Elemnts Of A Short Story

Elements of a Short Story

Short Story A short story is a work of fiction that can be read in one sitting.

Setting= time and place -puts the reader in the story by giving the reader the feeling of being in the situation. -creates atmosphere by the positive or negative feelings associated with the

Characters The people in the story who create a dominant impression on the readers.

Types of Characters •Main or Minor •Protagonist or Antagonist •Round or Flat •Dynamic or Static •*Stereotypes=Stock Characters*

Point Of View the way in which the story is narrated. It is the method or the vantage point that the authr

Point of View or . . . (Who’s telling this story anyway?) -the vantage point from which the story is told. -determines how much we, the readers, know about the characters.

1st Person • Narrator is a character in the story. •Narrator uses first-person pronouns, I, me, my, we, us, our to refer to himself or herself. •Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character and speaks directly to reader.

3rd Person Limited •Narrator does not participate in action of story. •Narrator does not refer to himself or herself. •Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character, but readers are able to maintain some emotional distance from the character.

3rd Person Omniscient •Narrator does not participate in action of story. •Narrator does not refer to himself or herself. •Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters; readers get insight into several characters.

Plot ■

The chain of related events that take place in a story.

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Built around conflict, which is a struggle between opposing forces.

Plot at a Glance climax

falling action rising action resolution exposition

Conflict Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces.

Types of Conflict •External -Man v Man -Man v Nature -Man v Obstacle or Society •Internal -Man v Himself

Theme In literature, theme is a perception about life or human nature that the writer wants to share with the reader. In most cases, the theme is not stated directly but must be inferred. Themes can be revealed by - a story’s title - key phrases and statements about big ideas - the ways the characters change and the lessons they learn about life.

Language and style This refers to the way in which a work of literature is written.

Language can be figurative or based on common speech of cultivated men. Style refers to the author’s word choice and sentence construction.

What is a symbol?

A symbol is a person, a place, an activity, or an object that stands for something beyond itself.

The End