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Review/Introduction to the Short Story
Definition
Stories evolve around characters that have problems to solve. The problems and their solutions are the plot. The location of the action is called the setting. The theme of a short story is the underlying idea that connects it to other stories or to situations in life.
Limitations
1. Character:
Protagonist – the major character (usually the “good guy”)
Antagonist – A character opposed to the main character (the “bad guy”)
Characterization - How the character is portrayed. This includes physical appearance (size, weight, eyes, hair, age, dress), Personality (sense of humour, disposition (friendly/not), background (education, job, and nationality), interests, hobbies, etc.
Characterization is shown through five main methods:
1) What he/she says and/or thinks
2) What he/she does – actions and behaviour
3) How other characters react to him/her
4) What other characters say/think about him/her
5) How the author describes him/her
2. Setting: The setting of a story is more than just its location:
Time (both time of the day and historical time)
Place
Emotional setting/Mood of a story (details such a lighting, weather, and expressions)
3. Theme: Theme is the main purpose in a writers work. It may be stated or implied. If implied, readers have to figure it out. The theme of a short story is the underlying idea that connects it to other stories or o situations in life, such as the search for truth or the adventures of a long journey.
4. Plot: The series of events that tell a story. The typical plot has four parts –
Statement of Conflict: Three main types of conflict are:
1. Person vs Person
2. Person vs Self
3. Person vs Nature/Circumstance
Rising Action: Episodes leading up to the climax
Climax: The height of the action
Denouement: Resolution of the main conflict
5. Length: Short stories are called SHORT stories for a reason…they are short!
6. Tone: The attitude of a writer towards a subject. Ex: critical, humourous
Elements of the Short Story
1. Plot 2. Characters
3. Theme 4. Setting
5. Tone
Usually, one of these elements will dominate the story. This helps to determine the short story’s genre.
Plot
The plot is the arrangement of incidents or events that make up the story. The plot of a short story can be broken down into the following four parts:
1. / Introduction / · introduces characters, setting, and action· offers necessary background information
· must catch the reader’s attention
2. / Inciting Force / · Occurs when characters creates a situation that needs to be resolved
3. / Rising Action / · The major portion of the story
· involves a conflict which must be settled by the end of the story
4. / Climax / · no new vital information is given
· the point in the story where the protagonist comes to a realisation or is forced to act
· the turning point of the story; the conflict is settled
5. / Conclusion / · concludes the story’s action
· additional detail can be given to explain issues or offer further resolution to the conflict
The parts of a short story’s plot can fit onto a diagram called a Plot Graph
Conflict
This is the struggle or problem that the main character (the protagonist) must face. The plot of the story relies on conflict; conflict is the source of a story’s action. Different kinds of conflict can be identified by knowing the Nature of the Conflict. List 3 films that contain the conflict Person vs Nature:
Forces of Nature
Twister
The Perfect Storm
Theme
This is the underlying idea of the story. It is the author’s purpose for writing the story. It usually involves some aspect of life around us. It should always be expressed as a generalized 2-3-sentence statement, never using just one word.
Character
Because authors of short stories are limited by space, characters are revealed, rather than developed. Some methods that an author might use to reveal character are:
Dialogue
Brief descriptions
Mannerisms
A character sketch is a profile of the character, including physical appearance and personality. In order to properly sketch a character’s personality, use three distinct descriptive adjectives to describe that character, and support each adjective by referring to evidence in the story.
Setting
Setting involves two things: time and place. It is important to decide whether the setting is merely a backdrop to the action, or whether it is vital to one of the other elements of short stories – plot, conflict, theme, or character.
Setting is used to develop atmosphere. This is the general mood or emotion of the story. Some words used to describe atmosphere are:
Mysterious
Spooky
Cheerful