2. Stories of Us Story Literary Elements

3. Plot  Plot is the conflict of the story and how the author unravels the conflict.  e.g. The king died. The queen died. vs. The king died. The queen died of a broken heart.

4. Great stories have a conflict

5. Person vs. Person

6. Person vs. Society

7. Person vs. Nature

8. Person vs. Self

9. Characters People Animals Or Creatures

10. Characterization  Can be the most powerful element of a story  If you don’t care about the characters you might not finish the book  Well-rounded characters: –Are real people (not all good/bad) –Given description of physical appearance –Change as they confront/overcome problems

11. The protagonist is the “good guy”

12. The antagonist is the “bad guy” or force

13. Setting  The time and place of the story  Important in historical fiction  Affects what the characters see, smell, hear, touch, etc.  What are the rules of society?  Setting can: –Set the mood (Tuck Everlasting) –Be the antagonist (where one needs to survive) –Be symbolic

14. Themes  Usually revealed by changes in the character  Can facilitate learning (historical fiction is much easier to read than a textbook)  What is the book saying to you? (You don’t have to have the same answer as the author)

15. Examples of Theme Good vs. Evil “Evil will always triumph over good Because good is dumb.”

16. Betrayal

17. Alienation

18. Love Overcoming All

19. Rites of Passage  Growing up, loss of innocence, journey of self, gaining knowledge but at a cost

20. The point of view is the perspective of the story “That rotten wolf tried to eat us!!!!” “I was framed! I just wanted to borrow a cup of sugar!”

21. Wizard of Oz vs. Wicked

22. Point of View  Who’s telling the story? Has a big impact on our sympathies  Common points of view: –First Person (e.g. I went to the store). Can share every thought and feeling with the reader, but limited only to that viewpoint. Possible that you won’t get the full truth. (e.g. Twilight) –Third Person Limited (e.g. She went to the store). (e.g. Harry Potter) –Omniscient—Knows what everyone in the story is thinking an feeling. Can enter the mind of more than one character