ELEMENTS OF SHORT STORIES

SHORT STORIESShort story- a brief work of fiction intended to be read in a single sitting

Elements of a short story- characters, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, theme

Characters

Conflict

Setting

Plot

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATIONCharacters- the people or animals who take part in the action

Characterization- the act of creating and developing a character

Direct characterization- narrator makes direct statements about a character’s personality

Indirect characterization- writer shows what a character is like by providing details about what the characters say and do, what other characters say about them, and how other characters respond to them

Dialogue- character’s words; helps to move the action along

SETTINGSetting- the time and place of the story’s action

Characters live and act in a setting.

Helps to set the atmosphere or mood.

PLOT AND PLOT STRUCTUREPlot- the sequence of events in a story

Plot structure- the way in which story events are organizedExposition- introduces the characters and their situationRising action- develops the conflictClimax- the turning point at which the story’s outcome is determined; moment of greatest intensity

Falling action- sets up the endingResolution- conclusion

Chronological order- events unfold in time order

Flashback- shows events from before

CONFLICT

Internal conflict- takes place in the character’s mind character vs. self

External conflict- takes place between a character and an outside force Character vs. character Character vs. nature

Conflict- struggle between opposing forces, calls on characters to act and drives the plot

POINT OF VIEWPoint of view- the perspective from which a story is told

First-person point of view- story is told from the perspective of a character in the story

(I, me, my)Third-person point of view- story is told from the perspective of a narrator outside the story

Omniscient third-person narrator- narrator knows everything that happens and reveals what characters feel and think

Limited third-person narrator- reveals the thoughts and feelings of a single character

THEMETheme- a central message or insight about life

Stated theme- expressed directly by the authorImplied theme- suggested by what happens to the charactersUniversal theme- message about life that has been expressed throughout time and in different cultures

The details of a short story (characters, setting, plot, and conflict) work together to develop the story’s theme.

Tips for identifying a story’s theme:Note changes in charactersTrace the development of the plot, look at the choices characters had to make, and evaluate the resolution

Pay attention to the settingKeep an eye out for irony (what happens is the opposite of what the reader or characters expects to happen)