1. SHORT STORY REVIEW eLanguage Arts 9

2. What are the characteristics of a short story? 1. It is a work of narrative, prose fiction or fiction based on fact. Narrative means it tells a story. Prose means it doesn’t rhyme. Fiction means it is not true. 2. It is usually between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length 3. It will have the components of character, plot, setting, and point of view. 4. It may have the component of theme 5. There must be some sort of conflict in the story which engages one or more of the characters. It there is no conflict, it is NOT a short story, but a personal essay. 1. It is a work of narrative, prose fiction or fiction based on fact. Narrative means it tells a story. Prose means it doesn’t rhyme. Fiction means it is not true. 2. It is usually between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length 3. It will have the components of character, plot, setting, and point of view. 4. It may have the component of theme 5. There must be some sort of conflict in the story which engages one or more of the characters. It there is no conflict, it is NOT a short story, but a personal essay.

3. What are the five elements of a story? 1.Characters 2.Setting 3.Plot 4.Conflict 5.Point of View

4. What is so important to have in a story, that if you don’t have it, you don’t have a short story?  CONFLICT

5. Explain the three types of characters, and give an example of each one from a story we read this year. 1. Round - this character is thoroughly developed - we know a lot about him from what the author describes, and we can imply much based on what we see him do or what he says in a the story. He is complex and interesting, and is often a main character. He can be compared to a diamond, with many sides to it. 2. Flat - this character is usually a minor character because he is not well explained, and we can’t tell much about him from seeing or hearing him. We only see one or two character traits of this character, and therefore do not have the opportunity to “get to know him” like we do with a round character. He is simple - like a blank sheet of paper -only two visible sides 3. Stereotyped - this character is very predictable based on commonly held beliefs or stereotypes which society has placed on him. A stereotyped character will act much the same no matter which story or situation he is placed in. Bruce Willis is stereotyped in most of his movies. When we see his name on a movie we expect him to be the “tough, good guy” who saves many people by his daring acts. He has starred in many movies, and he usually plays the same type of person. His name may be different, and the situations changed, but his role is basically the same. He is predictable - like a book. No matter when or where you reread the book, it is still the same.

6. What is the difference between direct and indirect character presentation? 1.Direct presentation - This is where the author will tell his readers all about his character. He will leave little to the imagination of the reader. We do not get much chance to form our own opinions of the person because we are told what to expect. For example “ He’s 178 centimetres tall, weighs seventy-two and a half kilograms, has a tendency toward high blood pressure...” 2. Indirect presentation - This is where the author will let his readers see the characters in action and in interactions with others and then make their own judgments based on what they have seen and heard. It allows the reader to participate in an imaginative way in the story. For example “Now he sighed. I saw his shoulders heave and the rest of his body shudder like the chain reaction of freight cars.” We can assume that there is something bothering this person after having read that line.

7. What is the difference between a static and dynamic character? 1.A Static character will be basically unchanged by the events or other people in the story. If he is a bully at the beginning of a story, he will be a bully at the end of the story. 2. A Dynamic character will somehow change his personality in an important, and permanent way because of what happens to him in the story. The characters in the show “Touched by an Angel” are usually dynamic because they are given some revealing truth about their lives which cause them to change permanently.

8. Explain what a protagonist and antagonist are. 1. The Protagonist is considered the “good guy” (pro means good at something) This is the character whom we sympathize with and want to “win” or succeed. 2. The Antagonist is the “bad guy” He is often portrayed as bad or evil, and acts against the protagonist to stop him from reaching his goal, or winning the conflict.

9. Draw a plot diagram and place each step in the development of plot on it. climax falling action suspense complication conclusion denouement motivation expositioninitial incident (setting and antecedent action)

10. Explain each of the above steps in the development of plot. 1. Exposition - This first element is of vital importance. In it the author outlines, directly or by implication, background information which the reader must be aware of if he is going to understand the story. The exposition may act as an introduction to the story or it may be included in various places throughout the story as the need arises for an explanation to help the reader. The following are part of the exposition: A. Setting - Where and when the action occurs, and the mood and atmosphere of the setting. B. Antecedent Action - The antecedent action allows the reader to become familiar with events that have occurred prior to the opening of the story, and which have led up to the situation or event beginning the story itself. The author will be selective and will include only those things which have a bearing on the story.

