1. The Short Story

2. Short Story vs Novel Meant to be read in one sitting
Tend to be less complex
Usually focus on one incident
Fewer characters
Tend to follow similar pattern

3. The Pattern
This year we are going to look at literary criticism and the different ways in which people interpret what they read. We do this for a number of reasons, but mostly to try to reach an understanding of how literature reveals certain truths about ourselves. So we will start with the ancient greeks and what they have to say about “story” Three components of plot are beinning, middle and end.

4. The Pattern Consists of Exposition
Incentive moment or “inciting incident”
Rising action
Crisis
Climax
Denouement

5. The Pattern
Exposition: does not further plot but is essential information for reader
Inciting incident: starts cause and effect chain
Rising action: continues cause and effect chain
Climax: elements of story should have inevitably led here.
Resolution and denouement: caused by preceding events, but don’t lead to outside incidents
Inciting incident: effects are more important than the cause but should not depend on anything outside the story

6. Conflict Person vs person Person vs society Person vs self
Person vs nature
Person vs fate (God)
All stories require some form of conflict

7. Character Protagonist vs hero Antagonist Dynamic Static Flat Round
Foil
Protagonist is the person with whom you identify in the story. He or she may or may not have heroic qualities. Dynamic: changes over course of story (scrooge) Static: Stays the same Events don’t change them. Flat: reveals only one or two character traits. Can include stock characters
Round: Also may be called “fully developed” character. Exhibits many and sometimes contradictory traits. Usually also dynamic. Foil: purpose is to enhance another character through contrast. Holmes and Watson

8. Theme Statement General but not too general
Should account for all major details
Avoid sweeping generalizations.
No clichés
Helpful to mention topic title and author in a theme statement
Appearance vs reality is a topic not a theme. The theme is the author’s idea about a topic. Generalization about life not individual characters, but not so general that it lacks a point. E.g., The effects of risk-taking are positive or negative is too broad. When an individual takes a calculated risk, he or she experiences excitement and grows as an individual.” Better. Sweeping generalizations “all, every, always,”

9. Narrative Point of View

10. First Person Advantages reader more involved
narrator as character =more complex story
Disadvantages
Only see through eyes of one character
Trust?
What are we not seeing?

11. Third Person (limited or omniscient)
Advantages
Fly on wall perspective
Understand perspectives of multiple characters
No judgment
Disadvantages
Sometimes author intentionally limits our view for specific purpose
Distancing
May appear to not have bias

12. (Intrusive Narrator)
An omniscient narrator who, in addition to reporting events of story:
Offers further comments
Sometimes reflects generally upon significance of story.
Common with 19th century novelists.