Short Stories
Characteristics of Short Stories
Limited in length
 Limited to one main event and the
development of one character

Ex:
Napoleon Dynomite vs. Breakfast Club
Plot
Sequence of incidents or actions in a
story. Whatever the characters do, or
whatever happens to them, constitutes
plot.
 Finding Nemo Plot
 http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/co
urse/course1/unit/shortstory.shtml

Plot
The most important element in plot is
conflict.
 External or internal conflict
 A story often ends when conflict is
resolved but this is not always the case…

Plot Structure
Plot is the literary element that describes the
structure of a story. It shows the a causal
arrangement of events and actions within a story.
Types of Linear Plots
Plots can be told in
Chronological order
Flashback
In media res (in the middle of things)
when the story starts in the middle of the
action without exposition
Pyramid Plot Structure
The most basic and
traditional form of
plot is pyramidshaped.
This structure has
been described in
more detail by
Aristotle and by
Gustav Freytag.
Aristotle’s Unified Plot
The basic triangle-shaped plot structure was
described by Aristotle in 350 BCE. Aristotle used
the beginning, middle, and end structure to
describe a story that moved along a linear path,
following a chain of cause and effect as it works
toward the solution of a conflict or crisis.
Freytag’s Plot Structure
Freytag modified Aristotle’s system by adding a
rising action (or complication) and a falling action
to the structure. Freytag used the five-part
design shown above to describe a story’s plot.
Modified Plot Structure
Freytag’s Pyramid is often modified so that it
extends slightly before and after the primary
rising and falling action. You might think of this
part of the chart as similar to the warm-up and
cool-down for the story.
Plot Components
Climax: the turning point, the
most intense moment—either
mentally or in action
Rising Action: the series of
conflicts and crisis in the story
that lead to the climax
Falling Action: all of the
action which follows the
climax
Exposition: the start of the
story, the situation before the
action starts
Resolution: the conclusion,
the tying together of all of
the threads
Conflict
Conflict is the dramatic struggle
between two forces in a story.
Without conflict, there is no
plot.
Types of Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Human vs Human
Human vs Nature
Human vs Society
Internal Conflict
Human vs Self
Leiningen Versus the Ants

Suspense in the story will result from a
person in conflict in nature.
Neighbor Rosicky: Characterizations
How do you arrive to an
opinion about a person you
don’t know very well?

List the words that come to mind
for the following series of photos…
(Don’t think about it to much, just your gut
reaction)
Stereotyping
What can appearance reveal about a
person?
 Would it help you if you could know the
person’s thoughts?
 This is how you establish character in
fiction.
 Pay attention to how Rosicky’s character is
revealed.

Neighbor Rosicky: Characterization

We create opinions based on:
– The way someone looks
– Someone’s dress
– Someone’s background
– Stereotypes
Pay attention to the “first impressions” we get
from Rosicky, and how these evolve.
A
symbol is anything that hints at
something else, usually something
abstract, such as an idea or belief. A
literary symbol is an object, a person, a
situation, or an action that has a literal
meaning in a story but suggests or
represents other meanings.
 Define:
 Ex:
A
general symbol is universal in its
meaning. Even if the symbol were
removed from a work of literature, it would
still suggest a larger meaning.
– Ex: While the sea symbolizes the universal
voyage from life to death in The Odyssey, it
retains this association independent from
literature. The "sea" is a general symbol.
– Ex: In poetry, a "rose" often is not only a
flower, but also a general symbol for romantic
love.


