Short Story ElementsEnglish II

Plot Structure

Plot Structure

Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal arrangement of events and actions within a story.

Exposition- The start of the story. The way things are before the action starts. Introduction of the main characters and setting

Rising Action-the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax.

Climax- The turning point. The most intense moment (either mentally or in action).

Falling Action- all of the action which follows the Climax.

Resolution- The conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.

Protagonist Antagonist

Main/Central Character

Has a problem that he/she is trying to solve

Not always the “good guy”

Opposes the protagonist

Can be a charactergroup of charactersConceptnature institution

Not always clear Can be more than one

Protagonist Antagonist

Examples: Katniss in The

Hunger GamesDexterPinky and the

Brain

Examples: Darth Vader in

Star WarsVoldamort in

Harry PotterPresident Snow

in The Hunger Games (It can be argued that it is the other competitors)

Characterization

The words in the story that are used to highlight and explain the details of a person’s characterDirect characterization- author

specifically reveals the traits of a character in a straight forward mannerKaren is always very nervous before she

takes a test.

Characterization

Indirect characterization- author directly portrays characters using dialogue, appearance, actions, and overall place in the world. Karen sat biting her pencil and shaking, as

she usually does before a big test.

Characterization - Flat vs Round Character (Snap Shot)

Flat- a character that can be defined in just a couple of words. They are typically stereotypes of all good, all bad, etc.

Wizard of Oz the Good Witch of the East and the Wicked Witch of the West

Round- a character that is multi-dimentional, revealing the complexity of the human nature. They are grey characters. Main characters are usually round

Severus Snape

Bilbo Baggins

Characterization - Static vs. Dynamic Character (Journey)

Static- a character that does not change through the course of a story. He or she is largely the same character at the end as he was at the beginning.

Sherlock Holmes

Tom Sawyer

Hannible Lecter

Dynamic- a character that shows change through the course of a story

Ebenezer Scrooge

Harry Potter

Darth Vader

Symbol vs Motif

Symbol- using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

Example-The phrase “a new dawn” does not talk only about the actual beginning of a new day but also signifies a new start, a fresh chance to begin and the end of a previous tiring time.

Symbol vs Motif

Motif- an object, symbol, or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work. A recurring motif in George Orwell's "1984" is

urban decay. Winston Smith's run-down home, London's crumbling buildings, and the overall disintegration of the city all support Orwell's theme of the miserable results of total government control.

Symbols represent something whereas motifs help to explain the central idea of a literary work. Symbols might only appear once whereas motif is repeated throughout a story.

Subject-Theme-Moral

Subject- the topic of a literary work. Can usually be one or two word.

Theme- the universal truth of a literary work. Is stated in sentence form.

Moral- a lesson taught through a literary work. Is stated in 2nd person in sentence form. Has a judgment attached to it; for example, often begins with a “you should” statement

Subject-Theme-Moral Example

Subject Example- love

Theme Example- Falling in love without caution can have disastrous results.

Moral Example- You should always use caution when in love.

Point of View

Narrator- the person (or animal or object) who tells a story

Point of View- the perspective from which a story is told

Point of View

First Person Narrator- uses the pronoun “I” and is a character in the story

Second person- uses the pronoun “you” to directly address the audience. It is less common and is usually just used for a small portion of the story.

Third Person Narrator- uses the pronouns “he” “she”, etc. and is not a character in the story Limited- only knows the thoughts of main character

Omnicient- knows the thoughts of any of the characters, making them seem “God-like”.

Point of View

Unreliable narrator-has a flawed point of view. That is, the writer intentionally made him biased, misinformed, insane, etc. “If still you think me mad, you will think no

longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse.”The Tell-Tale Heart”, by Edgar Allen Poe

Point of View

Naïve narrator- character who reveals the faults and flaws of the world around him through his inexperience and innocence. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the main character,

Scout, reveals the ugliness of bigotry in her small home town through her inexperienced and innocent eyes.

Flashback

Flashback-The insertion of an earlier event into the time order of a narrative. It conveys to the readers information regarding the character’s background and gives them an idea of the character’s motives for doing certain things later in the story In The Hunger Games Katniss remembers her

father’s death and her mother zoning out. It shows the motivation of Katniss to protect her sister.

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing-A technique for hinting at events that may occur later in the plot. build anticipation in the minds of readers about what might happen next and thus adding dramatic tension to a story

Simba, let me tell you something my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.

Meaning: In the film, The Lion King, Mufasa foretells his own fate. That one day he too will die and live among the stars alongside the great kings before him.

Mood and Tone Tone- the attitude of the

author towards a subject. It is how the author decides to present their work.

Mood- the feeling the reader gets from the work.

Conflict

Internal- a mental struggle of a character

Man vs Self- Odysseus’ struggle with grief in the land of the dead

External- a struggle between a person and an outside force

Man vs Man- Odysseus battles the Cyclops

Man vs Society- Odysseus battles the suitors

Man vs Nature- Odysseus battles the bag of wind, the