Elements of the Short Story

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Elements of the Short Story
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Definition

• A short story is a work of prose fiction short
  enough to be read from beginning to end at one
  time. A short story usually focuses on one
  important event in the life of one character.

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TITLE

• The title identifies or symbolizes the storys
  purpose directly or indirectly. It can often be
  the connection to the central events in the
  story. The title also serves as a device to
  direct the readers attention to the story and
  stimulate interest in it.

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Theme

• This is the main idea the author is trying to
  present. It usually deals with a moral lesson for
  the reader about life. A short story has only one
  main theme. In some types, such as escape
  fiction, there may be no theme at all.

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Setting

• This refers to the time, the place, and the
  situation of the story. It is usually presented
  at the beginning of the story. Local Colour often
  adds details to a storys setting. This provides
  the reader with details about customs or
  particulars of a region or a place.

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Atmosphere

• This is the feeling that the short story creates
  within the reader such as sadness, fear or
  mystery.

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Plot

• This is the story line the sequence of events in
  the story.

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Character

• The fictional people in the story are the
  characters. A character reveals him/herself
  through dialogue and action. The main character
  is called the protagonist. The forces or
  conflicts that act against the main character are
  called antagonist.

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Conflict

• There are 5 main types

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character vs. character (external)

• The character has a problem with one or more
  characters in the story.

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character vs. self (internal)

• The character has a physical problem or a mental
  or emotional problem.

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character vs. nature (external)

• The character has a problem caused by the weather
  or some other force of nature.

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character vs. fate (external)

• The character has a problem over which he has no
  control, such as fate, luck or God.

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character vs. society (external)

• The character has a problem with the institutions
  that make up a society (government, school, laws,
  tradition, etc.)

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Diction

• the language an author uses to reveal the
  characters, setting, plot, etc. of a story. The
  author may choose to be very flowery, to use
  slang, to use dialect or jargon