Short Stories The long, and SHORT of it!

Setting Can be used to set the atmosphere for the story: “During the hole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country.” “The Fall of the House of Usher” Edgar Allan Poe

Plot Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows an arrangement of events and actions within a story.

Plot Diagram Climax Falling Action Rising Action Resolution Exposition

The start of the story, the situation before the actions starts. Exposition The start of the story, the situation before the actions starts. Most but not all of the setting is included in this part.

Rising Action This is the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax of the story.

Climax This is the turning point, the most intense moment, either mentally or in actions.

Falling Action This is the events that follow the Climax and bring about a closure to preceding events. It ties up most loose ends.

Resolution The close of the story, or the conclusion. All loose ends are tied and all events are brought to a close.

Characters Protagonist: Antagonist: The main character in a literary work Ex: Harry Potter, Bella Swan, or Cinderella Antagonist: The character who opposes the protagonist Ex: Voldemort, Victoria/Volturi, or the Wicked Stepmother

Point of View The perspective from which the story is told. Who is telling the story? How do we know what is happening?

First Person The story is told from the viewpoint of one of the characters, using the first person pronoun “I.” “The thousands of injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I give utterance to a threat.” “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe

Third Person Omniscient The story is told from the viewpoint of the author directly. You know everything that everyone else knows.

Third Person Limited Third person limited point of view is a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character, while other characters are presented only externally. Third person limited grants a writer more freedom than first person, but less than third person omniscient.

Mood The climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute toward creating a specific mood.

Tone The authors attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. Ex: Optimism Humorous Seriousness Bitterness

Theme The central idea or central message of the story. It usually contains some insight into the human condition—telling something about humans and life The theme can be stated directly or implied by the events and actions in the story.

Conflict The dramatic struggle between two forces in story. Without conflict, there is no plot. Types of Conflict Interpersonal Human vs Human Human vs Nature Human vs Society Internal Human vs Self

Symbol Something that represents an idea, quality, or concept larger than itself. Ex: Lion symbolizes courage A red rose symbolizes love