A specific symbol is not universal in its meaning. It acquires
a specific meaning based on how it relates to the content of
a novel, poem, etc. The symbol's significance exists only
within the context created by the author.
– Ex: A hunting cap in The Catcher in the Rye has no
universal meaning, but within the novel it is worn
backwards and symbolizes a looking back at childhood.
– Ex: A pair of eyes on a billboard in the Great Gatsby has
no universal meaning, but within the story symbolizes
the eyes of God watching humanity.
Tips about Symbols:
– • The story itself must furnish a clue that a detail is to be
taken symbolically. Symbols nearly always signal their
existence by emphasis, repetition, or position.
– The meaning of a literary symbol must be established
and supported by the entire context of
 To
be called a symbol, an item must
suggest a meaning different in kind from
its literal meaning; a symbol is something
more than its class or type.
 A symbol may have more than one
meaning. This does not mean that the
symbol can mean anything you want it to
because possible meanings are always
controlled by the context.
 To
identify a symbol, note if an object
seems to:
– appear repeatedly
– have an unusually vivid quality
– be described with language conveying much
emphasis
– have more significance than its literal reality
would suggest
 Carefully
examine how the symbol
functions in relation to the story. Ask
yourself what idea is represented by the
symbol.
 Classification
may reveal opposite
relationships, such as symbols of good and
evil, life and death. Or symbols may fall
into isolated categories, such as
destruction, innocence, or sexuality.
 Determine
how much depth a particular
symbol has and classify its possible
meanings. While you may focus on only
one major symbol, you may be able to
divide it into two specific meanings and
two general meanings.
 Remember:
A symbol has a literal
meaning in a story but suggests or
represents other meanings.
– Not all symbolism is obvious; often it is subtle
and indirect.
– American Beauty: Symbolism

In the clip American Beauty what kind of descriptions
are used to describe the plastic bag?

What does the plastic bag mean to the male character?

Based on the description of the plastic bag and what the
plastic bag appears to mean to the male character, what
would you predict that the bag symbolizes throughout
the film?
General vs. Specific Symbolism
A
general symbol is universal in its
meaning. Even if the symbol were
removed from a work of literature, it would
still suggest a larger meaning
A
specific symbol is not universal in its
meaning. It acquires a specific meaning
based on how it relates to the content of a
novel, poem, etc. The symbol's
significance exists only within the context
created by the author.
 Definition:
– Catcher in the Rye: Backwards hat means to
“look back on child hood”
– Great Gatsby : Eyes on a billboard, but within
the story symbolizes the eyes of God watching
humanity.
– Odyssey: Sea symbolizes the universal voyage
from life to death.
– Ashes: The weather symbolizes the events
within life: dark clouds, sunshine, ect.
Neighbor Rosicky: Symbolism

The new child of Polly & Rudolph:

The cemetery behind Rosicky’s house:

Rosicky’s land:
Marigolds: Symbolism

Marigolds:

The stone throwing:
The Gift of the Magi: Symbolism
Read “The Gift of the Magi” under class
links.
 Identify symbols that you see throughout.

The Gift of the Magi: Symbolism
Identify two symbols in the story and
what they represent.
 Answer the comprehension questions
located on the assignment calendar for
today.
 When completed print and put in in-bin.

Marigolds: Memories
Think about the memories that you have
that others remember differently than
you.
 “Coming of Age” story

– Breakfast Club
– My Girl
– The Wonder Years

Turning point
Marigolds: Making Inferences
About Character
Consider how they and others you know
have changed over time.
 In good fiction characters are complex and
make mistakes.
 As you read Marigolds you should be
making inferences about Lizabeth’s
character as a young person and an adult.

Marigolds: Writing
Write an essay about childhood mischief in
which you participated. Was it harmless or
cruel? Were you influenced by peers? How did
you feel then? How do you feel now about the
experience?
 OR Write an essay about a childhood memory. It
could be happy or sad memory, but it should be
one that is vivid to you even now. How did you
feel then? How do you feel now about the
experience.
Due 10/7 (Thursday)

The Beginning of Greif: Symbols

Kevin shaves head –
The Beginning of Grief: Writing

In a brief essay (approximately 200-250
words), discuss Corporal Punishment.
State your position and support it with
both opinion and fact. You may need to
research this topic to include facts.
The Rifles of the Regiment: Stock
Characters

Stock characters are characters that tend
to be types rather than individuals.
– Private Detectives
– Southern Belle
– Girl next door
– Cowboy
– Marine Sergeant
The Rifles of the Regiment:
Background

Weeks after other British troops have
been evacuated from France during WWII,
Colonel Heathergalls leads his regiment,
the Loyal Rifles, across France to the
coast. Colonel insists all rifles be taken.
Point of View
Point of view is simply the vantage point
from which the story is told.
 Omniscient means “all knowing”. In this
case there is no identifiable narrator.
 The omniscient narrator knows all the
thoughts and feelings of all the characters
.

