Short Story Unit
Student Study Guide
PLOT
PLOT:
The action of the story. Usually made up of a series of
events called the plot line or plot chart.
STAGES OF THE PLOT CHART:
Exposition:
Explains the background and setting (usually at
the beginning). Characters are often
introduced here.
Inciting Incident: An event that starts the action in the story.
Rising Action:
Climax:
Falling Action:
Resolution:
Central part of the story during which various
problems arise. Leads up to climax.
Highest point in the action of a story. (Turning
point)
Follows climax. Leads story to a resolution.
End of story. Part where problems are solved.
Foreshadowing: A writing technique where the writer gives the reader
hints or clues about what is going to happen in the
story.
CONFLICT
Conflict:
The problem in the story which triggers the action.
INTERNAL CONFLICT
Man vs. Self
EXTERNAL CONFLICT
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Society
Character struggles inside himself with
decisions.
Character has a problem with one or
more other characters.
Character has a problem with school,
law, or tradition.
Man vs. Nature
Character has problem with a
blizzard, avalanche, flood, etc.
Man vs. Fate
Character has to battle what seems to be
and uncontrollable problem (fate,
destiny, etc.)
IRONY, MOOD, & TONE
Irony:
A contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or
happens.
Situational Irony:
Dramatic Irony:
Verbal Irony:
When the character or reader expects one
thing to happen but something entirely
different occurs.
The contrast between what a character knows and what
the reader or audience knows.
When someone says one thing but means another.
MOOD: The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader.
TONE:
The attitude a writer takes toward a subject. (playful, serious,
bitter, angry, or detached – for example)
Mood and Tone
• TONE: The attitude a writer takes
toward a subject. (playful,
serious, bitter, angry, or
detached – for example)
• MOOD: The feeling or atmosphere that a
writer creates for the reader.
SYMBOLISM
Symbolism or Symbol:
A person, place, or object that stands for
something beyond itself.
Conventional or Universal Symbol: National symbols, religious symbols,
and symbols for peace usually have
universal meaning – they apply and
are the same everywhere in the
world.
Literary or Personal Symbol:
This symbol takes meaning from the
context of a literary work – it means
something special because of how it
is used in the story.
These pictures are examples of UNIVERSAL symbols – Do you know what they mean?
CHARACTERS
Main Character: (protagonist) Action centers around this person
Minor Character: Less prominent character or characters
Flat Character: Minor character, one that we see only as a presence
Round Character: Fully developed major character; one we see
as a complete person.
Static Character: Characters who remain the same throughout the
plot.
Dynamic Character: A character who changes as the plot goes on.
MOTIVATION:
Something (a need or desire) that causes a person to act,
change, or get moving.
CHARACTERIZATION – Four techniques used to bring characters to life and
describe who they are
Physical Description:
Appearance, the way a character looks
From the Character:
Speech and thoughts of that character or
another character
From Other Characters:
Narrator’s Comments:
Feelings and actions of a character or
toward another character
The narrator can also tell us about who the
characters are, their motivations, and
descriptions.
POINT OF VIEW
Point of View:
The relationship of the storyteller to the story.
First Person:
The story is told by one of the characters,
referred to as “I” in the story.
Third Person:
“he”
The story is told from an outsiders’ perspective using
or “she” to refer to the characters.
Third Person Omniscient: The story is told from an all-knowing point of
view. (Omniscient means knowing all.)
Third Person Limited:
The story is seen through the eyes of one
character, but the character is not telling the
story as “I.” In this point of view, the narrator
zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of just
one character in the story.
SETTING
Setting: The time and place of the story.
TECHNIQUES
Time/Historical Period:
Past, present, future
Geographic Location:
Place – Can be real, fictional, USA, foreign
country, land, water, space, etc.
Local Colors:
Atmosphere:
Use of details about the customs and ways of life in a
specific geographical region (clothing, manners,
traditions, etc.)
Feelings associated with the setting: gloomy, scary, tense,
anxious, etc. Can also be temperature, weather
conditions – fog, rain, sun, etc.
Specific Physical Features: What, exactly, is ON the setting – types of
mountains, trees, buildings, lakes, etc. Also, ground cover – grass, sand,
desert, water, etc.
THEME
Theme: The underlying idea or message about life or human nature
contained in a literary work.
A STATED theme is one the author puts directly into words.
An UNSTATED or IMPLIED theme lets the reader analyze and come up
with it.
Theme Expressed Through Setting…
Theme Expressed Through Character…
Theme Expressed Through Plot…
All three of the above are places where
you will find theme.
Theme is NOT:
Plot, the “moral” of the story, plot, a piece of advice,
plot, not stated just in terms of the character – it must be in terms of
Humankind (everyone), THEME IS NOT PLOT!