Introduction to Short Stories UNIT 1

What is a Short Story?  Brief work of fiction  Main character faces a central conflict

1.Protagonist  Main character  Changes due to experiences in the story  Name one protagonist from a book or story you read last year

2. Antagonist  Major character who opposes the protagonist  Does not change  3 Types:  people  nature  society

3. Conflict  A struggle between two opposing forces  2 Types:  Internal – within character’s mind (man vs. self)  External – character against outside force  Man vs. Man  Man vs. Nature  Man vs. Society

4. Plot  Series of events that make up the story

5. Theme  The central message or insight into life

6. Foreshadowing  Clues writer uses to show what’s to come

7. Irony  A contrast between expectation and reality  3 types: Verbal, Situational, Dramatic  Which one? Calling a clumsy basketball player “Michael Jordan”

8. Suspense  Uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen next in a story.  What can cause anxiety in a story?

Edgar Allan Poe  Born in Boston, MA in 1809  Mother died when he was only 2; father left the family  Foster mother died shortly after  Poe found delirious on the streets in 1849  Last words said to be, “Lord help my poor soul”  Famous Works: The Cask of Amontillado, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe  Has anyone ever done anything to you that made you want to get revenge on that person? What did they do? How did you seek revenge?  How did seeking that revenge make you feel? Why?