1. Elements of Fiction
Trudy Proctor
March 18, 2003

2. Elements of Fiction Setting Characters Point of View Theme Conflict
Plot

3. Setting Time Place Culture When the story takes place
Where the story takes place
Culture
Customs, values, and beliefs of the period

4. Characters All the actors in the story Protagonist
Central or main character
Antagonist
Person or force against the protagonist

5. Theme Main message of the story Explicit Implied Stated in the story
Suggested by events in the story
Must be interpreted by the reader
May vary

6. Point of View First-person: Narrator is a character.
Reader sees everything through the eyes of that character.
Third-person: Narrator is not in the story.
Limited omniscient: Reader knows thoughts of one person.
Omniscient: Reader knows thoughts of several characters.

7. Conflict Struggle between forces
External – struggle between a character and an outside force
Man against man
Man against nature
Man against society
Internal – struggle within a character’s mind

8. Plot Exposition Rising action Climax Falling action Resolution
Background of characters and setting
Rising action
Develops the conflict
Climax
Point of highest interest, conflict, or suspense
Falling action
Events following the climax
Resolution
Final outcome

9. REVIEW Can you define the elements of fiction?
Setting
Characters
Theme
Point of View
Conflict
Plot A+

10. Bibliography
Glencoe Literature The Reader’s Choice. Glencoe McGraw-Hill. New York, New York
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