basic elements of a short story

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Basic Elements of a Short Story

By: ABIDAH BT SARAJUL HAQ

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXCELLENT TEACHER

Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh

What is a Short Story?

A short story :

Gets off to a fast start.

Generally has a limited number of characters and scenes.

Frequently deals with only one problem.

Uses only details necessary for understanding the situation.

Usually covers just a short time period.

A short story is also a short work of fiction. Fiction is prose writing about imaginaryevents and characters. In PMR Paper 1, students are to answer three objective questions on any

one of the following short stories :

Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes by Che Husna Azhari

How Dalat Got Its Name by Heidi Munan

The Pencil by Ali Majod

Consequently , a short story consists ofFIVE basic elements. They are :

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SETTING

The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some storiesthe setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's

setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may bepresent in a story):

Place : Geographical location. Where is the action of the story ?

Time : When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day or year )

Weather conditions : Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

Social conditions : What is the daily life of the characters like?

Mood or atmosphere : What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright andcheerful or dark and frightening?

Novel Physical setting Social setting

Of Bunga Telur

and Bally Shoes

by Che Husna

Azhari

In the state of Kelantan

A rural village

Bank Bumiputra in Kota Bahru

Cousin Zailans house ( in a rural

village)

Hajjah Cik Minahs Songket

House in Penambang

A traditional 20th

century society

A society mostly

dorminated by women

A society with strong

traditional beliefs and

full of malay culture

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PLOT

A plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea. It is thesequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a

beginning, middle and an end. A short story usually has one plot so it can be read at one sitting.

There are FIVE essential parts of a plot :

a) Introduction - The beginning of a story where the characters and the setting is revealed.

b) Rising Action - This is where the events in a story become complicated and the conflict in

the story is revealed (These are events between the introduction and climax).

c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of a story. The readerwonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader

knows what is happening next and whether the conflict will be resolved

Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

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CLIMAX

FALLINGACTION

RISINGACTION

INTRODUCTION

RESOLUTION

5 main

elements in a

plot of a short


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The plot of The Pencil

Novel Exposition Rising

Action

Climax Falling

Action

Resolution

The Pencil

By Ali

Majod

* Zahidbought a

unique pencil

and later itwent missing

after a few

days.

* Zahidaccused

Dollah of

stealing his

pencil.

* Zahid andDollah had afight.

* Zahid was

punished by

Mr. Jamal.

* Zahid felt

very angry

and attacked

Dollah.

* He took the

pencil and

broke it.

* Zahid feltangry and

frustrated and

fell ill for 3days.

* After hisrecovery, he

went toschool and

became a

bully.

* Zahidbought a pen

knife andbecame

aggressive.

* Zahid cutDollahs hand

and was sent

to theprincipal.

* Mr.

Berahim waskind and

gentle and

Zahid toldhim the whole

incident.

* Dollahconfessed thathe stole the

pencil from

Zahid.

* Mr.Berahim had a

talk with Mr

Jamal . Mr.

Jamal latertreated Zahid

fairly.

* Mr.Berahim gave

Zahid and

Dollah twolong , unique

pencils.

* Zahid and

Dollahbecame

friends again.

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CHARACTER

Character :There are two meanings for the word character:1) The person in a work of fiction ( story)2) The characteristics of a person.

Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and ProtagonistShort stories have very few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all

major events having some importance to this character - he/she is the PROTAGONIST. Theopposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.

The Characteristics of a Person -In order for a story to seem real to the reader, its characters must seem real too. Characterisation

is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author mayreveal a character in several ways:

a) his/her physical appearance

b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreamsc) what he/she does or does not do

d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated and life-like (resemble

real people)

Characters are also categorised into :

1. Individual - round, many sided with complex personalities.2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change, for better or worse, by the endof the story.

3. Static - Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that do not change and are emphasised

for example an intelligent inspector or a cruel stepmother .

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Novel Character Characteristics

How Dalat Got Its Name

by Heidi Munan

GALAU : eldest son of the

chief

Wise and fair

intelligent

a good leader

kind

considerate

understanding

LUTONG : second son of

the chief hot- tempered

ambitious and brave

arrogant

disrespectul

proud

cruel

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CONFLICT

Conflict is essential to a plot. Without conflict there is no plot.

Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the

main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be onedominant struggle with many minor ones.

There are two types of conflict:1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.

2) Internal - A struggle within one's self : a person must make some decision for example to

overcome pain or to control ones emotions

Novel Confict

How Dalat Got Its Name

by Heidi Munan

The Pencil by Ali Majod

The conflict arises after the death of the old chief. Umat

wants to become the chief and challenges his elder brother ,Galau . Galau is the one who should take over the position

from their late father. This causes disorder in the village anda war breaks out.

Dolah steals Zahids new, red pencil. Zahid then fights with

Dollah to get back his pencil. Mr. Jamal does not believe

Zahid and punishes him. Zahid finds himself being treated

with injustice.

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THEME

The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its main message . It is theauthor's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the

author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.

The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he or she may usevarious figures of speech to emphasise the theme, such as: a symbol or metaphor .

Novel Themes

Of Bunga Telur andBally Shoes by Che

Husna Azhari

How Dalat Got Its

Name by Heidi Munan

The Pencil by AliMajod

Upholding traditional customs and practices Being responsible

Status and materialism

Loyalty to the elders

Forgiveness and love

Being honest and truthful

Justice versus injustice

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