or images,

are created by details of sight, sound, taste,

touch, smell, or movement.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20050601/a798_129.SMELL.JPG

SuspenseA state of tension, a sense of uncertainty, an emotional pull which keeps the reader reading.

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MoodAlso known as atmosphere, is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.Usually it is created by the suggestive descriptive details. It can sometimes be described by a single word, such as lighthearted, frightening or despairing.

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AllusionA reference to a well-known person,

place, event, literary work, or work of art.

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http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/b/b1/350px-Da_Vinci_The_last_supper_detail_Da_Vinci_code.jpg

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward his or her audience and subject. It can often be described as a single adjective, such as formal or informal, serious or playful, bitter or ironic.http://pressunic.com/video/images/shangai_kid2.jpg

Satire

A technique that ridicules people

and their institutions in an effort to expose

their weaknesses and

evils.

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Flashback

A literary or dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological order of a narrative.

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PersonificationInanimate objects have human characteristics.

Hyperbole

Is an extreme exaggeration. It

can be closely connected or

related to a metaphor just

remember it is an

exaggeration.