Elements of a Short Story

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Elements of a Short Story

• 7th Grade ELA

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Theme

• What message are we supposed to get from a short
  story? And how are we supposed to get the
  message? Theme brings all of the elements of the
  short story together.
• The theme is the CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE WORK.
• Theme the perception about life or human nature
  that the writer shares with the reader.
• It is usually not stated directly, but must be
  inferred.
• The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about
  life and how people behave, but it is not a moral
  or a topic.

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Theme cont.

• Not intended to teach or preach.
• Not presented directly at all. Not clearly
  stated!
• You extract it from the characters, action, and
  setting that make up the story.
• In other words, you must figure out the theme
  yourself.

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Theme continued

• The theme of a fable is its moral.
• The theme of a parable is its teaching.
• The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about
  life and how people behave.

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How do I find theme?

• Notice important details

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Determining the Parts of Plot

• Exposition or Introduction- the basic situation
  in the story
• Rising Action- the conflict or problem
• Climax- the turning point or most exciting part
  of the story
• Falling Action- the part of the story when the
  conflict lessens
• Resolution- the storys conclusion

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Determining the Parts of Plot
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Types of Conflict

• There are two types of conflict 1)  External -
  A struggle with a force outside one's self. 2) 
  Internal - A struggle within one's self a person
  must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet
  their temper, resist an urge, etc.

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Kinds of Conflict

• There are four kinds of conflict 1)  Man vs.
  Man (physical) - The leading character struggles
  with his physical strength against other men,
  forces of nature, or animals.
• 2)  Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The
  leading character struggles against fate, or the
  circumstances of life facing him/her.
• 3)  Man vs. Society (social) - The leading
  character struggles against ideas, practices, or
  customs of other people.
• 4)  Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - 
  The leading character struggles with
  himself/herself with his/her own soul, ideas of
  right or wrong, physical limitations, choices,
  etc.

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Setting

• The time and location in which a story takes
  place is called the setting.  For some stories
  the setting is very important, while for others
  it is not.  There are several aspects of a
  story's setting to consider when examining how
  setting contributes to a story. 
• a)  place - geographical location.  Where is the
  action of the story taking place? b)  time -
  When is the story taking place? (historical
  period, time of day, year, etc) c)  weather
  conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
  d)  social conditions - What is the daily life
  of the character's like? Does the story contain
  local colour (writing that focuses on the speech,
  dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular
  place)? e)  mood or atmosphere - What feeling is
  created at the beginning of the story?  Is it
  bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

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• placidly adv. pleasantly calm or peaceful
  unruffled tranquil serenely quiet or
  undisturbed placid waters.
• amiably adv. having or showing pleasant,
  good-natured personal qualities affable an
  amiable disposition.
• desirous adj. having or characterized by
  desire desiring desirous of high political
  office.
• condoled v.t. to express sympathy with a person
  who is suffering sorrow, misfortune, or grief
  (usually fol. by with) to condole with a friend
  whose father has died.
• rubicund adj. red or reddish ruddy a rubicund
  complexion.
• proffered v.t. to put before a person for
  acceptance offer.
• doughty adj. steadfastly courageous and
  resolute valiant
• fakir n. a Muslim or Hindu religious person or
  monk commonly considered a wonder-worker.
• jarred v.i. to have a harshly unpleasant or
  perturbing effect on one's nerves, feelings,
  thoughts, etc. The sound of the alarm jarred.
• presumptuous adj. unwarrantedly or
  impertinently bold forward
• fancy n. a caprice whim vagary It was his
  fancy to fly to Paris occasionally for dinner.
• doggedly adv. persistent in effort stubbornly
  tenacious"I won't let you share my dessert! I
  won't! I won't!" the toddler said doggedly.
• talisman n. anything whose presence exercises a
  remarkable or powerful influence on human
  feelings or actions.
• enthralled v.t. to captivate or charm the
  performer's grace and skill enthralled her
  audience.
• maligned v.t. to speak harmful untruths about
  speak evil of slander defame to malign an
  honorable man.
• antimacassar n. a small covering, usually
  ornamental, placed on the backs and arms of
  upholstered furniture to prevent wear or soiling
  a tidy.
• dubiously adv. of doubtful quality or
  propriety questionable a dubious compliment a
  dubious transaction.
• shamefacedly adv. 1) modest or bashful, 2)
  showing shame shamefaced apologies.
• credulity n. willingness to believe or trust
  too readily, esp. without proper or adequate
  evidence gullibility

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Characterization

• There are two meanings for the word character
  1)  The person in a work of fiction. 2)  The
  characteristics of a person.
• Persons in a work of fiction
• Antagonist and Protagonist Short stories use
  few characters.  One character is clearly central
  to the story with all major events having some
  importance to this character - he/she is the
  PROTAGONIST. 
• The opposer of the main character is called the
  ANTAGONIST.

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The Characteristics of a Person

• In order for a story to seem real to the reader
  its characters must seem real.  Characterization
  is the information the author gives the reader
  about the characters themselves.  The author may
  reveal a character in several ways a)  his/her
  physical appearance b)  what he/she says,
  thinks, feels and dreams c)  what he/she does or
  does not do d)  what others say about him/her
  and how others react to him/her
• Characters are convincing if they are 
  consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble
  real people)

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Round vs. Flat

• Round characters are characters who are complex
  and realistic
• they frequently possess both good and bad traits,
  and they may react unexpectedly or become
  entangled in their own interior conflicts.
• These characters have been fully developed by an
  author, physically, mentally, and emotionally,
  and are detailed enough to seem real.
• A round character is usually a main character,
  and is developed over the course of the story.
• A flat character is its opposite, having hardly
  any development whatsoever.

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Round vs. Flat

• A flat character is distinguished by its lack of
  a realistic personality. Though the description
  of a flat character may be detailed and rich in
  defining characteristics, it falls short of the
  complexity associated with a round character.
  James Patrick Kelly describes round and flat
  characters in his article "You and Your
  Characters" (Writing Science Fiction Fantasy)
  as "someone who is characterized by one or two
  traits.

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Static vs. Dynamic

• A dynamic character is the one who changes
  significantly during the course of the story.
• By definition, the protagonist is nearly always a
  dynamic character.

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Static vs. Dynamic

• A static character does not undergo significant
  change.
• A static character is a literary character that
  remains basically unchanged throughout a work.
  Whether round or flat, their personalities remain
  essentially stable throughout the course of the
  story.
• This is commonly done with secondary characters
  in order to let them serve as thematic or plot
  elements.
• Supporting characters and major characters other
  than the protagonist are generally static, though
  exceptions do occur.