Short Story Unit
IMPORTANT STUFF TAKE
NOTES!!!!!
Elements of Literature
Important info we will use in
EVERY SINGLE UNIT
Element Of Lit cont…
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Plot: What happens in a
story.
Character: People in the
story.
Round: Main character,
only one round character
in a short story.
Flat: Gives info about the
round character.
Setting: When and where
the story takes place.
Element of Lit cont…
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Point of View (P.O.V.):
who is telling the story.
1st person: character in
the story that is telling the
story, not a reliable source.
3rd person limited:
objective narrator who is
not part of the story, does
not know everything about
the character or story.
Elements of Lit Cont…
► 3rd
person omniscient:
Objective narrator who
knows everything
about the characters
and story.
► Style: How the story is
written.
Elements of Lit Cont…
► Symbol:
Something
that represents a
larger concept of idea.
 Ex: Flag=American
values, pride, ideals
 The Journey=the life
we lead
Elements of Lit Cont…
► Theme:
The/meaning=The
message or big idea
the author is trying to
get across.
 Ex: The journey of life
is difficult and includes
many painful lessons.
“The Cask of Amontillado”
By Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allen Poe
► Had
a terrible life:
 Dad abandoned Family
 Mom died of TB
 Adopted mom died of
TB
 Wife died of TB
 His writing was not
appreciated while he
was alive
 He received $15 for
“The Raven”
Poe continued…
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Maligned (character
destroyed) after he died
He was an AMAZING
writer:
 Wrote “The Raven” and
other fabulous poems
 Invented the detective story.
 Created the modern concept
of a short story
 His work is still relevant
today.
POV
► We
hear the story from
the murderer—Poe
loves to do this—he
wants us to see that
we have more in
common with a
murderer than we may
think.
Setting
► Italian
Carnival Mid
1800’s:
 It is the big party
before Lent begins
 LOTS of drinking goes
on
 LOTS of people in the
streets
 People are disguised
 Perfect cover for
committing murder
Irony in the story
► Dramatic
Irony: When
the audience knows
more than the
characters:
 The cough
 Montressor keeps telling
him to go back
 The family crest
 Montressor’s seemingly
caring attitude
Irony continued…
► Situational
Irony
 When the unexpected
happens
► Jester
costume
► Happening during
carnival
Verbal Irony
► Verbal
Irony: A Play
on Words
 Fortunado’s name
 The use of the word
“mason”
Characters
► Round
Character:
Montressor-getting
revenge because
Fortunado insulted him
 How was he insulted?
 Revenge is very well
planned
 He enjoys messing with
Fortunado before killing
him.
 Did he feel remorse?
Characters continued…
► Flat
Character:
 Fortunado
► Drunk
► Somehow
insulted
Montressor
► Wearing a jester’s
costume
► Thinks he is a wine
aficionado (expert)
► Not very smart
Symbols
► Family
crest:
Illustrates Montressor’s
violence
► Amontillado:
Fortunado’s
foolishness/downfall
► Basement/celler:
What is beneath the
surface of people—
dark, scary part of us
Theme
► In
his short story “The
Cask of Amontillado”,
Edgar Allen Poe
illustrates that:
 All of us have dark side
and we must control it
or it will destroy us
 Do not allow yourself to
lose your self-control
“The Most Dangerous Game”
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont..
► Darwinism:
 The belief that species
evolve to survive in
their enviroment.
 Only the strong
survive
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont…
► Characters:
 Sanger Rainsford:
Famous hunter, smart,
strong, round
character.
 Flat Characters:
► General
Zaroff: hunter,
Russian, hunts humans.
► Ivan: General’s servant.
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont…
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Setting: Isolated tropical
Island.
POV: Third person limited:
reader is only in
Rainsford’s head
Foreshadowing: Giving
clues to what is going to
happen next. The sailors
warning, etc…
“The Most Dangerous Game”
Cont…
► Plot
Development:
 Conflict:
► Internal:
A conflict
within a person-should I
steal the money on Mrs.
Dixon’s desk or not?
► External: A conflict
between a person and
another person, animal
or nature.
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont…
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Plot Development:
 Exposition: Background info
 Complication: What
problem does the character
have overcome.
 Climax: The moment when
everything comes to a head.
 Resolution: How is
everything brought to close.
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont…
► Symbols:
 The Island: An
enviroment one must
adapt to
 The hunt: Nature’s
unrelenting (nonstop)
pursuit of man.
