elements of fiction

ELEMENTS OF FICTIONDefinitions & Terms

CHARACTERS Protagonist: the main

character in a story. The most important character.

Antagonist: In a story, the one who struggles with, or is against the main character

CHARACTERS CONT… Major characters: one character, or several

who are very important in a story.

Minor characters: Those who are not very important in a story.

SETTING The time and place of a story.

PLOT A series of events that are arranged to create

a story. Plot includes:

Exposition Inciting incident Rising action Climax Falling action Resolution Denouement

PLOT PYRAMID

PLOT ELEMENTS Exposition:

The part of the plot that provides background information about the characters, setting, or conflict.

PLOT ELEMENTS Inciting incident: The event that

introduces the central conflict.

PLOT ELEMENTS Rising action: events that make the

problem grow and become more complicated.

PLOT ELEMENTS Climax: The point of greatest tension,

suspense, or interest in the story.

PLOT ELEMENTS Falling Action: All the events following the

Climax .

PLOT ELEMENTS Resolution: The point at which the central

conflict is ended or solved.

PLOT ELEMENTS Denouement: Any material that follows the

resolution and ties up loose ends.

THEME A central idea of a story or book. (It is often a

general statement or opinion about life.)

Themes in Tuck Everlasting:You can’t live without dyingChange is a natural part of life

Themes in Charlotte Doyle• Breaking out of traditional gender roles• Friendship & acceptance• Courage• Prejudice (racial & social class)

INTERNAL CONFLICT A conflict which takes place within the

character.

Examples in Charlotte Doyle Her struggle with guilt over telling Captain

Jaggery about the mutiny and how to make amends.

Her struggle with fear and yet the need to be courageous.

EXTERNAL CONFLICT A struggle between a character and an

outside force: Man vs. nature, Man vs. Man.

Examples from Charlotte Doyle Conflict between Charlotte and the hurricane.

(She is trying to stay alive and keep the sails from being ripped)

Conflict between Charlotte & Captain Jaggery. (He hates her because she embarrassed and challenged him in front of the’crew.)

FORESHADOW The act of hinting at events that will happen

later in the story.

Example from Charlotte Doyle “…it’s my strong opinion, miss, that you

should take another ship for your passage to America.”