Elements%20of%20Fiction

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Elements of Fiction

• Plot, Character, Setting,
• Point of View Theme

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Fiction A Genre of Literature

• Works of prose that have imaginary elements
• Can be inspired by actual events and real people,
  but springs from writers imaginations
• 2 major types Novels and Short Stories
• 4 Basic Elements
• Plot, Character, Setting, Theme

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1 Plot

• Sequence of events that make up a story
• Almost always built around CONFLICTS
• (problems or struggles)
• 5 main stages
• 1. Exposition
• 2. Rising Actions
• 3. Climax
• 4. Falling Actions
• 5. Resolution

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Plot Diagram
Turning point in the story Most tension or
suspense Can be anywhere in the novel
Climax
Actions following climax Conflict starts to
resolve
Development of complications problems leading
to the climax Suspense builds plot thickens
Falling Actions
Rising Actions
Resolution
(Denouement) French untying of
knots Conclusion Final outcome of the story
Conflict ? Tension ?
Complications Grow
Exposition
Introduction background info Sets the stage
for the story Introduces characters, setting,
conflict
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Conflicts in a Plot

• Conflict struggle or problem
• 2 main kinds External vs. Internal
• 1) External a struggle outside of the
  character against someone or something else
• 2) Internal a struggle within a characters
  mind or heart

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Types of Conflict

• 4 types

Self
Person
Person vs.
Society
Nature
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Sequence Development of Plot

• Authors carefully choose the sequence of events
  and the timeline in which the plot is developed
  (the order the events are presented)
• Chronological Order, Reverse Order

Flashback
Foreshadow
Flash-Forward
END
TIME LINE
START
Hints or clues of what Is to happen later on
Jumps ahead to Future events
Presents episodes/events From the past
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2 Character

• Main Characters
• Protagonist the main character often the
  narrator
• Antagonist character that the protagonist
  struggles against and must overcome
• Subordinate Characters
• Minor characters who add depth and complication

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Describing a Character

• Round vs. Flat Characters
• Round have several sides to their personality
• complex, fully developed
• Flat have few traits Undeveloped
• Dynamic vs. Static Characters
• Dynamic grow or change by the end of the story
• take action, change behavior or attitudes
• Static dont grow or change stay the same

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What is Characterization?

• The way writers create characters in a story
• 2 ways
• Direct Characterization
• tells us directly what a character is like or
  what a persons motives are
• Indirect Characterization
• shows us a character but we have to interpret
  the character ourselves

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What are the methods of INDIRECT
Characterization?

• Characters SPEECH
• 1st person narration character speaks directly
  to the reader
• Dialogue what they have to say to themselves
  and to others
• Characters APPEARANCE look dress
• Characters PRIVATE THOUGHTS
• Characters INTERACTIONS how other characters
  in the story feel about them or interact with
  them
• Character ACTIONS what they do how they act

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3 SETTING

• Tells us WHERE and WHEN a story takes place
• Can reveal about the characters
• Can provide MOOD or ATMOSPHERE
• Expresses a TONE
• (attitude toward a subject or character)

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4 Point of View

• Each story has a NARRATOR (storyteller).
• The narrator can tell the story as one of the
  characters or can be a storyteller outside of it.
• The narrator can take on one of three POINTS OF
  VIEW (the perspective in which the story is told)

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First Person

• A character in the story (often the main
  character)
• Tells us the story directly to the reader from
  his/her own perspective
• Reveals personal thoughts and opinions
• Uses words like I/we/my in NARRATION
• Not always reliable or credible

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Third Person Limited

• Narrator is not in the story instead is on the
  outside looking in
• Zooms in on one specific character and that
  characters perspective (thoughts/feelings)
• Uses words like he/she in NARRATION

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Third Person OMNISCIENT

• Narrator is not in the story is on the outside
  looking in
• Doesnt focus on just one character
• Omniscient all knowing narrator
• Tells us what EVERY character thinks and feels
• Uses words like he/she in NARRATION

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Points of View
First Person Third Person Limited Third Person Omniscient
IN the story ONE character I/we/my OUTSIDE of the story ONE character He/She OUTSIDE of the story MANY characters He/She
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Identify the POV

• Love in L.A.
• Initiation
• Hills Like White Elephants

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5 THEME

• Central idea or message
• Insight or perception about life or human nature
  that the writer wants to communicate
• Seldom stated DIRECTLY ? must be INFERRED (the
  reader must find meaning)
• It is NOT a subject. It is a STATEMENT.
• Friendship ? True friendship can outlast any
  conflict.
• There can be more than one theme in a story.

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Finding Themes

• Themes can be revealed by
• The conflicts of the story
• The ways characters change
• The statements made in dialogue or narration
• Symbols within the story
• The works title

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Examples of Themes

• The conflicts of the story
• Love in L.A reveals how superficial people can
  be in the conquest of love.
• The ways characters change/symbols in the story
• In Initiation, the freedom and uniqueness of
  ones individuality is more important than the
  pressures of conformity.
• Symbols within the story
• The hills of the story, Hills Like White
  Elephants represent the difficult decisions and
  contrasting viewpoints that the idea of abortion
  creates.