Elements of Fiction

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Elements of Fiction
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Fiction

• Literature with imaginary people, events, or
  places. It can be inspired by fact and can
  include some real events or people, but also
  includes at least one made-up element.
• Types of Fiction classified according to length
• 1. Novels long works of fiction (main plot with
  conflict, plus sub-plots with conflicts)
• 2. Short stories brief, focus is upon one
  single conflict.
• 3. Novellas shorter than novels but longer than
  short stories.
• Example Narnia stories (Prince Caspian)

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Elements of Fiction
Plot
Theme
Setting
Characterization
Point of View
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Plot

• What happens in the story.

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Elements of the Plot

• Exposition
• Background information a reader must understand
  in order to know what is going on in the story
• Introduces the characters, problem, and setting
• Found in the beginning of the story
• Rising Action
• Events that occur when the main character tackles
  the problem (complications) level of excitement
  and suspense builds

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• Climax
• The main character comes face to face with the
  problem most exciting part of the story
• Falling Action
• Things begin to get back to normal life goes on
  (even if the problem isn't solved)
• Resolution
• Loose ends are tied off allows reader to clearly
  understand what happened

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Setting-Part of the Exposition

• When the story takes place
• Where the story took place
• Context or historical background in which the
  story is set provides us with additional plot
  information.
• Examples geographic location, time period,
  specific location (building, room, street, etc.),
  socio-economic characteristics of a location,
  etc.

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Settingcan help in the portrayal of characters.
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. That
is, my feet are in it the rest of me is on the
draining-board." I capture the Castle by Dodie
Smith Sir Walter Scott the Younger of Buccleugh
was in church marrying his aunt the day the
English killed his granny."Dorothy
DunnettDisorderly Knights
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Settingin some works of fiction action is so
closely related to setting that the plot is
directed by it.
"Francis St. Croix spotted it first, a black dot
floating in an ocean of water and ice. When he
and Ernie rowed alongside for a look, they
couldn't believe their eyes. There was a baby
inside a makeshift cradle on an ice pan, bobbing
like an ice cube on the sea. How had a baby come
to be in the North Atlantic?" Latitudes of
MeltJoan Clark It was a bright cold day in
April, and the clocks were striking
thirteen.George Orwell, 1984
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Settingcan establish the atmosphere of a work.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night Snoopy
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times..."A Tale of Two Cities
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The Theme of a piece of fiction is its central
idea. It usually contains some insight into the
human condition.

• The Literary Element of Theme
• a general statement of the central, underlying,
  and controlling idea or insight of a work of
  literature.
• the idea the writer wishes to convey about the
  subjectthe writers view of the world or a
  revelation about human nature.
• can be expressed in a single sentence.
• Theme is NOT-
• expressed in a single word
• the purpose of a work
• the moral
• the conflict

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The Literary Element of Theme

• Identifying the Theme in Five Steps
• To identify the theme, be sure that youve first
  identified the storys plot, the way the story
  uses characterization, and the primary conflict
  in the story.
• 1. Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence
  description for the exposition, the conflict, the
  rising action, the climax, the falling action,
  and the resolution.
• 2. Identify the subject of the work.
• 3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned
  about the subject.
• How did the protagonist change?
• What lesson did the protagonist learn from the
  resolution of the conflict?

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The Literary Element of Theme

• 4. State how the plot presents the primary
  insight or truth about the subject.
• 5. Write one or more generalized, declarative
  sentences that state what was learned and how it
  was learned.
• Theme Litmus Test
• Is the theme supported by evidence from the
  work itself?
• Are all the authors choices of plot,
  character, conflict, and tone controlled by this
  theme?

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Symbolism
A symbol represents an idea, quality, or concept
larger than itself.
A journey can symbolize life.
Water may represent a new beginning.
Black can represent evil or death.
A lion could be a symbol of courage.
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Other Fiction Elements

• Allusion a reference to a person, place or
  literary, historical, artistic, mythological
  source or event.
• It was in St. Louis, Missouri, where they have
  that giant McDonalds thing towering over the
  city(Bean Trees 15)
• Atmosphere the prevailing emotional and mental
  climate of a piece of fiction.
• Dialogue the reproduction of a conversation
  between two of the characters.

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Other Elements Continued

• Foreshadowing early clues about what will happen
  later in a piece of fiction.
• Irony a difference between what is expected and
  reality.
• Three types? dramatic (the audience knows
  something the character does not know, verbal
  (similar to sarcasm), and situational (not what
  you would expect)
• Style a writers individual and distinct way of
  writing. The total of the qualities that
  distinguish one authors writing from anothers.

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Other Elements Continued

• Structure the way time moves through a novel.
• Chronological starts at the beginning and moves
  through time.
• Flashback starts in the present and then goes
  back to the past.
• Circular or Anticipatory starts in the present,
  flashes back to the past, and returns to the
  present at the conclusion.
• Panel same story told from different viewpoints.

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Fiction

• Cinderella
• Characters Cinderella, stepmother, stepsisters,
  fairy godmother, etc
• Setting timeless fairytale land of castles and
  princesses
• Plot young girl living in a wicked step-family
  is magically transformed and dances with prince,
  loses her glass slipper, and then reclaims it
  (lives happily ever after)
• Narrator/Point of View (3rd person - s/he,
  narrator outside of story)
• Symbolism Glass slipper is a symbol of freedom
  and a second chance. The wicked stepmother and
  stepsisters are symbols of society and the
  cruelness in the world.
• Theme kindness and goodness triumph over
  meanness and evil

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Characters

• Protagonist
• The main character in a literary work.
• Antagonist
• The character who opposes the protagonist.

