1. SHORT STORY UNIT
GRADE NINE ELA

2. GENRE Is a word that means type.
If someone is talking about a literary genre, he /she is simply referring to a type of literature

3. Common genres in fiction are.
The short story
The poem
The novel
The play
Many other genres exist.

4. The Short Story One of the most common forms of prose writing .
Can be usually read in one sitting.
Shorter than a novel
Will have at least one character, a setting( time and place of the action) and a plot( events that happen in the story. It will also have a conflict of some kind and a theme or main idea.
words

5. Four main elements of a Short Story
PLOT
CHARACTER
SETTING
THEME

6. PLOT
Is the element of the short story that must be given the most attention when introducing the short story.
Plot in literature simply means the particular arrangement of incidents to bring about a desired ending.
The author usually knows what he/she is trying to do and he arranges his material as best he/she can to achieve this purpose.
Plot must have unity( a planned arrangement of events) and conflict (a problem or struggle).

7. PLOT DIAGRAM Introduction: introduces characters, setting and plot
Rising Action: conflict and suspense
Climax:
Falling Action
Resolution

8. PLOT
Introduction: Introduces the storyline, characters and setting of the story.
Rising action: Introduces the conflict and builds suspense as the story unfolds

9. Plot organization continued
Climax: the highest moment of suspense. The most exciting moment in the story.
Falling Action: the events which follow the climax. The purpose to tie things together or to clarify unresolved issues.
Resolution: the end of the story. Sometimes the issues and conflicts are resolved. Other times there may be a surprise ending. With the climax, falling action and resolution occurring at the same moment.

10. CHARACTER Who is important in the story?
Protagonist- most important character
Antagonist- second most important character
Another way to refer to characters: main and minor characters

11. How are characters presented?
An author may present his/her characters directly or indirectly.
Directly: the author tells the reader straight out what a character is like or has someone else in the story tell us what the character is like.

12. continued
Indirectly: the author shows us the character in action. We infer what the character is like by what he/she thinks, does or says.

13. Characterization
The method by which an author may reveal or develop a character.

14. Characterization must observe three principals
Characters must be consistent in their behavior. They must not behave in one way on one occasion and a different way on another occasion. Unless there is a clearly sufficient reason for the change.

15. Principals of characterization continued
2.We must be able to understand the reasons for what they do, if not immediately then at least by the end of the story.
3.The character must be life like. They must not be paragons of virtue (too good) nor monsters of evil nor the impossible contradiction of contradictory traits

16. Four types of characters
FLAT: is characterized by one or two traits. Not well developed. His/her character can be summed up in a sentence.
A special kind of flat character is a stock character. This is the type of character who has occurred so often in fiction that his or her nature is immediately known. Ex. Cruel stepmother, handsome brave hero, sinister villian, modest heroine, brilliant detective with eccentric habits

17. 2.ROUND CHARACTER
A round character is complex and many sided. This type of character may not be revealed until you have read an entire essay or story.

18. 3. STATIC CHARACTER
Is the same sort of person at the end of the story as he/she is at the beginning( no personal growth).

19. 4. DYMNAMIC CHARACTER
THIS TYPE OF CHARACTER IS CONTINUOUSLY DEVELOPING
A PERMANENT CHANGE TAKES PLACE IN SOME ASPECT OF HIS/HER CHARACTER, PERSONALITY OR OUTLOOK. The change may be large or small, it may make the character appear for the better or worse.

20. SETTING The time, place, and circumstance of a story, play or novel.
When, where and what is going on
The importance of the setting is determined by the plot

21. THEME The main idea of a story
The message the author is trying to get us to think about.
Some themes are implied (hinted at) others are explicit (stated directly).

22. MOOD The feeling you get when reading a story
The happenings which made you feel sad, happy, thoughtful, etc.

23. Atmosphere This is a feeling which surrounds a text.
For example, many Halloween short stories have a creepy atmosphere.
They create a mood of fear or anxiety in you, but the atmosphere is creepy or scary.

24. Conflict This is a struggle between two or more forces.
There are three different types in LA:
1.) External: conflict between a person and some outside force.
2.) Interpersonal: conflict between two or more individuals.
3.) Internal: conflict between a person and their own mind.

25. Point of View This is the angle from which a story is told.
There are many points of view in LA:
1.) 1st Person Point of View
2.) 3rd Person limited point of view
3.) 3rd Person omniscient point of view
4.) 3rd Person objective point of view

26. 1st Person Point of View
1st Person: The story is told from one person’s perspective. They are a character in the story.
Words like “I” and “we” are used.

27. 3rd Person Point of View
3rd Person: The story is told from a narrator’s perspective where they are not a character in the story.
Words like “he” and “they” are used.

28. 3rd Person Point of View Three types:
1.) Limited: the narrator only knows the facts because they follow one character.
2.) Omniscient: the character knows all and sees all. They are God like.
3.) Objective: the narrator simply reports actions as they occur.

29. Foreshadowing
Authors give us details which hint at larger events and moments that will reveal themselves later.
For example, if an author described a slick of oil on a floor, a character may later slip in this oil or it might catch fire.

30. Flashback
This is when a an author relives a moment which has already passed to provide us with important details from this past event.
As an example, many television shows begin flashbacks by having the screen become distorted and wavy.