1. Short Story Terms: Comm 12
HSS English Department

2. What is a Short Story?
A short story is a brief work of fiction where, usually, the main character faces a conflict that is worked out in the plot of the story

3. What is the Plot?
Plot: Series of related events that introduce the conflict of a story and lead to its resolution.

4. Freytag's Pyramid Climax Rising Action Falling Action Eventsor
Plot Points
Falling Action
Denouement
and/or
Resolution
Complicating Incident
Introduction or exposition

5. Introduction or Exposition
In this part of the story, the situation is revealed and the characters are introduced. The setting may be made clear, the tensions introduced, etc.

6. Complicating Incident
The event or incident that leads to a conflict in a story. The incident may be a result of a choice a character makes or happenstance, but the story rests on this problem being solved.

7. Conflict A struggle between two opposing forces Types
Internal – takes place in a character’s own mind
Person vs. Him(Her)self
External – a character struggles against an outside force
Person vs. Another
Man vs. Environment (broadly defined)‏

8. Events, Rising Action or Plot Points
Consists of a series of complications.
These occur when the main characters take action to resolve their problems and are met with further problems:
Fear, hostility or threatening situations
These events move the story forward to its final resolution.

9. Climax
The turning point in the story: the high point of interest and suspense
Climax
Rising Action or Complications
Falling Action

10. Falling Action
All events following the climax or turning point in the story. These events are a result of the action taken at the climax.

11. Resolution (Denoument)‏
The end of the central conflict: it shows how the situation turns out and ties up loose ends

12. Character Character – a person in a story, poem or play.
Types of Characters:
Round- fully developed, has many different character traits
Flat- stereotyped, one-dimensional, few traits OR
Static – Does not change
Dynamic – Changes as a result of the story's events

13. Protagonist Central character of the story
the most important character
normally changes and grows because of experiences in the story (death is not a change)‏

14. Antagonist A major character or force that opposes the protagonist
the antagonist normally does not change
Types of antagonists:
people
nature
society

15. Point of View Vantage point from which the writer tells the story.
It answers the question “Who is telling the story?” and “How much is that person allowed to know.

16. 1st Person Narration
The narrator is a character participating in the story
uses the first-person pronoun “I”
offers an intimate view of the story, but has limited scope

17. Example
I slowly pushed open the door. In the gloom, I could barely make out someone--or something?--lying on a bed. Brushing aside cobwebs and watching for spiders, I approached the bed. Then I saw her for the first time--the woman of my dreams! She was beautiful--long, thick red hair, fair skin with a tinge of blush in her cheeks. But why was she wearing such a strange dress? Maybe there had been a masquerade the night before and she had been too tired to take off the dress. I looked at her for a few minutes, awed by her beauty and air of innocence. Then, on a sudden impulse, I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Who knows when I would have that opportunity again? She stirred, her eyelids fluttered; then she opened her blue eyes, eyes so blue I lost myself in their depths. She smiled and breathed, "You've come at last." Sitting on the edge of the bed, I smiled back, "Yes, I have."And I hoped we wouldn't be leaving soon. Then that fool of a servant came in and spoiled everything.

18. 3rd Person limited omniscient
The narrrator is not a participant but relates the story from outside.
Tells the story of a single character
Uses 3rd person narration “he” or “she”
Resembles the way we experience the world, but is limited like first person

19. Example The prince's point of view:
The prince slowly pushed open the door. What a filthy room; the dust was so thick he was even leaving footprints; was he ruining his shoes? The servants should be punished for their laziness; maybe beheading one or two would give the rest a proper attitude toward their duties. He brushed spider webs aside; he shuddered at the thought of spiders, disgusting little creatures. He approached the bed; that was one striking redhead lying asleep. It was time to stop and think about his next move. Was anyone around? No? Good. Well, time to act; just standing looking at her wasn't going to accomplish anything. He bent over her and kissed her lips, full. Nice. Maybe he could get in a few more kisses. Just then, she stirred, her eyelids fluttered; she opened her blue eyes and smiled at the prince. "You've come at last," she said. Come at last? What was she talking about? he wondered, as he sat on the bed and smiled back ingratiatingly and hopefully. To his annoyance, the servant entered the room, and disrupted the mood.

20. 3rd Person omniscient
The narrator does not participate but relates the story from outside.
Tells the story from many different characters' perspective.
Uses 3rd person narration “he” and/or “she”
Offers a broad view of the story, but can feel artificial.

21. Example
The prince's servant waited in the hallway, relieved at not having to take any risks. Despite his impatience, the prince slowly, very slowly, pushed the door open. He was a very cautious prince; as a child, he never went out in the rain without his boots and umbrella. Brushing aside cobwebs, he grimaced with distaste and approached the bed. He thought of possible dangers. He looked, with admiration and a touch of some other feeling, at a beautiful young woman asleep; he had always found redheads particularly attractive. He was puzzled by her out-of-fashion dress, which looked like the dress his great grandmother was wearing in her state portrait. He stood by the bed for a few minutes, looking around to see if anyone was observing him. No, no one was, he noted with satisfaction. Only then did he bend over and kiss her full on the lips. He was also an unworthy prince. Before he could kiss her again, she stirred, her eyelids fluttered; then she opened her blue eyes and smiled at the prince. She thought he was the handsomest prince she had ever seen. She was in love--again. You must remember that it had been a long time since she had seen a young man. "You've come at last," she said warmly, to encourage him. Curious and bored, the servant entered the room. The prince was sitting on the side of the bed, as if he intended to stay awhile.

22. 3rd Person objective
The narrator does not participate but relates the story from outside.
Relates only what is seen and heard.
Uses 3rd person narration “he” and/or “she”
Allows the reader to interpret the story, but the characters' thoughts may be misinterpreted.

23. Example
The prince slowly pushed open the door; his servant waited in the hall. In the dim light, the prince saw a form lying on a bed. Brushing aside cobwebs, he approached the bed; he left footprints in the thick dust. He looked down at the form, a beautiful young woman; she had long red hair and was wearing on out-of-fashion dress. He stood looking at her for several minutes; then he bent over and kissed her on the lips. She stirred, her eyelids fluttered; then she opened her blue eyes and smiled. "You've come at last," she said. The servant entered the room, and the prince smiled and sat on the bed.

24. The “main idea” of the story
Theme
The central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work.
The “main idea” of the story

25. Flashback
The present scene in the story is interrupted to flash backward and tell what happened in an earlier time.

26. Foreshadowing
Clues the writer puts in the story to give the reader a hint of what is to come.

27. Symbol
An object, person, or event that functions as itself, but also stands for something more than itself.
Example: Scales function is to weigh things,
but they are also a symbol
of our justice system.

28. Irony
A contrast between expectation and reality

29. Irony
Verbal Irony – saying one thing but meaning something completely different.
Calling a clumsy basketball player “Michael Jordan”
Situational Irony – A contradiction between what we expect to happen and what really does happen
Dramatic Irony – occurs when the reader knows something important that the characters in the story do not know.

30. Suspense
Uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen next in a story.