1. The Six Story Elements Point of view Setting Plot Characterization Conflict Theme

2. Understanding Point of View in Literature: Who is telling the story? Point of view refers to the narration of a story. Literature must be narrated by someone, and a writer must decide who that someone will be. The selection of narrator determines the point of view from which the story will be told, as well as the amount and kind of information a reader will be given.

3. Point of view is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's going on. It is the “vantage point” from which the narrative is passed from author to the reader. The point of view can vary from work to work. Point of view is numbered: first, second, and third.

4. First Person Point of View (Internal Narrator) When you tell a story through a viewpoint character using I or we, you are using first person point of view. 1. First-person involved (main character) 2.First-person observer (minor character) Example: “The banging on my door reverberated within my skull like a giant church bell in an empty hall. I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, pulling the pillow over my head.”

5. Second Person Point of View Telling a story using you is called second person point of view. Using this viewpoint, you control all of the information and give the reader whatever you want. Example: “You open your eyes and the sun is already high in the sky. You’ve slept away the whole morning. You roll over on the hot sand, scrambling to your knees. The events of last night come rushing back to you…”

6. Third Person Point of View (External Narrator) Third person point of view is by far the most common choice. It uses the third person pronoun he, she, and they to tell the story. Example: “As they followed Charlie through the crowded maze, Jake felt an odd excitement building inside him—or was it fear? He tried to grab Sophie’s hand, but she slapped him away.” 1. Third-person limited 2. Third-person reporter (observer) 3. Third-person omniscient (all-knowing)

7. Setting and Meaning People exist in a particular time and place. Where we live may contribute not only to our personality, but also to our values, attitudes, and even our problems. In literature, setting (time and place) can also influence characters and what they do.

8. Time We need to consider four kinds of time that may carry particular associations with them: Clock time: this can be used to provide suspense or create certain moods or feelings. Calendar time: the day, month, year, or more generally a day of the week or time of the month may provide an understanding of what takes place in a piece of literature. Seasonal time: the seasons or a span of time associated with a particular activity may be important. Historical time: this can establish a psychological or sociological understanding of behaviors and attitudes.

9. Place We may find significance in the actual location where the action occurs, but we need to pay attention to the nonphysical as well as the physical environment. The physical environment, including weather conditions, may be specifically described. The nonphysical environment includes cultural influences such as education, social standing, economic class, and religious belief. These may be revealed by physical properties in the scene or through the characters' dialogue, thoughts, statements, and behaviors.

10. Plot: Storyline

11. Plot Plot is the sequence of events and ideas that occur in the story and how the ways those events relate to one another. These events are presented to the reader to show relationships and meanings.

12. Defining Characterization Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

13. A. Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

14. B.Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization (S.T.E.A.L.): Speech What does the character say? How does the character speak? Thoughts Self-Revelation - internal dialogue, asides, soliloquies. What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings? Effect Reflected Revelation - What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel, speak, or behave in reaction to the character? Actions What does the character do? How does the character behave? Looks What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

15. Certain types of characters appear in many stories: The Protagonist The protagonist is the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other literary work. a person who plays a leading or active part not always heroic in nature around whom the action centers the character the reader or audience empathizes with In complex works of literature, it may not be as obvious. the well-written protagonists are round characters. They should be the most interesting, complex characters in your book or story.

16. The Antagonist The antagonist is the force in conflict with the protagonist. It may be society, nature, or fate, as well as another person. It can also be the protagonist's own self, if he or she has an internal conflict.

17. Conflict Conflict is defined as the struggle between opposing forces. One of the forces is usually the main character (protagonist). The opposition may arise between forces internal or external to the central character. character versus herself character versus character

18. Internal Force: Character versus himself (example: thoughts of suicide) External Force: Character versus character (example: fist fight) Character versus society (example: prejudice) Character versus nature (example: flood) Character versus beast/animal (example: shark attack) Character versus supernatural (example: ghosts) Simply put, the conflict is the WHY of a story.

19. Theme Theme: Some people have strange dreams, and then they wonder what the dreams mean. The same is true with stories. Stories usually have some meaning, as we call the meaning the theme. THEME= THE/Meaning Theme can also be understood as the lesson, or moral of the story. Ask yourself, “What is the author trying to say? What can be learned from this story?”