11. Explain each of the above steps in the development of plot con’t... 2. Rising Action - This is the development of the events which will lead to the climax of the conflict. It is the bulk of the story, and includes several components: A. Initial Incident - This is the first event which starts the action or which puts the plot in motion. B. Motivation - this is the reason for the actions of the characters C. Complications - This is a series of events which complicates the plot. They stop or hinder the protagonist from reaching his goal. Conflict is an important part of the complication. Conflict is absolutely essential in a short story. It is part of the complication on the plot diagram, and accounts for much of the story line.

12. Conflict There are several kinds of conflict which an author can choose to include in his story. Sometimes he will have all of them, but most often, he will concentrate on one or two. EXTERNAL CONFLICT - This is when the protagonist (good guy) struggles against a force outside of himself. Choices include: Man vs Man - the protagonist struggles with another person in a physical or mental (battle of wits) conflict Man vs Beast - the protagonist struggles with a beast in a physical or mental (battle of wits) conflict Beast vs Beast - two animals struggle against each other - usually in a physical struggle.

13. Conflict Con’t… ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT - This is when the protagonist (good guy) struggles against some naturally occurring force of nature. For example, the protagonist may be lost in the woods, or stranded in a blizzard. It is a struggle for him to overcome the obstacles he faces. INTERNAL CONFLICT - This is when the protagonist (good guy) struggles against some issue within his mind. Think of it as man vs his conscience. For example, the protagonist may have a conflict which shows his values: “Should I make friends with that weird kid or not?” He and his conscience will argue about what the right thing to do is.

14. Explain each of the above steps in the development of plot con’t... D. Suspense - This may or may not be used in any given story, but it is the quality of the plot which arouses the reader’s curiosity and anxiety regarding what will happen next. It may be achieved through the use of: >mystery - an unusual set of circumstances which may be difficult to be explained. >dilemma - the protagonist is placed in a situation where all his choices are equally good or bad. >dangerous situation - we feel concern for the safety of the main character. >foreshadowing - clues which make the reader aware of what the ending will be like >delay - the author stretches the description to make the reader wish for something to happen soon

15. Explain each of the above steps in the development of plot con’t... 3. Climax - This is the point that the whole story is leading up to, or the highest point of suspense or tension which leads to resolving the conflict. It should come near the end of the story and give the readers an idea of the outcome. 4. Falling Action - This is the sorting out of loose ends following the climax. It includes the things that happen once the climax is reached. 5. Conclusion or Outcome - This signifies the end of the conflict. Outcomes may be happy (comedy - the conflict is solved successfully or the protagonist obtains what he wants), unhappy (tragedy - the protagonist is beaten by the forces acting against him),indeterminate (the conflict is not solved - we are left to imagine what exactly did happen), or surprise (the ending is not what the reader expected to happen). Unhappy and indeterminate endings are justifiable because they are realistic or they force the reader to think about life. 6. Denouement - This is an optional element of plot - it is an explanation of the ending. The author will often explain the climax or what happened to the characters following the climax. It is often used in movies.

16. Thoroughly explain the different points of view an author can choose to use in a story. FIRST PERSON PARTICIPANT - This is where the person telling the story is participating in the action and telling us about what happened to him, and allowing us to know what is in his thoughts. This point of view depends on using the first person pronouns - I, Me, We, Us FIRST PERSON OBSERVER - This is where the person telling the story is observing the action and telling us about it. We are allowed to know the thoughts and feelings of this observer, but not of all the other characters. This point of view also uses the first person pronouns. The author will also use third person pronouns (he she they them him her) when telling what the person he is watching is doing or saying. OMNISCIENT - This point of view is told from a person “outside the story” who can tell us about ALL the characters’ thoughts and feelings. “Omniscient” actually means “all knowing” so the author knows and tells us all about all the characters actions, dialogue, thoughts and feelings. The story is told with third person pronouns. (he, she, they, them, him, her). LIMITED OMNISCIENT - This point of view is the same as omniscient, BUT we only get to know the thoughts and feelings of ONE character. All the other characters’ thoughts and feelings must be told to us by the all knowing narrator. The third person pronouns are also used for the narration of this story.

17. What is theme? When an author writes a story he often wishes us to remember and think about some of these ideas which are part of who we are. His purpose is to make us think about ourselves, the world, and how we “fit into the picture” If he is writing a story with these ideas in mind, his story has a THEME. Theme is somewhat like a moral, but it is not a “lesson”. The purpose of a theme is NOT to get us to change our behavior, or learn a lesson. For example a theme is NOT something like “Children should respect their parents.”