Omniscient Narrator Example

Once upon a time there was a girl named
Cinderellla. Cinderella got her name
because she was forced to work as a
servant and sleep near the cinders.
Cinderella was treated cruelly by her
wicked stepmother, who was jealous of
the girl’s good looks and sweet temper
because her own daughters were ugly and
mean.
Limited Third-person point of
view
Story is narrated by someone who stands
outside the story, but who sees everything
from the limited vantage point of only one
character.
 All attention is focused on one person.
 We do not know much of what other
characters outside this one are thinking or
feeling.

Limited-Third-Person POV
example

One upon a time there was a girl name
Cinderella, who was treated cruelly by her
stepmother. Cinderella often wept bitterly
in her ashy corner. Nightmares haunted
her, and she feared that darkened scullery
when the rats came out and played about
her feet. At times, she wondered if her
goodness would ever be rewarded,
First-Person point of view
This is when the writer lets one character
tell the story.
 This narrator can be a hero or heroine of
the story, or a minor character is
observing the action.
 This narrator would speak using “I”.
 As an audience we only know what the
narrator reports to us.

First Person POV example

I had spent sixteen years sitting in the
cinders of my kitchen. My stepmother
must have hated me, because she made
me do the dirty work. I could not
understand the reasons for her feelings,
for I had always treated her with respect.
I slept in the ashes, and was tortured by
nightmares and fear of rats.
To analyze the POV ask these
questions.
Who is the narrator of the story?
 Is this narrator a character in the story, or
does the narrator stand outside the story?
 Does the narrator know about all the
action and characters in the story or is it
limited to one character?
 How does the point of view affect my
reaction to the story’s characters and
events?

Setting
Setting: time, place of its action.
 Setting includes:

– Time of day (evening)
– What surroundings are like (dreary &
melancholy)
Setting creates atmosphere in a story
Contents of the Dead Man’s
Pocket
What two settings exists in the story?
 How does Finney set up a contrast
between them?
 How does he make you feel about each
setting?

BLOG IT!
The Rockpile
The Rockpile is an important symbol in the
story. It stands for something in itself and
for a broader meaning as well.
 How does the rock pile emphasize the
threatening nature of the setting?
 How does it also reveal the helplessness
of the characters in the story?

BLOG IT!
POE DAY!
Poe Background
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author
best known for his dark and ominous short stories and
poems.
 Poe experienced tragedy in his life. He was born into
poverty; his father was an alcoholic who left when
Edgar was young; his mother died of tuberculosis; his
foster mother and his wife died; he lived and died in
poverty.
 Ideas that come to mind regarding The Pit and the
Pendulum, The Raven, and The Tell-Tale Heart may
include horror stories, terror, fear, death, darkness,
murder, obsession, insanity, sadness, loss, guilt,
torture, and the unknown.

The Masque of the Red Death
Atmosphere: overall mood or feeling
established.
 This is often produced by description of
setting.
 While reading pull out at least 3 lines that
demonstrate how Poe creates an
“atmosphere” and what that atmosphere
is within the story.
 Poe Film

Poe Research

On Mrs. F’s Webpage
– Class Links for Sites
– Resources for WS
Point of View
Point of view is simply the vantage point
from which the story is told.
 Omniscient means “all knowing”. In this
case there is no identifiable narrator.
 The omniscient narrator knows all the
thoughts and feelings of all the characters .

Omniscient Narrator Example
Once upon a time there was a girl named
Cinderellla. Cinderella got her name
because she was forced to work as a
servant and sleep near the cinders.
Cinderella was treated cruelly by her wicked
stepmother, who was jealous of the girl’s
good looks and sweet temper because her
own daughters were ugly and mean.

Limited Third-person point of
view
Story is narrated by someone who stands
outside the story, but who sees everything
from the limited vantage point of only one
character.
 All attention is focused on one person.
 We do not know much of what other
characters outside this one are thinking or
feeling.

Limited-Third-Person POV
example

One upon a time there was a girl name
Cinderella, who was treated cruelly by her
stepmother. Cinderella often wept bitterly
in her ashy corner. Nightmares haunted
her, and she feared that darkened scullery
when the rats came out and played about
her feet. At times, she wondered if her
goodness would ever be rewarded.
First-Person point of view
This is when the writer lets one character
tell the story.
 This narrator can be a hero or heroine of
the story, or a minor character observing
the action.
 This narrator would speak using “I”.
 As an audience we only know what the
narrator reports to us.

