Story Elements,
Plot, Theme,
Summarization &
Characterization
Setting
Definition:
o The TIME and PLACE where the action
occurs in a story (the place, time, day, month,
year, etc.)
Purpose:
o The setting is not only the background of the story. It
can influence the type of characters that appear in a
story as well as what events occur in the plot.
Conflict
Definition:
o A struggle between opposing forces. Conflict
is the problem in the story.
o There are two main kinds of conflict in
literature: external and internal.
Conflict
External:
o A struggle between a character and an
outside force.
o Ex = out
Internal:
o A struggle that takes place in a character's mind.
o In = in (or not)
Types of
Conflict
Man vs. Man (external):
o Ex: Batman vs. the joker
Man vs. Nature (external)
o Ex: Man vs. a tornado
Man vs. Society (external)
o Martin Luther King Jr. vs. racism
Man vs. self (internal)
o Should I go to a small private college or a big
10 school?
Types of
Conflict
Practice!
o Choose one type of conflict and
create an example!
Plot
Definition:
o the sequence of events that
make up a story
o All events are related to one
another.
1. Exposition
• . Occurs at the beginning of a story to
give the reader background
information.
• Characters
are introduced.
• Setting of the story is
introduced.
• The Conflict is introduced.
2. Rising
Action
• A. series of events (in a particular order) that
lead to the climax
• A building of suspense or
interest occurs.
3. Climax
•
The major turning point or the most intense
.
moment
in the story.
• Usually the main character comes
face to face with the conflict.
• The reader’s emotion is
piqued (sparked) by placing
the outcome of the characters
in doubt.
• Happens in the middle or
toward the end of a story.
4. Falling
Action
• All
. loose ends of the
plot are tied up.
• The conflict(s) and climax
are starting to calm down.
5. Resolution
.
• The story comes
to a reasonable
ending
(conclusion).
Putting It All
Together
.
1. Exposition
Beginning of Story
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
Middle /Near End of Story
4. Falling Action
5. Resolution/ Denouement
End of Story
Theme
0
•
THE
MEssage
Theme: Life lesson,
meaning, or message
about life or human nature that is
communicated by a literary work.
• Usually inferred.
0
• A theme is usually what the author feels is a
‘universal truth’
• There may be more than one theme in a text.
• The theme reveals a basic truth about
our lives and human experience.
Theme
Themes focus on the
“big” topics in everyone’s
life:
0
Helping others
can lead to
personal
fulfillment
Friendships
can grow and
Being too ambitious
change over
can lead to
time
unhappiness
**Remember, a theme is not just a word. The author
makes a statement about these common topics**
Theme
Practice
0
What song would be the theme song
for your life and why?
Moral
Theme
o The lesson or principle contained
in or taught by the story.
o The underlying meaning of a literary
work.
o A concisely expressed guideline
o It is what the author wants the reader
to get out of the written work.
(Think like the kind of advice a mom
would give: slow but steady wins the
race!)
0(Think: Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory by Roald Dahl: “Selflessness
brings the greatest reward.”)
o Moral is often stated outright
o Theme usually needs to be inferred
o Morals often appear at the end of a
fable
o A moral is a piece of practical
advice that can be applied to our
own lives.
o Theme is a universal truth about life
o A theme is more complex than a
moral
Subect
o The who or what
Theme
o The underlying meaning of
a literary work.
o Can be one word
o Example: Subject: Puppy
Mills
0o
The message (more than
one word)
o Example: Theme: All
animals should be treated
humanely.
0
Summarizat
ion
Definition:
Summarizat
ion
• Summarizing is taking a larger selection of
text and reducing 0
it to the main points
worth remembering.
• You might call it the “gist” or the “key ideas”
Purpose:
Summarizat
ion
• It helps us learn to determine essential
ideas and the most 0
important details that
support them.
• It enables us to focus on key words and phrases
of an assigned text that are worth noting and
remembering.
• Using the strategy of summarization can
help remember the most important
aspects of a story
:
How to write a
summary
o Just remember SWBS:
oSomebody: Identify the main character and
0
important details about them.
o Wanted: Describe the character’s goal.
oBut: Describe the conflict that holds the
character back.
oSo: Describe the resolution of the conflict.
Example
Somebo
dy
Wanted
But
Felix
and
Antonio
are two
boys
who
are
best
friends
Each
wanted to
be the
champion
of the
Golden
Glove
Tournamen
t
But, the two
best friends
0 had
to fight each
other to
determine the
winner of the
tournament.
They were
worried fighting
one another
So
The boys agreed to
fight their hardest and
at the end of the fight,
they walked out of the
ring arm and arm
before even hearing
who won.
Subjective
o When writers emphasize or share their own
personal feelings, thoughts, judgments, and
opinions, their writing is defined as subjective.
0
oSubjective=Some facts and Some opinions
oIt is often found in:
• editorial section of
• personal essays
• autobiographiesnewspapers where
journalists express their
opinions about news
events.
Objective
o Objective writing presents facts and
figures only. It does not include the
writer’s beliefs or feelings.
o Objective = Only facts
0
o The purpose of an objective piece of writing is to
inform the readers.
oOften found in:
• Resear
• Textbooks
• Expository papers ch
• News
articles
Objective
Summary
o When writing an objective summary, it is
important to write only facts.
0
o If you are unsure if your writing is factual, ask yourself:
“Can I find support in the text backs up these facts?”
o Do not include thoughts or opinions of the book.
o Avoid biased language
Characterizati
on
0
Characterizat
ion
Definition:
o all the techniques writers use to create and
develop characters.
0 presents details that
o Is the way that an author
give you clues about a character’s personality
Purpose:
o to make the characters believable.
Ways that an
author
develops a
o Presenting the character
character’s words (dialogue)
and actions
0
o Presenting the character’s thoughts
o Description of the character’s appearance
o Showing what others think about the character.
How do we
determine
L: Looks characterization
?
A: Acts
0
S: Says
T: Thinks
O: Others ( What others
think)
Practice!
o Characterize yourself
L: Looks
using LASTO!!!
A: Acts
0
S: Says
T: Thinks
O: Others ( What others
think)
Types of
Characters
Protagonist:
oThe character that the story revolves around is
called the protagonist
0
o The protagonist is involved in the main conflict of the plot and
usually changes in some way throughout the story.
o The protagonist in a story is NOT necessarily the
goodo guy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZY_XRjABs
Types of
Characters
Antagonist:
o the character (or force) that creates a conflict
for the protagonist.
0
o The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be an person. It
could be death, the devil, an illness, or any other challenge.
o The antagonist could be a likeable character in a
literary work (“the good guy”) where the
protagonist represents evil (“the bad guy”).
Types of
Characters
Static Characters:
oA character that DOES NOT change throughout
the story
0
oUsually a minor character
oStatic=Same
Dynamic Characters:
o A character that DOES change throughout the
story
o Usually a main character
o Dynamic=different
Types of
Characters
Practice!
0 and antagonist
o Identify the protagonist
from your SSR book
o Identify a static character and a
dynamic character from your SSR book