18. Give five rules for stating theme correctly. 1. It is not a question. It must be stated as a declarative statement. 2. It is not a fragment. It must be stated in a complete sentence. 3. It must be a GENERAL statement about life which reminds us about something we already know. There will be no direct reference to any particular literature, person, or place. 4. It must allow for some exceptions in life. In other words, you do not use words like ALL, EVERY, NONE, NOBODY, etc. because they do not allow for even one person to be different. It is more suitable to use words like MOST, SOME, SOMETIMES, OFTEN, etc. That way you are not presuming to know what every single person in the world thinks, feels, or does. 5. It does not teach or preach - it is not a moral.

19. What four things are usually found in the exposition of the plot? 1.Setting - Time/place 2.Setting – Mood/Atmosphere 3.Antecedent Action 4. Character Introduction

20. What two things would be considered part of setting? Place: The place a story is set is important because it will affect such things as the names of the characters, what they believe in, their motivations,how they act, how they interact with others, and what their appearance is like. A story set in central Africa will obviously have very different characters and plots than one set in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The problems the characters face may be closely related to the climate and cultural beliefs of the particular geographic region. As soon as we become aware of where a story takes place, we begin to have expectations of what will happen, and what kind of people we will meet. Time: Time setting can be very general, or very specific. For example, “sometime in the 1800’s” or “Last Thursday night” Some stories span several years or decades while others take only a day or less to complete. One famous story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” has a time span of only a few seconds! When a story takes place will also impact our expectations of the characters too.

21. When you begin to read a story, why is it important to understand the setting? The setting of a piece of literature gives the reader a framework for understanding it better. The setting simply means where and when the story takes place. If we are not clear on these two things, we find it more difficult to “buy into” the plot. The setting is often crucial to the plot because it could not happen if the setting was different.

22. What is irony? Give an example from a story we read this year In its simplest definition, irony is a form of expression which implies something different or even opposite of what is actually said. There are several kinds of irony: A. Irony of Situation. - the true meaning of a set of circumstances is not revealed until the outcome of the circumstances is seen; then a contradiction in the expected outcome is the result. The situation may seem to be developing to its logical conclusion, yet almost at the end it takes an opposite turn. This unexpected or unintended development is an example of irony B. Verbal Irony - This is when something is said, but the implied meaning is completely different from the literal meaning. Tone of voice is very important in conveying verbal irony. C. Dramatic Irony - Authors use dramatic irony when they allow the reader to know more about the situation than the characters who are in the situation actually know. This creates a great deal of suspense because we can see danger, or realize outcomes before the characters can.

23. What is foreshadowing? Give an example from a story we read this year. This is a technique used by authors to add interest and suspense to a story. He will give hints or clues throughout the story about what is going to happen. Sometimes the hints are so well hidden that we miss them the first time we read the story. It is only after we get to the end of the story that we realize that they were there at all. When we go back and reread the story, they become quite obvious.

24. What is the difference between standard and non- standard language? Provide an example of non-standard language. Formal and informal language are part of what we call STANDARD LANGUAGE. They are both acceptable forms of language which can be used in different situations. Formal language is absolutely and totally correct in all respects. You will never see contractions, fragments, slang terms, or abbreviations. The words are also very stiff and correct, and often unfamiliar to us. Formal language is used in some school assignments, and when speaking to a person who has more status than us. (Boss, leader, clergy) Informal language is more flexible. You will often see slang, contractions, abbreviations and fragments in this language. It does, however, follow the general rules of grammar. It is familiar to us, and sounds casual and conversational. We use informal language when talking to friends and family, at work and at play. Some school assignments will be completed with informal language. NONSTANDARD LANGUAGE Sometimes, when an author wishes to create a certain impression, he will write using nonstandard language. For example, if an author had a character who had not had any formal schooling, and lived with parents who had not had any either, the author may want to give the impression that the character was uneducated by having him use improper grammatical structures, and colloquial language (slang that is specific to a particular geographical area)

25. You must know the main idea and characters of each short story that we read this year. Golden Girl Taste of Melon A Mountain Journey The Interlopers The Landlady The Sniper Don’t Make Fun of Old Beliefs The Gift of the Magi