Elements of a Short Story

Protagonist The main character of the story The hero or heroine The character we are rooting for Antagonist A character, group of characters or institution that the protagonist fights against Sometimes a villian or enemy Anyone or anything that opposes the protagonist Characters

Conflict A struggle between opposing forces in a story. The Conflict is the central problem that drives the story forward Character vs Character External struggle between two or more individuals Character vs Self Internal struggle involving emotions or decisions Character vs Nature External struggle between a character and an element of nature Character vs Society Internal or External struggle between a character and social rules or institutions Plot

Complications Mini conflicts that contribute to the rise of the main conflict Climax The turning point in the story for the character The emotional High Point Resolution The outcome of the conflict Plot (Continued)

Time when it happens Place where it happens Mood the atmosphere or feeling Setting

Literal Language Means what the words actually say Sensory details – words that appeal to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) Figurative Language Means something more or deeper than the actual words Simile Comparison using like or as (eg. Life is like a box of chocolates) Metaphor Direct Comparison (eg. Life is a highway) Descriptive Language

Figurative Language (Continued) Personification Giving Human Qualities to objects or animals (eg. a smiling moon) Symbols An object or image that may stand for something greater than itself Descriptive Language

Point of view describes the narrator’s position in the story. First Person The story is told from the perspective of a character in the story Example: “I walked along the shore of the river, my best friend Finn next to me.” Second person The narrator refers to the reader as “you” Least common form in literature (but very common in songs) Example: Choose Your Own Adventure – “You walk along the shore of the river, your best friend Finn next to you.” Point of View

Third Person The narrator is not part of the story but is seeing it from outside All characters are referred to as he/she/it/they Example: “Steven walked along the shore of the river, his best friend Finn next to him.” Two Main Types of Third Person Omniscient (means all-knowing) Knows everything about every character, including what all characters are thinking and/or feeling. Limited Omniscient Knows everything about one (sometimes more than one) character but is limited in what they know about other characters, especially what they think/feel Point of View (Continued)

What the story is really about The message the author wants to communicate through the story Some Common Themes: The struggle between good and evil The difference between nature and civilized society The struggle between the individual and community Love is the worthiest of pursuits Human beings are all basically the same and all have the same needs Theme