1. The Short Story English I

2. The Elements of a Short Story 1. Setting 2. Characterization 3. Theme 4. Point of View 5. Plot

3. 1. Setting Setting= the __time___, __place__ and general background information in a story Example- a town, city, or country Example- a historical time period Example- a particular social status or lifestyle

4. The Purposes of a Setting 1. Establishes the story’s mood or atmosphere 2. Enhances or brings characters to life 3. Creates an illusion of reality (makes the story more believable, more real) 4. May be used ironically to contrast the action in the story and make it more dramatic or complex

5. 2.Characterization Characterization- the method an author uses to acquaint his or her readers with the characters in the story Example: Pieces of information in the story that let the reader know about a character

6. Types of Characterization ____________________- the author gives clues about the character but places the burden for understanding the character upon the reader. Example: Clues given through a character’s actions, words, etc.

7. Types of Characterization __Indirect Characterization _- the author gives clues about the character but places the burden for understanding the character upon the reader. Example: Clues given through a character’s actions, words, hobbies, etc.

8. Types of Characterization ___Direct Characterization__- the author clearly states the entire description of a character. Example: “The man was tired; he had not slept in days.”

9. Notes about Characterization... __static character__- a character that does not change or develop throughout the story (always stays the same) ___dynamic character__-a character who changes, develops, learns something new throughout the story ___flat character__-a two-dimensional character (like a drawing on paper) that has only one main character trait ___round character__-a three-dimensional character that is multifaceted or has many sides (is well developed) 9

10. Characterization continued… What do you think??? A flat character is more likely to be a ___static_______ character. A round character is more likely to be a ___dynamic______ character. …But not always. When you read, check to see if the characters fit this mold. 10

11. 3. Theme Theme- the central idea, universal truth, or “message” within the story The theme of the story may be __clearly stated__ or ___implied____. Implied themes are suggested indirectly through the experiences of the characters or through the events and setting of the work.

12. Application of Theme A story’s theme is the idea you can take from the story and apply within some part of your life- or to humanity in general. Example: The “moral” of the story. Examples of general themes: Friendship Love Revenge Growing up

13. 4. Point of View Point of view- the voice of the story; the author’s choice of narrator for the story

14. Types of Point of View __First Person_______- an actual character within the story (a limited point of view) Example: “Scout” in To Kill a Mockingbird- she tells the story from her point of view

15. Types of Point of View __Omniscient________- “all knowing,” the narrator stands out of the story and knows everything about all of the characters and action This point of view is also called ___third person ____omniscient______________. Example: In “Star Wars,” words scroll across the screen at the beginning telling us the background story… “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” (Lucas)

16. Types of Point of View ___Limited Omniscient_____- the narrator is outside of the story and only has a limited amount of information (ex. only about one character or event). This is also called __third person limited omniscient _______. Example: The short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”

17. Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal arrangement of events and actions within a story. 5.Plot Structure through Short Stories (Source adapted from: Readwritethink.com, used with permission)

18. Types of Linear Plots Plots can be told in Chronological order Flashback In media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition

19. Pyramid Plot Structure The most basic and traditional form of plot is pyramid-shaped. This structure has been described in more detail by Aristotle and by Gustav Freytag.

20. Plot Components Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads (Dénouement) Conflict / Inciting Incident: something that captures the reader’s attention and keeps the story moving

21. Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

22. Types of Conflict Human vs. Nature Human vs. Society Human vs. Self Internal Conflict Human vs. Human Interpersonal / External Conflict

23. External conflict: a struggle against an outside force Internal conflict: a character’s struggle with himself/herself Protagonist: the first or main character within a story, usually associated with the hero (but not always) Antagonist: the character in direct opposition to the protagonist; he/she tries to stop the protagonist from achieving his/her goal

24. 1. Poetic Justice Poetic Justice: rewarding the good and punishing the bad usually in an unexpected or ironic way

25. 2. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing: clues the author gives to portray future story events

26. 3. Suspense Suspense: a feeling of uncertainty encouraging the reader to find out more about the story.

27. 4. Mood Mood: the atmosphere or feeling created in a literary work—usually created through descriptive details

28. 5. Denotation 6. Connotation Denotation: literal meaning of a word or phrase Connotation: suggestive meaning of a word or phrase; a subjective, cultural and/or emotional coloration in addition to the explicit or denotative meaning of any specific word or phrase in a language, i.e. emotional association with a word

29. 7. Irony Irony: a difference or contradiction between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens

30. 8. Situational Irony Situational Irony: an event or situation that contradicts the expectations of a character, reader or audience

31. 9. Verbal Irony Verbal Irony: a character’s spoken words that present a contradiction between appearance and reality or between expectation and reality

32. 10. Protagonist 11. Antagonist Protagonist: the first or main character in a story (usually associated with the hero); the character trying to accomplish something Antagonist: the character who is directly opposite or in conflict with the main character and acts as an obstacle for him/her The antagonist is introduced after the protagonist in the story.

33. 12. Gothic Literature Gothic Literature: literature style characterized by haunted mansions, secret passageways, old and mysterious buildings, dark secrets and dark tales of vengeance, revenge, and intense passions.

34. 13. Reverse Psychology Reverse Psychology:a method of getting another person to do what one wants by pretending not to want it or by pretending to want something else

35. 14. Banality of Evil Banality of Evil: the thesis that the great evils in history generally were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths but rather by ordinary people who accepted the practices and premises of their state and therefore participated in evil with the view that their actions were normal banal : lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : trite

36. 15, 16, 17, 18 Point of view:the voice of the story; the author’s choice of narrator for the story First person: an actual character within the story tells the story (a limited point of view) Setting: the time, place and general background information in a story Symbol: something that stands for or represents something else

37. 19, 20, 21 Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces External Conflict: a struggle against an outside force Person against person Person against nature Internal Conflict: conflict that occurs when a character struggles with himself or experiences opposing ideas or feelings at the same time