First Person POV example

I had spent sixteen years sitting in the
cinders of my kitchen. My stepmother
must have hated me, because she made
me do the dirty work. I could not
understand the reasons for her feelings,
for I had always treated her with respect.
I slept in the ashes, and was tortured by
nightmares and fear of rats.
To analyze the POV ask these
questions.
Who is the narrator of the story?
 Is this narrator a character in the story, or
does the narrator stand outside the story?
 Does the narrator know about all the action
and characters in the story or is it limited to
one character?
 How does the point of view affect my
reaction to the story’s characters and
events?

The Quiet Man
____________ narrator.
 How does this contribute to the story?
 BrainPop!

“Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird”
Point of View:

5 minute write:
– Describe a parade from the POV of a threeyear-old.
 Keep in Mind:
–Knee level of adult,
–Vocabulary
–Interests ect.
“Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird”:
Essential Question

You should be able to identify and analyze
characterization and POV in “Blues Ain’t
No Mockin’ Bird”
“Blues Ain’t No Mockin’ Bird”
Blog

Class Blog: Privacy Rights

Respond to question @ 2 peers.

Writing a Bill project!
Essential Question

How do both the mood & tone of a story
help the author achieve it’s purpose?
Mood = EMOTIONS!
Tone
Content
 What
is tone?
 Purpose of tone
 Elements to make the tone
 How to identify tone?
What is Tone?
Tone: the implied attitude of a writer toward the
subject and characters of a work.
ATTITUDE
CHARACTERS
AUTHOR
Tone may be

happy, sad, formal, informal, ironic,
playful, serious, angry, naive
condescending, or many other possible
attitudes
TONE EXAMPLE
Finally, one of the girls pointed to the grass and
giggled. "Meow!" A cat sat on the edge of the
field and licked its paw. They did indeed have
company. The girls ran over to the cat and pet
his belly. They laughed and the cat sauntered
back to the field.
TONE Example

The tone of this passage is
happy/contentment as there was a
successful, happy resolution to the
problem.
Elements to make the tone

Elements contribute to make the tone
The
speaker
The
author’s
language
The theme
The author or/and the
characters
Tips to identify tone
 Tone
must be inferred through the use of
descriptive words.
 You
can recognize the tone/attitude by
the language/word choices the author
uses.
 His
language will reveal his
perspective/opinion
Note:

Be careful to separate mood from tone.
The tone shows you an author's opinion,
while mood is the feeling and atmosphere
of the text
Essential Question
How do both the mood & tone of a story
help the author achieve it’s purpose?
 BrainPop: Mood & Tone
 Class Blog

“A Pair of Silk Stockings”
Character Motivation
The overall aim is for you to analyze
character and motivation in “A Pair of Silk
Stockings”.
 What is character motivation?

– The reason a character thinks, feels, acts.
– What do you know about court cases and
motivation of crimes?
“A Pair of Silk Stockings” cont.
Examine the motivation for Mrs. Sommer’s
actions.
 Analyze: how does third-person point of
view helps create sympathy toward a
person engaged in self-centered
“extravagance”?

Irony:

Verbal Irony:
– Examples:
 clear as mud”
 "as much fun as a root canal.

Situational Irony - Situational irony results from recognizing the
oddness or unfairness of a given situation, be it positive or negative.
– Examples:
 Bill Gates win’s a computer contest
Dramatic Irony
:when the words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have a
different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters.
Examples: “The Quiet Man” Shawn Kelvin who wants to avoid conflict, is a prize
fighter. Big Liam of course doesn’t know this.

