Short Stories

Why do we need stories? Describe the non-human To Entertain Describe the non-human world and offer explanations of phenomena. Communicate human experience Convey wisdom, social behaviour, origins.

Need stories? Continued… Provide windows between unfamiliar groups and peoples, as people reveal their identity and perspective on the world. To give perspective to our own lives. To show that we have choices; life doesn’t just happen. What we are feeling has been felt by others.

Analyzing Short Stories

Elements of a short story Plot Setting Character Conflict Point of View Theme

Plot Plot is different from Story STORY is a chronological sequence (arranged in time) of events/episodes PLOT: need not be chronologically sequenced Can rearrange the elements of the story so they are not in order (e.g. showing the ending at the beginning) Sometimes in detective tales, the initial action of the story is not disclosed to the reader until nearly the end to produce the element of surprise

Plot Structure

Constituents of a Plot EXPOSITION/INTRODUCTION is the information needed to understand what will happen during the time frame of a story. It usually consists of background information and the setting Contains the inciting incident/moment the spark that starts the story

Constituents of a Plot RISING ACTION is the catalyst that begins the major conflict. The basic conflict is made more complicated by the introduction of details and further conflict Suspense is built

Constituents of a Plot CLIMAX OR CRISIS is the turning point in the story that occurs when characters try to resolve the complication. This is the point of no return. After the climax, things cannot go back to the way they were. Most exciting moment of the story

Constituents of a Plot Con’d FALLING ACTION: Comes after the climax Loose ends are tied up The complexities of the plot are solved and / or revealed RESOLUTION is the tying up of the loose ends of the story, the ending or outcome. All final questions are answered EPIPHANY: a moment of startling, sudden insight gained by the main character as a result of the unfolding of events in the story

The Three Little Pigs

Plot Structure of a movie… Create a plot diagram for a movie that you are very familiar with. Remember to Include: Exposition and Inciting Incident Rising Action (include 3 conflicts/details of the conflict) Climax Falling Action and Resolution

Setting The location of a story’s action, along with the time in which it occurs It can add an important dimension of meaning, reflecting character and embodying theme. Look at: Place Time Weather Social conditions Tone/mood

Character Characterization is the showing and telling about a character We learn about a character through: Dialogue – what he/she says and how they say it Action/behaviour – what the character does Interactions with others – what other characters say about him/her, how they respond to him/her Narrative description – what the narrator describes of the characters thoughts, feelings and emotions

Character An author may present his/her characters directly or indirectly, or through a mixture of the two methods. Direct Characterization refers to an author directly stating traits about the character. Ie. The old man was stubborn. Indirect Characterization refers to when an author indirectly reveals traits about a character through their actions or how others relate to them.

How do we learn about a character? Physical traits Dialogue Actions Attire Opinions Point of View

The Characters Protagonist: main character Antagonist: character working against the main character

Types of Characters Flat character: single dominant trait; two dimensional; usually minor characters are developed this way. What you see is what you get. Round character: complex, fully rounded and developed personality. These characters may be difficult to describe, as in real life. They are capable of surprising us.

Types of Characters Con’d Static Character: a character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work Dynamic Character: one who changes in response to the actions through which he or she passes Stock character or archetype: a character “type” often based on stereotypical perceptions such as the mad professor, the clever detective, the wise old man, the hero, villain, etc.

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot Can be internal or external In short stories, generally: Human vs. human- physical strength Human vs. society- the leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people Human vs. self- psychological- (e.g. struggles with morality, physical limitations, choice etc.) Human vs. nature- can be supernatural

Point of View Who tells the story? The teller of a story is narrator. This is NOT the same as the author. In fiction, who tells the story and how s/he tells it are critical issues that determine the interpretation of the story. The tone and feel of the story, and even its meaning, can change depending on who the narrator is.

Point of View Con’d The narrator can either show or tell. Show: s/he has the characters speak in their own voices, without any narrative mediation. Tell: the narrator reports the events to the reader and thereby possesses greater control over the interpretation of the story. Is the narrator trustworthy? The credibility of the story will depend on the (perceived) reliability of the narrator. The narrator could be either objective (detached) or subjective (biased). An objective narrator’s tale is more readily believed than that of a subjective narrator.

Types of Point of View Third Person Point of View Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know about the events and characters. This is an outside voice. First Person Point of View Here the narrator does participate in the action of the story. S/he is one of the characters in the story, an “inside” voice. When reading stories in the first person, we need to realise that what the narrator is recounting might not be the objective truth.

Types of P.O.V Con’d Omniscient and Limited Omniscient Points of View A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all-knowing, or omniscient. A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m75aEhm-BYw

Theme

Theme WHAT IS YOUR POINT?!!!!! The theme is the major idea or author’s message about life in a story What is the author trying to make us think about or question in our own lives? Themes are rarely stated directly. They usually must be inferred. The theme is revealed by: the way characters change in a story conflicts in the story statements made by the narrator or characters. Understanding theme involves understanding plot, characters, and setting

Topics for Themes Politics Government Love Many others Society Religion Psychology Family Relations

How do we find the theme… What is the author trying to say? Who cares? Why did the author write this? Is this an allegory? Are there any important symbols?

What’s the theme?