The Literary Elements of Short Stories Please know the terms and definitions; you will be tested on them!

Setting  Where and when a story takes place

Characters  Any person or thing that has a role in the story  protagonist- the main character of the story; usually the good guy  antagonist-who or what the main character struggles against/with  Round- like a real person; has many traits  Flat-has no depth; only one/two traits  Static-does not change or grow during plot  Dynamic-changes as a result of events; grows

Characterization  the method used to create the personality of a character  direct-the author comes right out and tells the personality of the character  indirect- the reader infers the personality of the character through the character’s speech, actions, and thoughts

Conflict  the problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces  person vs. person  person v. self  person vs. nature  person vs. society  Internal conflict- a problem within the character  External conflict- a problem outside the character

Climax  The highest point of interest in the story; everything builds up to this moment

Rising Action  The events leading up to the climax Rising action Climax

Falling Action  The events after the climax leading to the resolution Rising action Climax Falling action

Point of View  The perspective the story is told from  First-person- main character; I, me  Third-person- third party telling the story; he she  Omniscient- all-knowing; narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters

Theme  The main idea of the story; author’s comment about life

Tone  The author’s attitude toward the subject; a feeling

Flashback  When the author stops the action of the story to look back at what happened at an earlier time

Foreshadowing  When the author uses hints or clues to suggest what may occur later in the plot

Irony  When the opposite of what is expected happens  Dramatic Irony – when the reader knows more than the charcters  Verbal Irony- when what is said is the opposite of what is meant i.e.. sarcasm

Ambiguity  When something can be interpreted more than one way

plot TThe events of a story in the order they happen BBasic Elements of Plot (Bare Bones) Exposition, complications (rising action), climax, falling action, and resolution

Resolution  The outcome or conclusion of the story

symbolism  A person, place, or object that stands for itself and something else

Exposition  The introduction of the characters and conflict at the beginning of the story

Narrator  the person telling the story

Allusion  a reference to a historical figure, time, or other literary work within a piece of literature

Figurative Language- language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words; the deeper meaning of words  Simile- a comparison using like or as  Ex:Life is like a box of chocolates.  Metaphor- a comparison not using like or as  Ex: Life is a box of chocolates.  Personification- giving nonhuman things humanlike characteristics  Ex: The toaster spits toast in the morning  Imagery- sensory pictures  Ex:The velvet red petals of the supple rose.