Literary ElementsLiterary Elements

The Structure of a Story

Element Number Element Number One ~PlotOne ~Plot• Plot is the literary element that

describes the structure of a story. It shows the causal arrangement of events and actions within a story.

• Plot details the process of resolving the conflicts in a story.

5 Parts of Plot5 Parts of Plot

• Exposition

• Rising Action

• Climax

• Falling Action

• Resolution

ExpositionExposition• Beginning of the story

• Characters and setting are introduced

• Shows the way things are before the action starts and before the conflict is introduced.

Rising ActionRising Action• Major conflict and/or crisis is introduced.

• Stories can (and usually do) have more than one conflict.

ClimaxClimax• Height of the action.

• Turning point of the story—the point at which there is “no going back”.

• The most intense moment of the story (can be physical or mental)

Falling ActionFalling Action• Events following the climax that end in

the resolution.

ResolutionResolution• The conclusion of the story.

• The conflict is resolved.

• Sometimes this is left to the reader’s imagination—the author may not directly state the resolution.• Can be implied

Think of it like Think of it like this…this…

Element Number Two~ Element Number Two~ Characterization:Characterization:• The process of revealing the personality

of a character.

• This is done two ways• Direct Characterization• Indirect Characterization

Direct Characterization:Direct Characterization:

• The narrator directly tells the audience things about the character. • “The boy was evil and tried to kick and bite

everyone in his preschool class.”• “Martha felt sad.”

Indirect CharacterizationIndirect Characterization• Author/narrator shows the audience things

that reveal the character’s personality.

• What do they say? How do they act? What do others say about the character? How does the character dress or look?• “Mommy, I hate that kid!” cried Bethany. “He

calls me names and bites me every single day!”

• Martha plopped hopelessly down onto her bed and sunk her face, streaked with tears, into her pillow.

ProtagonistProtagonist

• Main character

• Answers the question, “Whose story is this?”

• The protagonist always has a goal.

AntagonistAntagonist

• The character that attempts to BLOCK the protagonist from achieving his/her goal.

• This goal seeking/goal blocking is what creates the CONFLICT in a piece of literature.

Dynamic CharacterDynamic Character• One who undergoes at least one permanent,

important change (for better or worse) in some aspect of their personality, nature, or attitude.

• Dynamic characters change INTERNALLY…getting a new haircut or losing 20 lbs does not make one a dynamic character!

• This change is sometimes a RESULT of plot events, and at other times it is the CAUSE of plot events

Static CharacterStatic Character

• A character who does not change in personality, nature, or attitude; he/she is the same sort of person from the beginning of the story until the very end.

Round CharacterRound Character

• A well-developed, multi-sided, and complex character.

• Fully-rounded personality.

Flat CharacterFlat Character

• Usually a minor character.

• 2-dimensional

• Flat characters can be summed up in one or two sentences.• For example, “She was the girl that always

chewed gum when she talked.”

Stock /Archetypal CharactersStock /Archetypal Characters

• Draws upon some stereotype• For example:

• Jock• Cheerleader/Dumb Blonde• Farmer/Redneck• Bully• Nerd• Damsel in distress

FoilsFoils

• Foils are characters that directly contrast with another character.• Think “Rush Hour” : Jackie Chan is the foil

to Chris Tucker—Chan is very serious and Tucker is very goofy and silly.

Element Number Three~ConflictElement Number Three~Conflict

• Without conflict there is NO story!!

• A conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces or ideas.

• Two Categories : Internal and External

Two Categories of ConflictTwo Categories of Conflict• INTERNAL CONFLICT:

*A struggle that takes place in a character's mind.

For example, when a character is trying to make an important decision between two things, s/he is experiencing

Internal Conflict Also occurs when character is trying to

decide how s/he feels about an issue—trying to define her/himself.

Internal Conflict Cont…Internal Conflict Cont…

Internal Conflict is described as:

Human vs. Self

Lord of The Rings: Frodo—should he keep the ring?

Meet the Parents: Focker—should he be himself or act how he thinks her parents want him to act?

Matrix: Neo—is he really the “ONE”?

External ConflictExternal Conflict• External Conflict occurs when a

character is struggling against an outside force.

• External Conflict is described as• Human v. Human• Human v. Nature• Human v. Society• Human v. Machine• Human v. Supernatural

Examples of Human v. HumanExamples of Human v. Human

• Dodgeball: The conflict between Peter La Fleur and White Goodman…who will have the most successful dodgeball team?

• Step brothers: The two step-brothers fight the group of kids on the playground.

• Any fight scene involving Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris

Human v. NatureHuman v. Nature

This type of conflict occurs when a human is struggling against Mother Nature…storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, etc…

Examples of Human v. NatureExamples of Human v. Nature

• Forrest Gump: Lt. Dan and the hurricane

• Twister: Scientists almost die in the tornado

• Titanic: Boat hits iceberg, sinks, people drown in ocean/freeze to death (this movie actually has all 3 kinds of conflict!!)

Human vs. SocietyHuman vs. Society

• Occurs when a character is not accepted by the society in which they live.

• They are an outcast.

• Name an instance of Human vs. Society in something we have read.

Human v. Machine/TechnologyHuman v. Machine/Technology

• Humans create a “machine” and then have to fight against their own creation.

Human vs. SupernaturalHuman vs. Supernatural

• Ghosts, goblins, ghouls, vampires, etc…

Element Number Four ~ SettingElement Number Four ~ Setting• Historical time and place and the social

circumstances that create the world in which characters act and make choices.

• Setting is revealed through:• Geographic location• Cultural backdrop/social context/time

period• Artificial environment (rooms, buildings,

cities)• Props (clothing, furniture, tools)

• Setting creates the mood and atmosphere for a story. Setting is linked to conflict!!!

Element Number Five~Element Number Five~Point of ViewPoint of View• There are three kinds…

• OMNISCIENT: the narrator knows all feelings, thoughts and emotions of all characters.

• FIRST PERSON: one of the characters is the narrator and the story is told from his/her perspective (uses words like I, me,my, mine, our, we, us).

• THIRD PERSON LIMITED: narrator is NOT a character, but zooms in on one characters thoughts and feelings.

Element Number Six~ ThemeElement Number Six~ Theme

• Theme is the central, underlying and controlling idea of a literary work.

• It is a generalization about human behavior.

• Must be expressed in a FULL sentence.• Theme is almost always implicit—author

does not come right out and state theme.

Element Number Seven~ ToneElement Number Seven~ Tone

• Tone is the speaker or author’s attitude toward the subject, which is revealed by the words he or she chooses (diction).

• To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret the meaning!!!

Element Number Eight~ MoodElement Number Eight~ Mood

• Whereas tone is how the author feels about a subject, mood is how the AUDIENCE feels after reading a work of literature.

SymbolismSymbolism

• A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well.

• Things, characters and actions can be symbols.

• Anything that suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.

IronyIrony• Irony is the contrast between what is expected or what

appears to be and what actually is. • Verbal Irony

The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant.

• Situational IronyThis refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended.

• Dramatic IronyThis occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the characters know.

AllusionAllusion

• Allusion is a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. Casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event.

• An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, art or religion.