Elements of a Short Story

OBJECTIVES

Identify elements of a short story

Define elements of a short story

Demonstrate mastery of short story elements

OVERVIEWShort stories often contain structural and

character elements that should be familiar to you.

These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the actions, themes, and contexts of the story.

Theme

Setting

Characters

Point of view

Characterization

Plot - exposition statement - rising action - conflict - climax - falling action - resolution

Elements of a Short Story

THEMEThe main idea of a literary work, usually

expressed as a generalization and in sentence form.

Example: “Forgiveness is the key to true happiness.”

SETTINGSETTING• The time and place in which the story is set.

CHARACTERS The point of writing stories: telling us what human

beings are like. Characters allow readers to “see” life from different

perspectives and to “meet” new (or familiar) people.

“Characters in the plot connect us with the vastness of our secret life, which is endlessly explorable.” – Eudora Welty

CHARACTERIZATION

The description of the personalities of the characters in the story and the ways in which authors reveal their personalities:

- Speech

- Thoughts

- Effect on other characters

- Action

- Looks

PLOT

The sequence or order of events in a story, each event connected to the next like a chain. Each event in a plot “hooks” our curiosity and pulls us forward to the next event.

Suspense builds as the series of related events hook our curiosity.

The plot includes the following parts:

CHRONOLOGICAL PLOT DIAGRAM

- Exposition Statement – This is the part of the plot that tells how the story begins. The character, conflict, and setting are usually introduced.

- Example ~ CinderellaThe basic situation shows us Cinderella, a beautiful and good heroine, in a conflict with her evil stepmother and nasty stepsisters.

1. BASIC SITUATION/EXPOSITION

The part of the story in which the main character takes some action to resolve the conflict and meets with problems or complications: danger, fear, hostility, etc.

Example ~ Cinderella

Cinderella wants to go to the ball. Her stepmother says “No,” but a Fairy Godmother promises to get her to the ball if she obeys one rule: “Be home by midnight.” Cinderella goes to the ball, the Prince falls in love with her, she flees at midnight, and she loses one of her glass slippers.

2. RISING ACTION/COMPLICATION

3. CLIMAX

- Climax: the KEY scene of the story

That tense or exciting moment when we realize what the outcome of the conflict is going to be.

- Example ~ Cinderella

The Prince makes a house-to-house search for the foot that fits the slipper and finds that foot on Cinderella.

All of the action which follows the climax

Example ~ Cinderella:

Cinderella and the prince make preparations for their wedding.

4. FALLING ACTION(s)

5. RESOLUTION/DENOUEMENTThe final part of the story. (The French word, denouement, means “unraveling the knot”).

You learn how the conflict is resolved and what happens to the characters.

Example ~ Cinderella

Cinderella marries the Prince and they live happily ever after. In the original Grimm story, you also learn that ravens peck out the eyes of the evil stepmother.

CONFLICT=STRUGGLE

CONFLICT

External Conflict:

Conflict between a character and another person OR a character and something non-human.

- Man vs. Man

- Man vs. Society

- Man vs. Nature

CONFLICTInternal Conflict:

Conflict takes place inside a character’s mind

Man vs. Himself (fears, self-doubts, etc.)