1. Who, What, Where, How and Why of a story…
Literary Elements
Who, What, Where, How and Why of a story…

2. Setting: time and Place of a story.
Characters: who is in the story; major (main) character/s and minor character/s.
Plot: the sequence of events that keep the story moving.
Mood: how the story makes the reader feel.
Climax: the high point or turning point of the story.
Antagonist: opposition to the main character in the story.
Protagonist: the chief character in a story.
Tone: the author’s attitude toward a subject.

3. Allusion: an indirect reference, casual reference or mention.
Flashback: an interruption in the flow of events in a story to look back at or refer to something which took place earlier in the plot.
Foreshadowing: a subtle clue or a hint of something yet to occur in the plot.
Illusion: an unreal or misleading appearance, a false impression
Imagery: descriptions which appeal to the senses.
Inference: a reasonable conclusion drawn from hints provided by the author.
Irony: contrast between what is expected and what actually is.

4. Characterization:
The creation of a character by any one of the following methods:
Description of traits
Report of speech, behavior, thoughts, and feelings
Reaction of others toward character

5. Conflict:
The struggle the protagonist is dealing with in the story; falls into one of four categories:
Person vs Person – conflict with antagonist
Person vs Nature – conflict with natural disaster of some sort
Person vs Society – conflict with what is happening around them
Person vs Self – conflict within themselves; lack of self-confidence; struggling with a decision.

6. Point of View:
The relationship of the narrator or the storyteller to the story; three main types:
First person POV – the persona uses the first person “I” and is either the main character or a minor character around whom the action of the story takes place. Readers know ONLY what the “I” is thinking.
Second person POV – the persona uses the second person “you” to tell the story. Sometimes the “you” is implied.

7. Point of View continued
Third person POV – the persona uses the third person “he” or “she” to tell the story; there are three types of 3rd person POV.
3rd person omniscient: when the narrator tells the story and reveals what all or most of the characters are thinking.
3rd person limited: when the narrator tells the story and can tell what only one or two major characters are thinking.
3rd person objective: when the narrator tells the story and cannot tell what anyone is thinking; the narrator is a stranger to the characters.

8. Author’s Purpose:
Why did the author write the story? Who is it written for?
It is always important to think about why the story was written.
First you need to identify your audience; who
was the story written for?
Then, you can figure out the purpose;
was it strictly to entertain?
was it to persuade someone of something?
was it to convey a message or teach a lesson?

9. Plot Diagram

10. Literary Elements
Who?
What?
Where?
How?
Why?

11. Literary Elements Chart for Knots on a Counting Rope
Element Type
In Story
Supporting quote from story
Page #
Setting
Characters
Mood
Antagonist
Protagonist
Tone
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Inference
Conflict (type?)
Point of View