1. Short Story Elements
English 9

2. Protagonist The principle character in a literary work.
Usually a “good” guy or hero but doesn’t have to be.

3. Antagonist One that contends with or opposes.
Usually the “bad” guy or the character that opposes the protagonist.

4. Static Character
A static character is one that does not change during the course of a story.

5. Dynamic Character
A dynamic character is one that develops and grows over the course of a story.

6. Point of View The point of view from which a story is told:
First person: when a character in the story tells the story
Third person: when a voice outside the story tells the story; omniscient narrators are all knowing

7. Setting The time and place of the action of a story.
May include a city or state, season, year, or time of day.

8. Conflict A struggle between opposing forces
Can be internal or external
External conflict is a struggle with an outside force (society, nature, another character)
Internal conflict is a struggle a character has with him or herself

9. Plot The sequence of events in a story Exposition Rising Action Climax
Falling Action
Resolution

10. Theme
A theme is a broad idea in a story, or a central message or lesson conveyed by a work. This message is usually about life, society or human nature.

11. Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story. An example of foreshadowing might be when a character displays a gun or knife early in the story. Merely the appearance of a deadly weapon, even though it is used for an innocuous purpose — such as being cleaned or whittling wood — suggests terrible consequences later on.

12. Symbolism
A symbol is a person, place, thing, or action that stands for itself and for some other more complex meaning or significance. Symbols have literal and figurative meanings:
• A watch that a character wears is literally a watch.
• A watch that a character wears and constantly plays with can figuratively represent that character's obsession with time.

13. Irony
Irony is a literary or rhetorical device in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says and what is generally understood (either at the time, or in the later context of history).
Example: Romeo and Juliet

14. Metaphor
Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something.
Example:
Chybon was a wall, keeping the defense from reaching DeCorey.

15. Simile A comparison of two or more things.
Similes are typically marked by use of "like" or "as" or "than", or "resembles".
Example:
Lauren’s drawings are as colorful as a rainbow.

16. Imagery
Imagery is descriptive language that deals with any of the five senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste.)

17. Mood Mood is the feeling created in the reader while reading a story.
Scared, happy, anxious, etc