Elements of The Short Story
Characters: the story’s actors
Main Character: the character at the center of a story’s action
Minor Character: less important character
Another set of words to describe characters are:
Protagonist: main character in a story
Antagonist: character or force that conflicts with the protagonist
Plot: chain of related events that take place in a story; “framework” of the story
Plot includes the following elements:
Exposition: (Basic Situation) provides needed background information; presents a character in a situation that contains a possibility of action, the problem is introduced
Rising Action: (Complication) develops the basic situation; the conflict intensifies
Climax: the most tense or exciting part of the story, the turning point of the action, when something happens to decide the outcome of the conflict
Falling Action: the action that follows the climax and leads to the resolution
Resolution: the problem in the story is resolved
Setting: when and where the story action takes place including historical time frame, time of year. This includes things like the Atmosphere, the mood or feeling of the story
Theme: insight or idea about human life and human nature that gives meaning to a story; the central message in a work of literature.
A theme is not the same as a moral.
How is a theme determined?
Ask how the protagonist has changed during the story OR Think about what you learned from the character’s struggle in the story. Ask yourself, “What is the author’s view of the world or human nature?”
Elements of The Short Story
Characters: the story’s actors
Main Character: the character at the center of a story’s action
Minor Character: less important character
Another set of words to describe characters are:
Protagonist: main character in a story
Antagonist: character or force that conflicts with the protagonist
Plot: chain of related events that take place in a story; “framework” of the story
Plot includes the following elements:
Exposition: (Basic Situation) provides needed background information; presents a character in a situation that contains a possibility of action, the problem is introduced
Rising Action: (Complication) develops the basic situation; the conflict intensifies
Climax: the most tense or exciting part of the story, the turning point of the action, when something happens to decide the outcome of the conflict
Falling Action: the action that follows the climax and leads to the resolution
Resolution: the problem in the story is resolved
Setting: when and where the story action takes place including historical time frame, time of year. This includes things like the Atmosphere, the mood or feeling of the story
Theme: insight or idea about human life and human nature that gives meaning to a story; the central message in a work of literature.
A theme is not the same as a moral.
How is a theme determined?
Ask how the protagonist has changed during the story OR Think about what you learned from the character’s struggle in the story. Ask yourself, “What is the author’s view of the world or human nature?”