English 8 Short Story Unit Terminology

http://princess.disney.com/cinderellas-story

PLOT• Plot is the framework of a

story• The bones without the meat

The Framework

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

Exposition

• The beginning of the story

• We learn the following things:*Who the story is about (CHARACTERS)*Where & When the story takes place (SETTING)

*What the problem is (CONFLICT)

Exposition

*Who the story is about: CHARACTERS

• We meet the protagonist or main character

…Not always necessarily the good guy. Bad

guys can be protagonists

too!

• Sometimes we meet the antagonist, or character who opposes the protagonist.

• We meet other characters who are important to the story.

We’ll talk more about Character in a later lesson…

*Where & When the story takes place: SETTING

• The setting tells us where and when the story takes place.

When and Where?

When?

When and Where?

When and Where?

What the problem is: CONFLICT

• The conflict is the main problem that the protagonist has.

We’ll talk more about Conflict in a later lesson…

Let’s Recap…

• The Exposition includes:–The characters–The setting–The conflict

The Rising Action

Exposition

Rising Action The Rising Action is a series of setbacks the protagonist faces on his/her way.Setbacks may be complications, problems, or any event that moves the story along.

Can you name 3 Rising Action points in Disney’s Cinderella?

• The messenger brings news that the prince is hosting a ball.

• The wicked stepmother forces Cinderella to do even more chores around the mansion.

• The mice make Cinderella’s dress.• The stepsisters destroy the dress.• The Fairy Godmother grants Cinderella’s wish.• Etc.

The Climax

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

The climax is the turning point It is the point when we know how the story will end. It is found close to the end of the story!

In Disney’s Cinderella, when is the Climax???

When the glass slipper fits, we know that she will marry the

prince and live happily ever after!

Falling Action & Resolution

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

The Falling Action is the next point in the plot. The Resolution wraps up any loose ends.

In Cinderella

• The Falling Action is when Cinderella and the Prince get married

• The Resolution is when they live happily ever after!

CONFLICT NOTES•Conflicts are either Internal or External

External Conflicts:Sometimes the antagonist is the

problemSometimes the problem can be the

environment.

Internal Conflicts:Sometimes the problem is inside the

protagonist’s mind

Character

- basic personality traits and habits; persons orcreatures involved in the plot of a story

Character is revealed or developed by......what a character says....what a character does....what other characters say

about the character....what the author says directly about the character.

1. Protagonist - the main character whoseactivities are central to the plot, or the characterwho the story focuses (Ex: Cinderella)

2. Antagonist - the character(s) who act inopposition to the protagonist. The antagonist need not always be an actual person but may be a group, the setting or other forces (Ex: Stepmother)

3. Round Character - a character whosepersonality includes several aspects which arerevealed (Ex: Stepsisters, Jacques the mouse)

OR

4. Flat Character - a character whose personalityis only partially developed (Ex: Prince Charming,Fairy Godmother)

????????

5. Static Character - a character who remainsthe same throughout the story, who doesn’tchange or learn anything (eg. Lucifer the cat,Stepmother, Cinderella) OR

6. Dynamic Character - a character who learnssomething and as a result changes during the story(eg. King) ??????

Theme

-the underlying beliefs, ideas, and opinions whichan author tries to present to his audience by meansof fiction- it is NOT what happens in the story, and it is NOTstated directly- it is the moral or message the author is ultimatelytrying to ‘teach’ us

Point of View

First Person Point of View

- story is told in the First person (“I”)- the author himself is a character

Objective Point of View

-story is told in the Third person (“He,” “They,” “Paul,” “Alexa,” “Mrs. Schinkel,” “my brother”)-story is told by someone who is observing oris on the fringes of the story, like a fly on thewall or roaming movie camera

Omniscient Point of View- story told by author in the Third person- knowledge available is unlimited; thoughts andfeelings of ALL characters are known.

Limited Omniscient Point of View- story told by author in the Third person- story told from viewpoint of ONE character- this form is much like a real life situation

Irony

Verbal irony - sarcastic comment or figure of speech

Situational irony - when circumstances turn out differently from what is expected.

**Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”