“The Most Dangerous Game” Cont…
► Theme:
In his short
story “The Most
Dangerous Game”,
Richard Connell
illustrates that only the
strong can survive in
this cold world.
“Poison”
By: Roald Dahl
“Poison” cont…
“Poison” cont…
► Setting:
- Colonial India
- Midnight
- WWII
-1930s-1940s
► P.O.V. - 1st person:
Timber Woods is
telling the story
“Poison” cont…
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Characters:
Timber Woods:
-Narrator
-British
-Round Character
Harry Pope:
-Racist
-Rude
-British
Dr. Ganderbai:
-Indian
- Kind to help Harry in the
middle of the night
“Poison” cont…
► Symbols:
Snake: represents
racism inside Harry
(evil).
Mother of Pearl:
represents Harry on the
outside (nice).
The Poison: The
hurtfulness of racism
“Poison” cont…
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, In his short story
“Poison,” Roald Dahl
indicates that judging a
person by his appearance
can be dangerous.
…illustrates that racism is
extremely hurtful.
“Marigolds”
By: Eugenia Collier
“Marigolds” cont…
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Setting:
-Great Depression
-Maryland
Characters:
- Lizabeth (round)
-Flat: Joey (Lizabeth’s
brother), John Burke (Miss
Lottie’s Son), Miss Lottie
(Marigold owner), the kids
in the neighborhood, and
mom and dad.
“Marigolds” cont…
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P.O.V.- 1st person,
Lizabeth.
Flashback- looking back,
telling story from the past.
Symbol: Marigolds
represent beauty, hope &
joy.
-Dust, the color yellow and
the color gray represent
poverty and sadness.
“Marigolds” cont…
► Theme:
In the story
“Marigolds,” Eugenia
Collier suggests in
order to achieve
happiness one needs
to work for it.
- … in order to survive
in a difficult world, one
must plant hope.
Thank You Ma’am
By. Langston Hughes
“Thank You M’am” cont…
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Harlem Renaissance:
1920’s, explosion of high
quality African American
art
Setting: Inner City—it
could be any city. Why?
Characters: Mrs. Luella
Bates Washington
Jones(round)
Roger(flat)
“Thank You Ma’am” Cont…
► Symbols
 The Purse: Mrs. LBWJ’s
life
 The $10: Mrs. LBWJ’s
generosity
 The Blue Suede Shoes:
Roger’s desire to fit in.
 The dinner: Mrs.
LBJW’s poverty
“Thank You Ma’am” cont…
► Theme:
in the Short
Story. “Thank You
Ma’am,” Langston
Hughes demonstrates
generosity can come
from the most
surprising places
The Gift of the Magi
By: O. Henry
“Gift of the Magi” cont…
► Nom-de-plume=pen
name= name author
uses only when writing
► Irony: when the
unexpected happens
“Gift of the Magi” cont…
► Magi:
wise men who
traveled long to bring
gifts to Christ
► Setting: New York,
Early 1900’s, Day
before Christmas, Flat
► Characters:
Della(round), Jim(flat)
“Gift of the Magi” cont…
► Symbols:
Watch,
combs, hair & chain all
represent their love
and sacrifices
► Theme: In the short
story “Gift of The
Magi.” O, Henry
demonstrates in order
to truly give, one must
make sacrifices
Scarlet Ibis
By: James Hurst
“The Scarlet Ibis” cont…
► Setting:
1918, swamps
of Louisiana, American
Southeast
“The Scarlet Ibis” cont…
► Mood:
feeling of story
 This story has a sad
feeling from the very
start.
“The Scarlet Ibis” cont…
► P.O.V.
1st person.
Flashback
► Foreshadowing:
 Fall
 Name that is only made
for a tombstone
 Coffin
 Death of the ibis
“The Scarlet Ibis” Cont…
► Characters:
 Brother/narrator -Round
 Doodle, Mother, Daddy,
Aunt Nicey-Flat
“The Scarlet Ibis” cont…
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Symbols
 The Ibis: Doodle-fragile,
pushed too far
 Fall-Death
 Hurricane-The danger of
messing with nature
 Go Cart-Doodle’s limitations
 Fall-death
 Go Cart, colds, and
nightmares-Doodle’s Fragility
“The Scarlet Ibis” cont…
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Theme: In his story “The
Scarelt Ibis” James Hurst
illustrates that it is
dangerous to push people
past their limits.
…that too much pride can
be dangerous.
The End!