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Dynamic Characterization

• A character who undergoes some type of change in
  a story because of something that happened to
  him/her. Protagonists are almost always dynamic.
• Example Stitch, from Lilo and Stitch
  

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Static Characterization

• A character who does not change or develop beyond
  the way in which she or he is first presented.
• Example Atticus
  Finch from To Kill a
  Mockingbird.

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Flat Characters

• A character who has one or two sides,
  representing one or two traitsoften a
  stereotype.
• Flat characters help move
  the plot along more quickly because the audience
  immediately understands
  what the character is about.

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Round Characters

• A character who is complex and has many sides or
  traits with unpredictable behavior and a fully
  developed personality.
• Round characters are convincing, true to life and
  have many traits.

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Definitions

• Characterization is the process by which the
  author reveals the personality of the characters.
  
• There are two types of characterization direct
  and indirect.

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Direct Characterization

• Direct characterization is when the author
  TELLS the audience what the personality of the
  character is.
• Example The patient boy and quiet girl were
  both at the game.
• The author is telling us that the boy is patient
  and the girl is kind.

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Indirect Characterization

• Indirect characterization is when the author
  SHOWS things that reveal the personality of the
  character.
• There are FIVE different methods of indirect
  characterization speech, thoughts, effect on
  other characters, actions, and looks. (STEAL)

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Indirect Characterization

• Speech- What does the character say? How does the
  character speak?
• Example Hey, we can have lots of fun at camp
  this summer! I love being outside!
• This shows us the character is upbeat and
  happy.

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Indirect Characterization

• Thoughts- What is revealed through the
  characters thoughts and feelings?
• Example I wish it would stop raining. I am tired
  of sitting inside!
• This shows us the character is not happy about
  the situation.

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Indirect Characterization

• Effect on Others- What is revealed through the
  characters effect on other people? How do other
  characters feel or behave in reaction to the
  character?
• Example The boy glared at his sister as she ate
  his dessert.
• This shows us that the character is upset about
  his sisters behavior and inability to think of
  others.

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Indirect Characterization

• Actions- What does the character do? How does the
  character behave?
• Example The girl rode the lawn mower through the
  house and into the garage.
• This shows us the girl is not concerned with
  rules or safety.

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Indirect Characterization

• Looks- What does the character look like? How
  does the character dress?
• Example The little girl left the game with
  slumped shoulders and a frown on her face.
• This shows us the little girl is not enjoying
  herself and is upset.

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The Difference

• Remember, the difference between direct
  characterization and indirect characterization is
  TELLING v. SHOWING!
• Indirect characterizations are like clues
  about the characters. There is no mystery with
  direct characterization because the author gives
  us the information we need to know!

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Foreshadowing vs. Flashback
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Definitions

• Foreshadowing when an author mentions or hints
  at something that will happen later in the story

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Hint

• Now try breaking the word FLASHBACK apart.
• FLASH a quick glimpse.
• BACK a look back in the story at something that
  previously happened.

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An Example

• And now you will see portions from the well known
  childrens story Little Red Riding Hood.

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Little Red Riding Hood

• Once upon a time, there was a little girl who
  lived with her mother. Her mother asked her to
  take her old and lonely grandmother some food one
  day. "Don't stop along the way. Go straight to
  your Grandma's house and back. Don't talk to any
  strangers and watch out for the wolf in the
  woods! Now get along!"

Foreshadowing
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Foreshadowing

• The first set of underlined words is an example
  of foreshadowing. Little Red Riding Hoods
  mother is warning her about the wolf in the
  woods, which hints at what may happen next.

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Little Red Riding Hood

• While she was walking through the woods, a wolf
  was walking past her. "I bet I could convince her
  to take the long way. Then I could get to her
  grandmother's house first and trick her into
  thinking that I was her grandma. That way I could
  have her and her grandma for a large feast, he
  thought.

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Little Red Riding Hood

• The wolf went up to Little Red Riding Hood and
  told her that he knew a shortcut. Little Red
  Riding Hood thought back to what her mother told
  her. Dont talk to any strangers and watch out
  for the wolf in the woods! But it was too late,
  she had already listened to the wolfs
  directions.

Flashback
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Flashback

• The second set of underlined words is an example
  of flashback. Little Red Riding Hood is thinking
  back to something that happened earlier in the
  story.

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Little Red Riding Hood

• Most know how the rest of the story ends. Little
  Red Riding Hood and her grandma are saved from
  the wolf. Hopefully you can understand
  foreshadowing and flashback now.

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Point of View

• First Person Point of View
• The narrator tells the story and is a character
  in the story. (Pronouns I, me, us, we, our,
  etc.)
• Third Person Omniscient
• The narrator is not a character in the story but
  can tell you the thoughts and actions of all
  characters at all times. (Pronouns he, she,
  him, her, they, them, etc.)
• Third Person Limited
• The narrator is not a character in the story but
  can tell you the thoughts and actions of a few
  key characters at all times. (Pronouns he, she,
  him, her, they, them, etc.)

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Conflict

• The problems encountered by the characters in the
  story.
• Two types
• Internal
• External

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Internal Conflict

• Character Vs. Self
• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with her or his conscience.

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External Conflict

• Main character fights against something or
  struggles to overcome something outside of
  himself.
• Character versus Nature
• Character versus Character
• Character versus Society
• Character versus Technology
• Character versus the Supernatural
• Character versus Fate

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Character vs. Nature

• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with the elements of nature.

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Character Vs. Character

• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with others, especially the antagonist.

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Character vs. Society

• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with society as a whole.

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Character Vs. Technology

• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with technology.

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Character Vs. Supernatural

• The protagonist in the story experiences conflict
  with unnatural elements.

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Character Vs. Fate

• When the protagonist tries to break free of a
  predetermined path chosen before him prior to his
  knowledge. It can also be referred to as an issue
  between destiny and freewill.