Short Story Delineation

1
Short Story Delineation

• How to read a story and break it apart

2
Characters

• Look at the short story delineation handout.
• DO NOT WRITE ON IT!

3
Flat Characters

• Flat characters have only one or two character
  traits.
• They can be described in a short phrase.
• These are one-dimensional, like a flat piece of
  cardboard.

4
Round Characters

• Round characters have many different character
  traits.
• Round characters are more like actual people.
• They are realistic, three-dimensional, and solid.

5
Static and Dynamic Characters

• Static characters do not change much throughout
  the course of the story.
• Dynamic characters change as a result of the
  storys events.

6
Protagonist and Antagonist

• Protagonist The main character the person who
  drives the action
• Antagonist The character or force that stands
  in the way of the protagonist.

7
Internal and External Conflict

• Internal Conflict - a struggle between opposing
  needs, desires, or emotions within a single
  character.
• External Conflict - a struggle between a
  character and some outside force (people, nature,
  etc.)

8
Conflict

• Internal External
• Man vs. himself Man vs. man
• Man vs. environment
• Man vs. society
• Man vs. supernatural

9
Setting

• The time in which the story occurs
• Summer, Fall, Winter
• May 1957
• The place of the action in the story
• Coalwood, WV
• London, England
• Provide a quote and a page number that suggests
  the setting.
• Copy 1-2 sentences and give page

10
Suspense

• Suspense is the uncertainty or anxiety that we
  feel about what is going to happen next in a
  story.
• Write what you want to find out by the end of the
  story.

11
Plot Diagram
Climax
Resolution (Falling Action)
4
Complications (Rising Action)
5
3
1
2
Conflict
Exposition
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Exposition

• The beginning
• We learn the characters and the setting (the
  basic situation).

13
Conflict

• The basic problem.

14
Complications

• The rising action
• The main character takes some action to resolve
  the conflict, but meets more problems.

15
Climax

• The highest point of emotion in a story.

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Resolution

• The falling action
• The conflicts in the story are over.
• We find out what is going to happen to the
  characters.
• Denouement (DAY-NOO-MAWN) - French for the
  unraveling of the knot.

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Point-of-View

• 1st person - The narrator is a character in the
  story and uses the words I or me.

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Point-of-View

• 3rd person limited - The narrator is NOT a
  character in the story and only knows the
  thoughts and feelings of 1 character.
• 3rd person omniscient - The narrator is NOT a
  character in the story and knows everything there
  is to know about the characters and their
  problems.
• Omniscient - All knowing

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Theme

• The central truth about life that the author is
  wanting you to think about.
• Always stated in one sentence.
• Examples
• Uncontrolled anger is destructive.
• Persistence leads to success.