The Short Story Elements for Analysis

What is a Short Story A brief fictional prose narrative often involving one connected episode. Creates “Unity of Effect” True to our emotions Accurately reflects life lived by all of us Remember it’s still fiction

What do we mean by elements? Means of analyzing fiction Breaking it down to its parts Helps us to evaluate its “Unity of Effect” Helps us make meaning from the story

Plot Series of events related to a central conflict Climax/turning point Denouement/Resolution Conflict Rise in action Exposition

Character Action of Plot is performed by character Character not always aware Why they act as they do Awareness not always accurate Reader may know before character

How should we try to understand character? Judge them by our value system? System set up for REAL people They are FICTIONAL Look at writer’s characterization instead Mental processes Dialogue Description

Successful Character Comes alive Accumulation of detail Appearances Actions Responses

Types of Characters Round Flat Readers feel the pull of actions Seen as capable of alternatives Flat No pull Not capable of alternatives

Types of Character Dynamic Static Capable of or experiencing change in the action of the story Static Stays the same

Theme Generalization about the meaning of a story Often difficult to summarize and still be true to details of narrative Sometimes moral judgment Sometimes personal expression of life

Setting Place and time of the story Creates a “solid” world Sometimes only a backdrop to action Can be central to action

Style Language the author uses in narration Made up of: Tone – unstated attitudes Ironic/humorous/serious/excited/compassionate Created by speech (remember DIDLS) Lofty/everyday Symbols Something that stands for something else (idea, thought)

Style Continued Made up of: Figurative/Literal Language Diction (word choice) Syntax (sentence structure) Point of view (narrator)

Point of View POV – the way the story is told 1st person narrator Participant in the story Major/minor character 3rd Person narrator Not a participant in the story

1st Person Narrator Cannot understand others except through what they see or what others tell them. Authority/trustworthiness is limited Biased report May perceive things differently from reader

3rd Person Narrator Omniscient Limited Sees into all characters, controlling authority Limited Sees into one or two characters Subjective view

3rd Person Narrator Objective Limited Omniscient Impartial, doesn’t evaluate or comment on the actions of characters Lets actions speak for themselves Limited Omniscient One central intelligence – one character’s psyche is the stage for the drama All is measured against this character’s thoughts and feelings

Point of view There are other forms of narration These forms are more flexible than implied by these categories