 It is a work of prose fiction, usually under
be read at one sitting. which can
 In a short story every word counts, and is carefully selected by the author.
 Artistically, a short story is intended to
 A good story , arouses
and makes one question
about life,
.
The

Plot

Atmosphere

Character and Characterization
a story has is created through elements of fiction:

Conflict

Theme

Setting

Style (which includes a number of devices)

Plot is the story’s make up the story.

A Plot Graph is an excellent way to map out the given story.
: the series of

It allows the student to select the pertinent plot elements and to the end of the story.
that
plot details in a
how they build

Introduces ,
Serves to
, and the conflict the reader to keep reading

The event that causes or the action in the story

The main part of a story, when the main character tries to solve his or her problem.
Suspense,
occur to create a series of crises.
A
At this point the
, problems or all
refers to a problem which is produced by the conflicts, problems, etc.
can go in many different directions. The rising
action entices the reader to keep reading
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pg 2

The
The
solves his/her struggles.
point of the story where conflicts are resolved. point of interest in the story when a characters
It is the of a decision that had to be made. This major
decision influences the rest of the story.

The part of a story that leads to the

or resolution.
are over, and This element refers to the final details of the story.
final statements are made. Not all stories have a formal .
 This term refers to the
 The author uses certain descriptive
that is created in the story.
, , details about
setting, etc. to create feelings in the readers of fear, anger, happiness, etc.
 This term is often referred to as as well
 It is the in the story
 Character refers to the that are depicted in each story.
Usually there is only one
the events of the story revolve.
around whom


This character is called the
An ANTAGONIST is a character who
: a regular character or a hero or heroine
the protagonist; often working in contrast to the protagonist such as a villain. Not every story has an antagonist.
 Characters are identified by a dominant trait, motivation, or characteristic, such as loyalty, ambition, greed, arrogance
 Characters are often classified as
 STATIC (those who are barely revealed and/or change very little throughout a story) or
DYNAMIC (those who change or
described at great length) throughout a story and are
 Characterization refers to how characters are developed and
 Authors use a variety of information about them: to reveal their characters and to communicate
.
•
•
The
What a character says (
of the character: what he/she looks like! (narrator’s input)
) gives insight to his/her personality. Authors use dialogue skillfully in the short story to portray character, add suspense, and to dramatize conflict.
• What a character (actions) provides an impression for the reader
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pg. 3
•
What a character thinks ( ) offers a glimpse into what he/she is like
•
What others say about the character (inference) lets us gain insight about the character
There are two ways character is established:
 Characterization

This is where the author comes right out and tells the reader what a certain character is like.

Ex. In “ Being Comfortable with being Weird”, the author/narrator calls a character a
“superficial little wench.”
 Characterization

This is where the author gives certain information and lets readers draw their own conclusions about the character.
–
Character’s Name (or nickname) ex “Mouse”
–
Character’s Appearance
– What a Character says
– What a Character thinks
– What other people think/say about the character
– What the character does. Actions speak louder than words.
 The central of conflict in the story
 It usually involves a between opposing characters, emotions, etc.

Conflict is sometimes referred to as the problem in the story. Therefore, it must be solved or a goal must be achieved to resolve it.


The plot of the story usually
There are
around conflict!
main types of conflict present in most stories:


Person vs

Person vs Society

Person vs The Environment (

Person vs Fate

Person vs Technology

Person vs Animals

Person vs The Supernatural
)


Person vs Self
 Theme is the communicate in the story about life or human nature
 It is generally an underlying wrote about
or idea the author is trying to
or value about the very topic that the author
 Themes are often universal truths that are suggested by the specifics of the story but it is not stated directly.
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 It can be a moral or lesson BUT these are different concepts
 Theme is not the topic
 It is what the author says about the
 Ex. A story may be about war = topic
 Ex. War is a destructive force that robs men of their innocence
 Plays an important role in many stories.
 Often helps create the MOOD
 It is the
 It refers to both the
in which the story takes place.
(era) that a story is set and the
(location) where the action occurs

The ‘style’ of a short story refers to the author’s particular in which the writer uses and writing
of writing. It is the way
to create his/her story.

Some things that make up a writer’s

Diction: choice of
include:

Types of sentences - Simple, compound, fragments

Use of stylistic and/or poetic language - metaphor, simile, etc. and/or assonance, alliteration

: the language in a story that suggests the writer’s or narrator’s own attitude toward characters, objects, and topics in the story

Theme: the message itself indicates the attitudes/beliefs


Point of
Devices
 Point of view refers to the
 There are
from which a story is told
common points of view:
 First-person point of view : the story is told by the protagonist, a minor character or an interested bystander using the pronouns I or we
 Third-person OMNISCIENT point of view: , all-knowing perspective. It reveals the thoughts and emotions of several characters using he, she, and they.
 Third-person LIMITED : uses the pronouns he, she and they , but tells the story from the perspective of one of the characters .
R. Efpatridis – ENG 1DP