Elements of a Narrative
Setting:
The setting of a story is where and when the author decides
to write the story. It is the time and it describes where the
events take place (EX city, country/farm, neighborhood). It
can contribute to the mood of the story and it helps create
mental pictures in the minds of the reader. The author uses
descriptive words and pictures to convey the setting.
Theme:
The theme of the story is the point of the story or the moral. It
tells the reader why the story was written and what we can
learn from life.
Point of View:
The point of view tells the reader who is telling the story.
Sometimes, it is in first person (main character). This means
that an “I” is telling the story about something that happened
to him or her. The “I” is the person the author has created to
tell the story. Other times, authors use third person (narrator)
where the person is looking at the story from the outside.
The third party voice of the narrator is not the voice of one of
the characters. It is an “all knowing” voice who can see what
is happening to different characters and what they see, know,
and feel. The last POV is called the second POV and it uses
the pronoun “you” to address the reader. This POV implies
that the reader is a character in the story and the events are
happening to them.
Character:
The character in a story is created by the author and it can be
a person, animal or creature. As readers, we understand what
the character is like by what they say (dialogue) and how they
say it, what others say about them, how they act and what the
character desires. The protagonist is the main character in
the story. The antagonist is the character who opposes the
protagonist.
Conflict:
Conflict in a story involves “the meeting of and struggle
between opposing forces”. It can involve people against or
vs. people, person vs. nature, a person vs. him or herself, a
person vs. society or a person vs. technology.
Resolution:
The resolution is the part of the story's plot where the main
problem is resolved or worked out. The resolution occurs after
the falling action and is typically where the story ends.
Another term for the resolution is "dénouement," which comes
from the French term dénoué, meaning "to untie."
Plot:
The plot is the storyline. It is what happens or the sequence
of events in the story. The plot starts with an introduction
(and situation), has rising action (a conflict or complication), a
climax, falling action and a conclusion/ resolution.