1. The Short Story
Elements for Analysis

2. What is a Short Story
A brief fictional prose narrative often involving one connected episode.
Creates “Unity of Effect”
True to our emotions
Accurately reflects life lived by all of us
Remember it’s still fiction

3. What do we mean by elements?
Means of analyzing fiction
Breaking it down to its parts
Helps us to evaluate its “Unity of Effect”
Helps us make meaning from the story

4. Plot Series of events related to a central conflict
Climax/turning point
Denouement/Resolution
Conflict
Rise in action
Exposition

5. Character Action of Plot is performed by character
Character not always aware
Why they act as they do
Awareness not always accurate
Reader may know before character

6. How should we try to understand character?
Judge them by our value system?
System set up for REAL people
They are FICTIONAL
Look at writer’s characterization instead
Mental processes
Dialogue
Description

7. Successful Character Comes alive Accumulation of detail Appearances
Actions
Responses

8. Types of Characters Round Flat Readers feel the pull of actions
Seen as capable of alternatives
Flat
No pull
Not capable of alternatives

9. Types of Character Dynamic Static
Capable of or experiencing change in the action of the story
Static
Stays the same

10. Theme Generalization about the meaning of a story
Often difficult to summarize and still be true to details of narrative
Sometimes moral judgment
Sometimes personal expression of life

11. Setting Place and time of the story Creates a “solid” world
Sometimes only a backdrop to action
Can be central to action

12. Style Language the author uses in narration Made up of:
Tone – unstated attitudes
Ironic/humorous/serious/excited/compassionate
Created by speech (remember DIDLS)
Lofty/everyday
Symbols
Something that stands for something else (idea, thought)

13. Style Continued Made up of: Figurative/Literal Language
Diction (word choice)
Syntax (sentence structure)
Point of view (narrator)

14. Point of View POV – the way the story is told 1st person narrator
Participant in the story
Major/minor character
3rd Person narrator
Not a participant in the story

15. 1st Person Narrator
Cannot understand others except through what they see or what others tell them.
Authority/trustworthiness is limited
Biased report
May perceive things differently from reader

16. 3rd Person Narrator Omniscient Limited
Sees into all characters, controlling authority
Limited
Sees into one or two characters
Subjective view

17. 3rd Person Narrator Objective Limited Omniscient
Impartial, doesn’t evaluate or comment on the actions of characters
Lets actions speak for themselves
Limited Omniscient
One central intelligence – one character’s psyche is the stage for the drama
All is measured against this character’s thoughts and feelings

18. Point of view There are other forms of narration
These forms are more flexible than implied by these categories