Literary Elements

Plot  A plot is a sequence of events, the "why" for the things that happen in the story.  The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.

What do you think the plot of this story is?

Setting  Setting – this is where and when the story takes place.  This can also be a description of what it looks like and how it feels. Ex: Cold, hot, ect…

What do you think the setting is?

Conflict  Conflict is simply a problem(s) which develop the plot and need to be solved to have a resolution.

5 Levels of Conflict  Person vs. Person  Person vs. Self  Pperson vs. Nature  Person vs. Society  Person vs. Technology

What are these conflicts?

THEME The central idea about life that the story highlights; the message the author is telling the audience.

THEME  Theme is NOT the moral of the story  Theme is NOT plot  Theme IS the general subject matter of a work of art  Theme may contain a message

THEME OR NOT A THEME? 1) Red Riding Hood is about how you shouldn’t trust strangers 2) Stars Wars is a movie about Luke Skywalker 3) Apocalypse Now is about the insanity of war. 4) This painting is about loneliness 5) That story is about two guys who steal a car 6) Romeo and Juliet is about love 7) Romeo and Juliet is about two families fighting 8) I saw a movie last night about survival 9) Hansel and Gretel is about two children 10) Cinderella is about poetic justice

Tone  Feelings of the speaker or the narrator within the story.

Mood  A feeling or attitude, usually expressed by the audience toward the writing.

FORESHADOWING  A hinting at events that may occur later in the plot.

FLASHBACK  When and earlier or previous event is added into the time order of the story.

CHARACTER(s)  Any personalities who are involved in the plot of the story (people, animals, fantasy characters)

Character(s) Dynamic  These characters change emotionally and/or physically within the story. Static  These characters do not change emotionally and/or physically, they remain the same, but interact with the dynamic characters.

PROTAGONIST  The main character that we follow  The character that strives to solve the conflict

ANTAGONIST  Usually creates conflict for the main character

Author’s Purpose  This is the reason the author wrote the text. Persuade Inform Entertain

Audience  The persons reached by a book, radio or television broadcast.  The people reading, listening and watching.

Point of View  POV is referring to who is telling the story. You can only look at the narration to determine POV. Words in dialogue do not count.

First Person POV  The narrator is in the story and refers to him/herself.  Narrator will use words like I, me, we, us, our, my

Second Person POV  The second person is almost never used in literature.  This is reserved for poetry and letters.  The second person is when the narrator says “You” and puts the reader directly into the story.

Third Person POV  The narrator is telling a story about other people. Narrator will use words like  He, she, him, her, they, them, their, (and characters’ names).

Plot Structure Components Exposition: Where the setting and the characters are introduced. Rising Action: Problems are introduced to the story. Conflict… Climax: The problem is solved. The most exciting part of the story. Falling Action: all of the action which follows the Climax. Resolution: The conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.