What parts make up a story? Literary Elements What parts make up a story? http://members.tripod.com/dscorpio/images/literary_elements.ppt

Setting Characters Plot Conflict Theme 5 most important elements of Literature Setting Characters Plot Conflict Theme

Setting Time and plSeeedfgdflace where the action occurs Details that describe: Furniture Scenery Customs Transportation Clothing Dialects Weather Time of day Time of year

What makes up Setting

Example Glee Where and when does this take place? City of Ember Twilight

Why is it important? To create a mood or atmosphere We left the home place behind, mile by slow mile, heading for the mountains, across the prairie where the wind blew forever. At first there were four of us with one horse wagon and its skimpy load. Pa and I walked, because I was a big boy of eleven. My two little sisters romped and trotted until they got tired and had to be boosted up to the wagon bed. That was no covered Conestoga, like Pa’s folks came West in, but just an old farm wagon, drawn by one weary horse, creaking and rumbling westward to the mountains, toward the little woods town where Pa thought he had an old uncle who owned a little two-bit sawmill. To create a mood or atmosphere To show a reader a different way of life To make action seem more real To be the source of conflict or struggle To symbolize an idea Taken from “The Day the Sun Came Out” by D. Johnson

Characters People or animals Major characters Minor characters Round characters (Dynamic) Flat characters (Static)

Types of Characters A Dynamic Character changes as a result of the events of the story. A Static Character changes very little or not at all through the literary work. A character’s motivation is any force (i.e.: love, fear, jealousy) that drives the character to behave in a particular way.

Types Cont. A character can be a protagonist/antagonist - the main character or the person who creates a problem for the main character Never think of it as being the good guy/ bad guy.

Characters Cont. A writer reveals what a character is like and how the character changes throughout the story. Two primary methods of characterization: Direct- writer tells what the character is like Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character looks like, by telling what the character says and does, and by what other characters say about and do in response to the character.

Example: …And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I’m a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. From “Raymond’s Run” by T. Bambara

Indirect Characterization “That Ed Johnson,” said Anderson, watching the old mechanic scratch his head in confusion as the sales rep explained Dralco’s newest engine performance diagnostic computer. “He hasn’t got a clue about modern electronics. Give him a good set of tools and a stack of yellowing manuals with a carburetor needing repair, and he’d be happy as a hungry frog in a fly-field.”

Types of Characters

Character Makeup Physical appearance of character Personality Background/personal history Motivation Relationships Conflict Does character change?

Plot Plot is a series of events in a story. An event is any conflict that has a resolution in a story.

Disney’s Cinderella Example What’s the first conflict? Cinderella’s father dies. What’s the resolution? Her step mother becomes her guardian What’s the second conflict? Her step mother and step sisters are mean. What’s the resolution? She makes friends with mice.

Plot Chart Climax Falling action Development/ Rising Action Exposition Resolution Denouement If you are lucky Inciting incident/ Opening situation

Parts of a Plot Exposition: Introduction of characters and setting of a story. Inciting incident – event that gives rise to conflict (opening situation) Rising Action- events that occur as result of central conflict Climax- highest point of interest or suspense of story Resolution- when conflict ends Denouement- To wrap up all loose ends. All problems are solved or at least you know the result.

Wait there’s more: Suspense- excitement or tension Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about something that happened in the past Surprise Ending- conclusion that reader does not expect

Conflict Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces Every plot must contain some kind of conflict Stories can have more than one conflict Conflicts can be external or internal External conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle Internal conflict- takes place in a character’s mind

Theme A central message, concern, or insight into life expressed through a literary work Can be expressed by one or two sentence statement about human beings or about life May be stated directly or implied Interpretation uncovers the theme

EXAMPLE What are some of the themes of The Pirates of the Caribbean? Good will always triumph over evil. Don’t judge a person before you get to know him or her. Love motivates some people to take risks.