1. Short Stories

2. ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY:
SETTING
PLOT (5 stages)
CONFLICT
CHARACTER
NARRATION
POINT OF VIEW
THEME

3. How does a short story differ from a novel?
What are the key features of a short story?

4. SETTING Where and when the story takes place. Place Time Weather
Social conditions
Mood / atmosphere

5. PLOT The sequence of events in the story.
There are 5 essential parts to the plot:
Introduction / Exposition
Rising Action (CONFLICT introduced)
Climax
Falling Action
Denouement / Resolution

6. PLOT - CONFLICT Conflict is essential to the plot of a short story.
Conflict not necessarily an argument or fight. Refers to any form of opposition facing main character.
2 types of conflict:
External or Internal

7. PLOT – CONFLICT cont. There are four general kinds of conflict:
Man v. Man (physical)
Man v. Circumstances (classical)
Man v. Society (social)
Man v. Him/Herself (psychological)

8. CHARACTER
Short Stories use few well-developed characters – usually only one or two MAJOR characters.
They usually feature a PROTAGONIST and an ANTAGONIST.

9. POINT OF VIEW / NARRATION
The narrator is the person telling the story (often a character).
Point of View refers to the way the narrator tells the story. For example:
First person
Third person
Omniscient

10. THEME Controlling idea / underlying meaning / main idea.
The title of a short story often relates to its theme.
Figures of speech often used to emphasise theme (e.g. symbol / allusion / simile / metaphor / hyperbole / irony).

11. ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY:
SETTING
PLOT (5 stages)
CONFLICT
CHARACTER
NARRATION
POINT OF VIEW
THEME