Literary Elements Short Stories

Short Stories A short story is a brief form of prose fiction with characters, a setting, and a plot. It resembles longer forms of fiction in exploring an insight into life.

Literary Elements Plot Setting Characters Conflict Theme

Plot Short stories are organized in a way that helps a reader navigate through the plot of a story.  Plot is the sequence of events in which each event results from a previous one and causes the next. A typical plot focuses on a conflict, or problem between opposing forces. As the problem or conflict becomes worse, the story builds to the point of greatest tension, the climax. Then, there is a resolution, or solving, of the problem and the story ends. Literary elements are developed through details in the text.

Plot Diagram

Conflict/Problem

Conflict In literature, a conflict is a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces usually a protagonist and an antagonist.

Protagonist the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story.  Antagonist the opposing force that brings conflict and is important to the development of the protagonist, or main character.

In fiction, ‘internal conflict’ refers to a character’s internal struggle. A character might struggle with emotions or a decision. External conflict, on the other hand, refers to the conflicts between a character and external forces. This type of conflict can be between one character and another or a group (or between groups of characters)

Internal Conflict: Character vs. Self

Example of Internal Conflict

Types of External Conflict Character vs. Character Character vs. Society Character vs. Nature

Internal or external conflict? You love going to soccer practice every Friday night. However, last week you had to go to dinner with your family instead, and this week a friend has invited you to the movies.

Internal or external conflict? For the past month, you have been bullied on the school bus by older middle school guys. They typically call you names and sometimes even poke at you. Finally one day, you get fed up and scream, “Don’t ever touch me again!”

Internal or external conflict? Your school has a state level ice-hockey team—for boys. When you and a group of girlfriends want to start a girls’ hockey program, you’re told that, although it’s a nice idea, there just isn’t enough money in the athletic budget.