the elements of fiction. setting the setting is the place where the story take place. setting...
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The Elements of Fiction
Setting
The setting is the place where the story take place. Setting includes the following:
• Geographical location (i.e. Wyoming, London, Cairo, Vancouver)
• The time period (i.e. 1865, during WWII, today)• The socio-economic characteristics of the
location (i.e. wealthy, suburbs, the Depression)• The specific building, room, and so forth (i.e. a
prep school, a log cabin, a bus, a military base)
Characters
The people (or animals, things, etc. presented as people) appearing in a literary work.
• Round Characters are convincing, true to life. Have many different and sometimes even contradictory personality traits.
• Dynamic Characters undergo some type of change or development in story, often because of something that happens to them.
• Flat Characters are stereotyped, shallow, and often symbolic. Have only one or two personality traits.
• Static Characters do not change in the course of the story.
Characters
Protagonist
The main character in a literary work (i.e. Cinderella or Snow White in the fairy tales named for their characters)
Antagonist
The character who opposed the protagonist (i.e. the wicked stepmother in Cinderella)
Methods of Characterization
Direct Characterization
The author develops the personality of a character by direct statements.
Indirect Characterization
The author reveals a character’s personality through
-the character’s thoughts, words, and actions
-the comments of other characters
-the character’s physical appearance
Plot
Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of the story. It shows
arrangement of events and actions within a story.
Plot Components
Climax: the turning point,
the most intense moment-
either mentally or in action
Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax
Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climas
Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the actionstarts
Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all the threads.
Plot: Conflict
Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.
Plot: Types of Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Human vs. Human
Human vs. Nature
Human vs. Society
Internal Conflict
Human vs. Self
Point of View
The perspective from which the story is told.
-Who is telling the story? (i.e. is it a player on the home team or someone watching the game?)
-How do we know what is happening? (i.e. does a character tell us?)
Types of Point of View
Omniscient Point of View: the author is telling the story
Limited Omniscient Point of View: third person told from the view point of a character in the story.
First Person Point of View: told from the viewpoint of one of the characters using the first person pronoun “I”.
Theme
• Theme is the central idea or central message of the story. It usually contains some insight into the human condition—telling something about humans and life.
• The theme can be stated directly or implied by the events and actions in the story.
Symbolism
A symbol represents an idea, quality, or concept larger than itself
A journey can symbolize life
A lion can be a symbol of courage
A red rose can represent love.