Literary Elements
• Setting
• Conflict/Inciting Incident
• Flashback/Foreshadowing
Setting
• Definition:
• The TIME (day, month, year) and PLACE where the
action occurs in a story.
• Purpose:
– The setting can influence the type of characters
that appear in a story as well as what events
occur in the plot.
Setting
Where:
• Geographical location (Wyoming, London,
Cairo, Vancouver, etc.)
• Socio-economic characteristics (wealthy
suburbs, depression dustbowl)
• Specific locations (prep school, log cabin,
bus, military base)
Setting
When:
• General time period: (Past, present, future)
• Specific time period: (1865, during WWII,
during Colonial Times.)
• Time of year/Time of day: (Seasons,
morning, dusk)
Turn and Talk
• Using the story “Seventh Grade” on p. 20 of
your textbook, list details about the story’s
setting (TIME & PLACE) with a partner.
• Simply stating that the story takes place in a
school is not a complete response.
Identifying the Elements of A Plot
Diagram
Plot
• Definition:
–The sequence of
events that make
up a story
–All events are
related to one
another.
Plot Diagram
3- CLIMAX
Middle-End of
Story
2- Rising Action
1- Exposition
Beginning of Story
4- Falling Action
5 – Resolution/
Denoument
End of Story
1. Exposition
Definition:
• Occurs at the beginning of a story to give the reader background
information.
• Characters are introduced.
• Setting of the story is introduced.
• The Inciting Incident is introduced.
–This is referred to as the INCITIING INCIDENT because it is the first indication that
something has gone wrong.
–It causes a shift in the action during the beginning of the story.
C
S
I
2. Rising Action
Definition:
• A series of events (in a particular order) that lead to the climax
• A building of suspense or interest occurs.
3. Climax
Definition:
• 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 toward the end of a story.
4. Falling Action
Definition:
• All loose ends of
the plot are tied up.
• The conflict(s) and
climax are starting
to calm down.
5. Resolution/Denoument
Definition:
• The story comes to a
reasonable ending
(conclusion).
• Not every story has a
resolution
Putting It All Together
1. Exposition
Very Beginning of Story
2. Rising Action
Beginning – Middle of Story
3. Climax
Near End of Story
4. Falling Action
End of Story
5. Resolution/Denoument
Very End of Story
Plot Diagram for “The Scholarship Jacket”
Climax:
YOU TRY:
Rising Action
3. Marta asks her grandpa for money but he refuses because he thinks the
scholarship jacket should be free.
Falling Action:
2. Principal tells Marta that the jacket will cost $15
1. Marta overhears teacher arguing about who should get the jacket. Mr.
Boone says Joann should because her father is on the school board. Mr.
Schmidt disagrees
Exposition
Characters: Marta, Marta’s grandfather, Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Boone, the principal, Joann
& her father
Setting: Small town in Texas, only one store in town, grandfather’s bean farm
Inciting Incident: Teachers were discriminating against Marta, and debating giving the
Scholarship Jacket to a white girl with a powerful father, even though Marta earned it.
1.
Mr. Schmidt congratulates Marta
2. Marta goes home to tell her grandfather- tears of
joy
Resolution:
Grandfather was proud of Marta for standing
up for herself and happy that she will get the
jacket she earned.
Plot Diagram for “The Scholarship Jacket”
Rising Action
3. Marta asks her grandpa for money but he refuses because he thinks the
scholarship jacket should be free.
Climax:
Marta tells principal she won’t pay for the jacket because of
what her grandfather said.
Principal changes his mind, tells Marta she can have the
scholarship jacket
2. Principal tells Marta that the jacket will cost $15
1. Marta overhears teacher arguing about who should get the jacket. Mr.
Boone says Joann should because her father is on the school board. Mr.
Schmidt disagrees
Exposition
Characters: Marta, Marta’s grandfather, Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Boone, the principal, Joann
& her father
Setting: Small town in Texas, only one store in town, grandfather’s bean farm
Inciting Incident: Teachers were discriminating against Marta, and debating giving the
Scholarship Jacket to a white girl with a powerful father, even though Marta earned it.
Falling Action:
1.
Mr. Schmidt congratulates Marta
2. Marta goes home to tell her grandfather- tears of joy
Resolution:
Grandfather was proud of Marta for standing
up for herself and happy that she will get the
jacket she earned.
Plot Diagram for “Amigo Brothers”
Climax:
You Try!
Rising Action
4. They both fight really well and give it their all
3. They psych themselves up and get in to the ring.
2. They think about “pulling punches” so they don’t hurt one another during the
fight.
Falling Action:
1. The boys leave the ring arm in arm,
not waiting to hear who won.
2. Friendship is more important to
them than winning the match
1. The two friends decide to split up
when training so they don’t think
about their friendship
Resolution:
Characters: Felix and Antonio
Setting: Brooklyn, New York
Inciting Incident : YOU TRY!
Exposition
Plot Diagram for “Amigo Brothers”
Climax:
Rising Action
The announcer turns to tell the audience who won
the match
4. They both fight really well and give it their all
3. They psych themselves up and get in to the ring.
2. They think about “pulling punches” so they don’t hurt one another during the
fight.
Falling Action:
1. The boys leave the ring arm in arm,
not waiting to hear who won.
2. Friendship is more important to
them than winning the match
1. The two friends decide to split up
when training so they don’t think
about their friendship
Exposition
Characters: Felix and Antonio
Setting: Brooklyn, New York
Inciting Incident : : The two boys are best friends but have to fight
against one another in the golden gloves tournament.
Resolution:
Flashback
Definition:
• An interruption of the chronological
sequence of events in a story.
Purpose:
• To provide background or context to the
current events in a story.
• For readers to gain insight in to a character’s
motivation.
• To increase tension.
Flashback
Example:
• Often presented as dream sequences and memories
• When I went out of the drawing room, first thing
that came into view in the open corridor way was
the picture of my brother. [I just got the point why
my mother used to see that portrait hours after he
was killed in the WWII, and she left only when she
saw any one of us coming to her.] I just heard steps
and when I looked back, there was nothing that I
could see. It was just a feeling of the past.
Foreshadowing
Definition:
• Hinting at something that is going to happen
later in the story.
• Often appears at the beginning of a story
Purpose:
• To help a reader anticipate the coming events in
a story.
• To create suspense/interest
Foreshadowing
Example:
• Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is rich with
foreshadowing examples. One of which is the
following lines from Act 2, Scene 2:
• “Life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love”
• In the balcony scene, Juliet is concerned about
Romeo’s safety as she fears her kinsmen may catch
him. Romeo says, in the above lines, that he would
rather have her love and die sooner than not obtain
her love and die later. Eventually, he gets her love and
dies for her love, too.