Setting
The time and location in which a story
takes place.
There are several aspects
of a story’s setting to
consider when examining
how setting contributes to
a story:
Place
A geographical location
Where is the action of the story taking place?
Time
When the story is taking place
(historical period, time of day, time of year,
etc)
Weather conditions
Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
What is the weather like in the story?
Social Conditions
What is the daily life of the character’s like?
Mood or Atmosphere
What feeling is creating at the beginning of
the story?
Is it bright and cheerful or dark and
frightening?
Setting is creating through:
LANGUAGE
Plot
How the author arranges events to develop
his/her basic idea.
It is the sequence of events in a story or play.
Introduction
The beginning of the story where the characters
and the setting are revealed.
Rising Action
where the events in the story become complicated
and the conflict in the story is revealed
Climax
the highest point of interest and the turning point
of the story
Falling Action
The events and complications begin to resolve
themselves
Conclusion
(Denouement )
This is the final outcome or untangling of events in
the story.
Other Plot Elements
Inciting Moment: the idea or event that introduces the conflict in the
story.
Complications: obstacles that complicate the situations for the
characters, primarily the protagonist.
Characters and Characterization
There are two meaning for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction:
Protagonist: Central to the story with all major
events having some importance to this character.
Antagonist: The opposer of the main character
The Characteristics of a Person
The characters must seem real to the reader for the story to
seem real.
Characterization: the information the author gives the
reader about the characters themselves.
The author may reveal a characteristic in several ways:
A) His/her physical appearance
B) What he/ she says, thinks, feels and dreams
C) What he/she does or does not do
D) What other say about him/ her and how others react
to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are:
1) Consistent
2) Motivated
3) Life-like
Direct and Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization: what the writer directly states
what kind of person the character is.
Indirect Characterization: what we learn about the
character through the story
Ex:
-through character speech
-through physical appearance
-character’s private thoughts
-what other characters say or feel about the character
-what the character does or does not do
Point of View
The angle from which the story is
told.
Innocent Eye
The story is told through the eyes of a child.
Stream of Consciousness
The story is told so that the reader feels as if they
are inside the head of the character
First Person
The story is told by the protagonist or one of the
characters.
Omniscient
“All seeing” the narrator sees all the action and knows
what all the characters think and feel
Omniscient Limited
Told in the 3rd person, but we only know what the
characters know
Omniscient Objective
Told in the 3rd person. It appears as through a camera,
recording only what is seen and heard.
Conflict
The opposition of forces which ties one incident to another
and makes the plot move.
There are two types of conflict:
External: a struggle with a force outside of one’s self.
Internal: a struggle within one’s self; a person must make
some decision, overcome pain, etc.
There
are
four
types
of
Conflict
They are…
Man vs. Man
( physical)
The leading character struggles with
his physical/ mental strength against
other men.
Ulrich vs. Georg
From: “The Interlopers”
Man vs. Nature
(physical)
The leading character struggles
against natural forces of nature or
animals.
Eckels vs. the Dinosaur
From: “A Sound of Thunder”
Man vs. Society
(social)
A character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other
people.
Roger vs. law against stealing
From: “Thank You M’am”
Man vs. Himself/Herself
(psychological)
A character struggles with himself/
herself; with his/her own soul; ideas
of right or wrong, choices.
The Sniper vs. The Sniper
From: “The Sniper”
Now, let’s connect the idea of
Conflict
with the story
“The Most Dangerous Game”
Please tell me what KIND and TYPE
of conflict is depicted in the
following quotes and picture slides
from the story:
“They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that
direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his
strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. pg. 15
External
Rainsford vs. Nature
“Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two
hours. “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,” he
said through tight teeth.
Internal
Rainsford vs. Rainsford
“Dusk came, then darkness, and still he pressed on. The
ground grew softer under his moccasins; the vegetation
grew ranker, denser, insects bit him savagely.” pg. 26
External
Rainsford vs. Jungle
“Then, as he stepped forward, his foot sank into the ooze.
He tried to wrench it back, but the muck sucked viciously as
his foot as if it were a giant leech… He knew where he was
now. Death Swamp with its quicksand.” pg. 26
External
Rainsford vs. Quicksand
“The general made one of his deepest bows. ‘I see,’ he
said. ‘Spendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the
hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On
guard. Rainsford….” pg. 28
External
Rainsford vs. General Zaroff
“I have electricity. We try to be civilized here.” said General
Zaroff. “Civilized? And you shoot down men?” pg. 22
External
General Zaroff vs. Society