Short Stories & Literary Devices                                                                                      

Literary Devices Part 1

What makes a story short? Short stories are brief works of fiction in which a character faces a conflict that is almost always resolved in the plot of the story. Think about a 30 minute sitcom on TV; some sort of conflict occurs, but it’s always fixed by the end of the show

Two important questions… What is a conflict? Why does every short story need to have a conflict?

Conflict The problem or struggle in a story between opposing forces that triggers the action. There are 5 basic types of conflict.

Types of Conflict Man v. Man Man v. Self

Man v. Society Man v. Fate (God) Man v. Nature

Internal Conflict Man v. Self Any struggle or problem that is going on within the character. How would we know a character in a story was having an internal conflict?

External Conflict - Any struggle or problem that involves the character and any other person, thing or unknown force Man v. Man Man v. Nature Man v. Society Man v. God (Fate)

Besides conflict, every short story needs to have a series of events that somehow connect to build the story. What is this called?

The Plot! - The action or sequence of events in a story - It is usually a series of related events that build up on one another as the story develops

(Crisis, turning point, point of no return) ConclusionResolution Plot Line Exposition Climax (Crisis, turning point, point of no return) Falling Action Rising Action (complication) ConclusionResolution Conflict is established

Exposition (the beginning)– The background or situation surrounding the story, setting, characters Conflict is established 3. Rising action - the series of struggles that builds a story toward a climax, the main conflict introduced 4. Climax (the high point)– the turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, for the protagonist

5. Falling action (winding down) – part of the story that works out decisions reached during the climax 6. Conclusion/Resolution (the ending and OR the conflict is resolved). Together you have denouement

Ok, so now we have a plot with a conflict – what else does a short story need?

Let’s talk about characters… Protagonist – Main, or focal, character in conflict with the antagonist Antagonist - The person or thing working against the protagonist (This could be a person or a force; even society’s expectations of the protagonist could be a force against him/her)

Literary Devices Part 2

Theme The lesson about life the author is trying to get across in a story Is the theme told to you directly at the end of a story or implied?

In the children’s book Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte, the spider, tells Wilbur, the pig, that all living things must die, and later on, she dies saving his life. The author was giving us a clue about what would happen later – what is that device called?

Foreshadowing The use in a literary work of clues that suggest events what will happen later in a story If you think about it, you really need to read the entire plot before you can say foreshadowing was used. Sometimes author’s use ________ to trick you into thinking something is foreshadowing and it isn’t.

(this is almost the opposite of foreshadowing) Flashback (this is almost the opposite of foreshadowing) A flashback is when an author refers back to something that previously happened

Imagery The words used to appeal to the five senses. If you can see it, feel it, touch it, smell it, or taste it as you read, imagery is at work! Types OF Imagery: Seeing: Hearing: Touching: Feeling: Tasting: We can feel / hear the wind and see the hill s and sky in our minds!

Setting The time, place and background of the story. The setting can change throughout a story What is the setting of your favorite movie? Your favorite book?

“It’s finally ironic” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32LCwZFoKio

Irony -Is using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or normal meaning. -When something contrasts with what is expected. Name an example of irony from the song “It’s finally ironic”

Three Types of Irony Dramatic - a contradiction in what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows is true (when you know more about the drama than the people in the drama) Verbal – a character says one thing and means another Situational - an ending of a situation occurs that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

Do you speak the same in front of your grandma as you do in front of your friends?

Probably not :) Authors choose their words carefully, too – this is called their diction

Diction The author’s word choice, including the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language. Why would a short story author have to choose their words very carefully?

That moment when you’re in a scary movie, and you KNOW the bad guy is about to jump out from around the corner, and your heart starts pounding a little, and you start feeling a little nervous because you’re afraid of what is going to happen

That is called SUSPENSE The uncertainty or anxiety we feel about what is going to happen next in a story

Characterization - Is the method an author uses to reveal characters and their personalities

Direct Characterization – a writer tells us directly what a character is like or what their motives are Example: The doctor was bald and quite impatient.

How do authors use indirect characterization? Indirect Characterization – In which a writer shows us a character but allows us to interpret for ourselves the kind of person we are meeting How do authors use indirect characterization? Speech (what they say about others) Appearance (how they dress or take care of themselves) Private thoughts Actions how others in the story feel about them

Example: As the doctor’s head shone in the light, he tapped his pen on the clipboard while the patient slowly described his symptoms.

More about Characters If a character never learns a lesson or never changes in a story, what type of character is he? What if that character DOES change or DOES learn a lesson throughout the story, what type of character would that be? If the main character has only one real trait or quality about them, what would call him? But, what if he had many traits and qualities, what type of character is that?

Characters Static character: A character who doesn’t change or learn a lesson during the story Dynamic character: A character who develops and grows (changes) during the course of the story Flat character: A character who shows only one trait throughout the story Round character: A character who shows many traits in a story, both the good (virtues) and the bad (vices or faults)

Symbolism, Tone, and Mood Literary Elements Part 3 Symbolism, Tone, and Mood

Symbolism Person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself. Public symbols are symbols that are widely recognized and accepted Can you think of any public symbols?

Symbolism, Literary Example

Symbolism Why would the eagle be chosen as a symbol of the United States? What metaphors exist within the symbol of the eagle when comparing it to a nation?

Symbolism Strength of an eagle’s wings… Sharp eyes… Largeness of the bird… Why do you think our forefathers chose the eagle over Benjamin Franklin’s proposed turkey?

Tone - Tone is the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or the character. Tone is conveyed through the author's words and details. Imagine how an author would read his own writing

Mood Mood is the emotions that you feel while you are reading. Some literature makes you feel sad, others joyful, and sometimes angry. Mood is the overall “climate” of the story

The End