STORY ELEMENTS

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STORY ELEMENTS

• English III and IV
• Capt. Paynter
• Adapted and added to from
  a PowerPoint developed by Mr. Mayer

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Story Structure tells how authors present the
story
Climax

• Exposition background about characters, setting,
  situation
• Rising Action conflict arises, more information
  is learned about characters and setting
• Climax when action reaches the highest point
• Falling Action the story begins wrapping up,
  characters are dealing with whatever happened in
  the climax
• Resolution This tells how the story concludes

Falling Action
Rising Action
Exposition
Resolution
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Without a conflict you have no story. Types
of conflict

• Man vs. manexternal struggle between two or more
  individuals
• Man vs. himselfinternal struggle concerning
  emotion and decision.
• Man vs. natureexternal struggle between man and
  an element of nature.
• Man vs. machine-external struggle between man
  and non-nature.

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How Writers Create Setting

• Details Adding details makes the story seem more
  believable.
• Sensory Imagery Adding details that appeal to
  the readers sight, smell, taste, touch, and
  hearing creates a vivid picture.

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Point of View This is the view from which the
story is told. Whos head are you in?

• Ask yourself, Who is telling the story?
• There are 3 types of point of view

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A- First Person
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B- Third Person
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B- Third Person
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3- Objective
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Does the main character tell his own
story? (first person narrator)Does a minor
character tell the main characters story?
(first person observer)When the narrator is not
a character in the story askDoes the author
tell what people think and explain feelings and
motives? (omniscient author)Does the author
simply tell the story without giving the thoughts
and feelings of the characters? (author
observer) 
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Theme

• A theme is a universal idea.
• A theme teaches a specific lesson or moral.
• Most stories have more than one theme.

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To find the theme ask

• What is the story about?
• What is the central idea?
• What observation did the author make about human
  nature?

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Imagery uses details to describe something and
evoke feelings
The icy hail furiously pelted my car,
leaving magnificent holes in the smooth hood. The
sound pierced my ears ruthlessly, as I tried to
find shelter.

• Imagery gives you detailed pictures in your mind.

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Symbol an image, character, or action that
stands for an idea beyond its literal meaning
Some arent...
Some are obvious...
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Tone is like the authors tone of voice--it
tells you their attitude towards the characters,
setting, etc.
She dismally muttered that shed always love
him, even though he was gone. Shed never love
again.
Whats the tone here?
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Irony to intend a meaning opposite of what is
expected. There are a few kinds of irony.

• Dramatic Irony The audience knows something that
  the character does not.
• Situational Irony when the opposite of what was
  expected happens.

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Dramatic Irony You know what the farmer does not.
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Situational Irony Youd expect cheetahs to run,
not speed-walk.
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Which kind of irony is this?
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Which kind of irony is this?
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Hyperbole an exaggerated statement used to make
a strong effect
Whoa! That cookie looks like a million bucks!
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RealismThe author attempts to portray
life in his/her novel realistically. He/she must
use details to reflect the reality that we see
around us.
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RomanticismThe author uses his
imagination to present the world to us. At times
his/her view may be extremely idealistic at
other times it may reflect extreme horror.
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Foreshadowing A writing technique that gives
readers clues about what will happen later in the
story.
As he pondered the morning, he reassured himself
that he locked the door. Something kept telling
him otherwise, but he pushed it out of his mind.
What might this be foreshadowing?
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FLASHBACKThe author interrupts the story to go
back in time to add scenes or information. This
helps the reader understand what is happening in
the present.
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Protagonist the main character in the story
(good guy) Antagonist the force against the
protagonist (bad guy)
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Flat Character stays the same throughout the
story.Round Character grows or changes during
the story.
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Simile comparing 2 things using like or as.
Her hair was as soft as cotton.
Metaphor comparing 2 things without using like
or as.
A heavy blanket of snow fell all day long.
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IN REVIEW- USE ALL TO GET THIS

• Exposition background about characters, setting,
  situation
• Rising Action conflict arises, more information
  is learned about characters and setting
• Climax when action reaches the highest point
• Falling Action the story begins wrapping up,
  characters are dealing with whatever happened in
  the climax
• Resolution This tells how the story concludes

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What is a short story?

• A short story is a relatively brief fictional
  narrative or story written without using any
  rhymes of rhythms. The short story has a
  beginning, a middle, and an end and is composed
  of the following elements
• Theme
• Plot
• Character
• Setting
• Point of View

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Brief History

• The short story may be as old as man. It
  started with the oral traditions and later was
  written down. Many of their beginnings were
  steeped in fact, but later became embellished and
  became tall tales or fables. These may have
  not been official, but they have many of the
  elements of a short story.

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• The accepted view among literary historians is
  that the short story, as we know it today, began
  in the early nineteenth century that is to say,
  it appeared as a literary form slightly later
  than the novel, which is usually held to have
  emerged in the eighteenth century.

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TODAY-

• READ The Rocking Horse Winner Literature book
  (1006-1021).
• ANSWER the questions on the worksheet.
• TURN-IN sheet and be prepared to discuss the
  story and author tomorrow.