Literary Elements

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Literary Elements
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OBJECTIVES

• Identify elements of a short story
• Define elements of a short story
• Demonstrate mastery of short story elements

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OVERVIEW

• Short stories often contain structural and
  character elements that should be familiar to
  you.
• These elements can be used as guides to help you
  think about the actions, themes, and contexts of
  the story.

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Elements of a Short Story

• Plot
• - exposition statement
• - rising action
• conflict
• - climax
• - falling action
• - resolution

• Theme
• Setting
• Characters
• Point of view
• Characterization

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THEME

• The main idea of a literary work, usually
  expressed as a generalization.

SETTING

• The time and place in which a work of literature
  happens.

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Theme In literature, theme is a perception about
life or human nature that the writer wants to
share with the reader. In most cases, the theme
is not stated directly but must be
inferred. Themes can be revealed by - a storys
title - key phrases and statements about big
ideas - the ways the characters change and the
lessons they learn about life.
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Setting time and place -puts the reader in the
story by giving the reader the feeling of
being in the situation. -creates atmosphere by
the positive or negative feelings associated
with the place.
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CHARACTERS

• The people (or actors) in the story.

POINT OF VIEW

• The story teller from whose point of view the
  story is being told, the narrator.

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CHARACTERIZATION

• The description of the personalities of the
  characters in the story and the way in which an
  author reveals their personalities.

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Methods of CharacterizationCreating Believable
Characters

• Indirect
• physical appearance
• speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions of the
  character
• speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions of other
  characters

• Direct
• the narrators direct comments about a character

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Point of View or . . . (Whos telling this story
anyway?) -the vantage point from which the story
is told. -determines how much we, the readers,
know about the characters.
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• 1st Person
• Narrator is a character in the story.
• Narrator uses first-person pronouns, I, me, my,
  we, us, our to refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one
  character and speaks directly to reader.

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• 3rd Person Limited
• Narrator does not participate in action of story.
• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one
  character, but readers are able to maintain some
  emotional distance from the character.

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• 3rd Person Omniscient
• Narrator does not participate in action of story.
• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all
  characters readers get insight into several
  characters.

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PLOT

• The sequence or order of events in a story. The
  plot includes
• Exposition Statement - The part of the plot that
  tells how the story begins.
• Rising Action - The action in the story leading
  up to the climax.
• Conflict - Struggles or problems between opposing
  forces.

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More PLOT

• Climax - The point of crisis in the plot. It may
  be the readers point of highest interest.
• Falling action - The action in the story after
  the climax is revealed.
• Resolution - The part of the plot that reveals
  the final outcome.

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PLOT DIAGRAM
Climax
Rising Action
Conflict
Falling Action
Exposition
Resolution
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The plot of a short story centers around
conflict. Conflict is a struggle between
opposing forces. Complications build the readers
excitement.
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• Types of Conflict
• External
• -Man v Man
• -Man v Nature
• - Man v Fate
• -Man v Obstacle or Society
• Internal
• -Man v Himself

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Bibliography

• Dinneen, K. Elements of the Short Story.
  Retrieved Jun. 19, 2003, from
  Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
• http//www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/
  units/1983/3/83.03.09.x.html

Five Elements of a Story. Retrieved Jun. 19,
2003, http//www.teachervision.com/lesson
-plans/lesson-2277.html
Guevin, D. Short Story Elements. Retrieved Jun.
19, 2003, http//www.uvm.edu/dguevi
n/Elements.html