Elements of Fiction
Short Story Unit
Characters
 Protagonist-The main character or hero in a
story.
 Antagonists- The character or force that blocks
the main character
 Conflict- Struggle or clash between opposing
character or forces.
 1. Two types of Conflict- Internal and External
Internal conflict
 Internal Conflict- Takes place within a character’s own
mind.
 1. MAN vs. SELF- When the character is struggling
with themselves on the inside
 Example: Not going camping because you’re scared of
spiders. OR. Having to choose whether or not to tell
your friend that her boyfriend is cheating on her.
External Conflict: A character struggles
against an outside source
 MAN vs. Man- One character against another.
 Example: Protagonist vs. antagonist
 MAN vs. Nature- A character faces a force of nature (weather,
animals, or the lands.)
 Example: Men on boat vs. Jaws, man lost in snow storm.
 MAN vs. Society-A character is in conflict with a group or the
values of a community.
 Example: The Districts vs. The Capitol in The Hunger Games
Plot- What happens in the story, the
sequence
 Exposition-Characters, setting, and conflict introduced.
 Rising Action-The conflict and situation becomes more
complicated and intense; sometimes more conflicts arise.
 Climax-The highest point of action and suspense; the
turning point.
 Falling Action-Events that happen after the turning point
that lead to the eventual outcome of the story.
 Resolution-The outcome of the conflict and what follows.
Draw and label the Plot below
Literary Device- Tools used by the author to improve the
written word and voice to the text.
 Foreshadow -Clues that hint at events that will happen later
in the story.
 Irony-When the opposite of what is expected occurs.
 Suspense- Feeling of excitement or uncertain about what
will happen.
 Metaphor - Comparing two unlike things.
 Example: Don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s raining cats
and dogs.
Literary Devices continued
 Simile- A comparison of 2 unlike things using like or as
 Example: As busy as a bee. Sleep like a baby.
 Mood-Overall feeling or emotion of the story.
 Setting- The time, place, and mood (feeling given to reader)
of a story.
 Example: Hogwarts is the main setting in Harry Potter.
 Theme-The underlying message of a story, what the author
wants us to learn. Main idea and the overall message.
Characterization- The way the author describes
the characters.
 Direct Characterization –Telling. You are told what the
characters personality is.
 Example: The patient boy and quiet girl were well mannered.
 Indirect Characterization –Showing. When the author gives
us hint to help us INFER what the character is like.

Clues Include: (STEAL)

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
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S- Speech, say or speak
T- Thought, thoughts or feelings
E- Effect on others
A- Action, do or behave
L- Looks, look like or dress
Character Types- A person, animal, thing,
or forces in the story.
 Flat -A character who is not described in great detail
and only has one character trait.
 Round -A character who is well developed; we can
list several detail about the round character.
 Static-A character whose personality or values do
not change. Like Katniss
 Dynamic character- A character that changes in an
important way during a story.
Ebenezer Scrooge in The Christmas Carol
Point of View- Perspective from which a story is told.
 1st Person- The narrator who is a character tells the story
using pronoun I.
Example: I was walking down the road and saw two men staring
into a house.
 3rd person narrator-An outside narrator tells the story but is
limited by only seeing into the main character’s head. Uses
He and She.
Example: Claire was walking down the road and saw two men
staring into a house. She immediately was suspicious and called
the cops.
 3rd person Omniscient -An all knowing narrators tells the story,
he knows ALL characters’ thoughts and feelings.