Elements of Fiction

A Guide to the Origins, Development, and Elements of the Short Story and the Novel

Plot

• Sequence of events in a story climax

• Rising FallingAction Action

Conflict Resolution/End

Structure

• Refers to how plot elements are arranged to tell the story

• Can be chronologically sequential, flashback, in broken order, or a combination of these

Flashback

• Interrupts the action of a story

• Tells about an event or events that happened earlier-before the current sequence of events

• Used to develop character, set the basis for current and future events, explain what happens now, or add suspense

Foreshadowing

• Hints at events that are yet to come

• Helps develop the rising action

• Builds suspense• “Hooks” the reader to

keep going in the story

Setting

• Where and when a story takes place– Establishes time and place– Sets the mood for the story– Can establish conflict or

serve as conflict– Can influence characters

and character development– Can relate to the theme

Mood

• The atmosphere of a story– Established by imagery and

detail– How the setting makes the

reader feel– May be the same of

different than the feelings of the characters in the story

– Reader should pay attention to detail IN the story and that which is LEFT OUT

Point of View or Narration

• Refers to the narrator of the story

• May be a character in the story itself

• May be someone outside the story

• May be known or unknown

Types of Points of View

• 1st Person: “I” tells the story– Participant-the narrator is

a central character in the story and tells about his/her experiences him or herself

– Observer-the narrator is a minor character in the story and tells what he witnesses about other characters

Types of Point of View

• 3rd person: Outside narrator-uses pronouns of 3rd person (he, she, it, they, etc.– 3rd person limited-an outside

narrator tells the story and only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character

– 3rd person omniscient-an outside narrator tells the story but knows the thoughts and feelings of any or all characters

Characters

• The “actors” in the story• Stories develop around

their thoughts, words, and actions

• Stories also develop around what other characters think of them and do to them

Protagonist

• The main character of a work

• Can be good or bad or both

• Reader does not have to like the protagonist

• Reader does not have to agree or disgree with the protagonist

Antagonist

• What opposes the protagonist

• Usually a character, but can be something else (a mountain, an animal, a supernatural being, etc.)

• The conlict between the protagonist and the antagonist makes up the plot

Characterization: How authors develop characters• Dynamic characters-

change in a significant way by the end of the story– Scrooge goes from greedy

to generous

• Static characters-remain the same throughout the story– Superman-always good

Characterization

• Round characters-are fully developed with well-rounded personalities

• Flat characters-only reveal one single personality trait throughout the story

• Stereotypes-characters that are overused and very familiar

Methods of Characterization

• Direct Characterization

– The writer tells the reader directly what the character is like (generous, deceitful, innocent, etc.)

Methods of Characterization

• Indirect characterization– Describing how the character

looks or dresses– Letting us hear the character

speaking– Letting us in on the

character’s thoughts and feelings

– Revealing what other people think or say about the character

– Showing the character’s actions

Conflict

• Is the struggle between opposing forces

• The problem in the story• What the story revolves

around• Can be internal or

external or both

Conflict

• Internal-the main character struggles with some emotion within himself or herself

• External-the main character struggles with some outer force – Another character(s)– Nature– Society as a whole-rules– A particular group of people– Tradition or religion

Conflict Analysis

• Man vs. Man• Man vs. Himself• Man vs. Nature• Man vs. Society

Theme

• What the story is REALLY ABOUT

• The “big lesson” or point• Goes beyond subject or

main idea• Is portable to other stories• Can be discerned using all

the elements of fiction

Examples of Subject vs. Theme

SubjectsDeath

Love

Ambition

ThemesOne can face

death with dignity

The greatest love is one

that is unselfish

Ambition can lead to ruin

Style• An author’s style is developed

by his or her choice of– Diction (word usage)– Imagery-word sensations and

figurative language– Details-what’s described or not– Language-informal, formal,

dialectal, etc.– Sentence structure-long, short,

simple, complex, convoluted, etc.

…in other words…DIDLS!!!!

TONE

• Is the way the author feels about – The character or

characters– The conflict– The setting– The theme– The subjectThis can also be

determined by analyzing the DIDLS!!!!!!!!!

Short Stories:

The Development of the Genre

(A genre is a type of art or literature.)

What is a short story?

• Fictional prose • Usually less than 10,000

words in length• Usually has limited

number of characters• Usually has a central

conflict and theme

Origins of the Short Story

• Began with oral literature– Oral literature-literature

passed down through word of mouth

– Preceded written literature– Chants, prayers, long poetic

stories– Communicated the culture,

history, and religion of a particular people

Development of the Short Story• The Short Story developed

from:– Legends: Stories that have real

elements, but have been fictionalized through retelling

– Myths: Stories that explain nature or human nature-usually have gods/goddesses and supernatural

– Fables: Stories using animals as characters-usually have a moral

Development of the Short Story

– Parables: Stories that teach lessons

– Folktales: Stories related to a particular people or culture

– Fairytales: Folktales that--• have elements of the

supernatural• deal with impossible tasks or

quests • have old women as characters, • center around wish fulfillment