Alanis Morissette: Isn't it ironic
“The Bet” & Irony
Analyze the Irony of the situation in “The
Bet”.
 Glogster

– Find websites, movie clips, written examples,
or photo of irony.
– Label these examples as situation, verbal or
dramatic on your poster.
– Visually appealing, creative.
Irony Review

Objective:
– Locate the use of both Irony and Satire in
“Harrison Begeron”.
– What is Irony?
 Glogster Projects
 Alanis Morissette: “Isn’t It Ironic” lyrics
Harrison Bergeron:

Brainstorm (2 or 3 minutes):
– What is the definition of equality?
– Do you think the world would be improved if
all humans were equal in every way?
– What problems would this cause in school,
sports, work, and other areas of life?
Films and Cartoons
Definition of Satire….
A literary work that ridicules its subject
through the use of techniques such as
exaggeration, reversal, incongruity, and/or
parody in order to make a comment or
criticism about it.
I know Kung Fu Clip
Matrick Original Clip
Matric Original Clip 2
Exaggeration
-
To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond
normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its
faults can be seen
-
Example: Princess Fiona fights and successfully defeats
Robin Hood and all of his Merry Men without any help
and without any weapons.
-
Comment on Society: The traditional story of the knight
rescuing the damsel-in-distress is not a realistic depiction
of the roles filled by men and women in modern society.
-
Reversal
To present the opposite of the normal
order (e.g., the order of events,
hierarchical order).
Matrix Shrek Reversal
Example: The roles of the hero and the
damsel in distress have been reversed. In
this clip, it is Princess Fiona, the rescuee,
who fights and defeats the foe.
Incongruity
To present things that are out of place or
are absurd in relation to its surroundings.
Example:
Princess Fiona uses her ponytail to deliver
a knockout punch to one of the Merry
Men. While frozen in a mid-air martial arts
kick, Princess Fiona pauses to fix her
disheveled hair before knocking out two of
the Merry Men.
Parody
To imitate the techniques and/or style of some
person, place, or thing.
Matrix Parodies
Criticism about Society?

The traditional story of the knight rescuing the
damsel-in-distress is not a realistic depiction of
the roles filled by men and women in modern
society.

Example: Current Hollywood action movies
like The Matrix have become ridiculous
because they are too focused on special
effects.
“Harrison Bergeron”: Satire
Pre-reading
Pay careful attention to the attitudes
expressed toward creativity, originality,
and the arts.
 Consider how the author Vonnegut feels
about creativity & imagination.

– If it uses Satire it must be making a
statement
2 step process:
Locate Satire
What is that Satire saying about society?
The Piece of Yarn

5 minute write:
– Do you think people are generally suspicious
of one another?
– Do people tend to assume the worst about
others?
– Do they prefer to believe the worst?
– Objective: Analyze Characters, motive, irony
in “A Piece of Yarn”.
Love
Objective: Analyze tone in “Love”
 5 minute write:

– Describe an object in the classroom as though
it were a beloved treasure of great
sentimental value.
– Describe that same object as if it were a piece
of junk.
The Alligator War
Objective: identify symbolism, the moral
or lesson, and the allegoric characteristics.
 5 minute write:

– What is a fable?
– What lessons are drawn from fables that you
know?
Study Guide Due at End of Class!
Quiz Tomorrow
Shaving

Objective: Analyze character, motive,
theme, & symbols.

5 minute think:
– List characteristics that describe a man or
woman as a hero.
Literary Themes
Commonly found in creative writing
What is a theme?
• Themes can be found everywhere: literature,
stories, art, movies etc…
• The theme of a fable is its moral.
• The theme of a parable is its teaching.
• The theme of a piece of literature is its view
about life and how people behave.
Theme & Meaning
Theme is the…
• underlying meaning of the story,
• a universal truth,
• a significant statement the story is making about
society, human nature, or the human
condition.
Theme = idea
The theme of a literary work is its underlying central
idea or the generalization it communicates about life.
Theme...the meaning of life?
The theme expresses the author's opinion or
raises a question about human nature or the
meaning of human experience.
At times the author's theme may not confirm or
agree with your own beliefs.
Even then, if skillfully written, the work will still have
a theme that illuminates some aspects of true
human experience.
The author's task is to communicate on a common ground
with the reader.
Although the particulars of your experience may be
different from the details of the story, the general
underlying truths behind the story may be just the
connection that both you and the writer are
seeking.
An understanding of theme
is dependent upon one's
previous experience of life
and literature.
At the same time, theme
in literature can enlarge
one's understanding of
life.
Be aware that the theme never
completely explains the story.
It is simply one of the elements that make up
the whole. Some short stories have
secondary themes as well.
Common Literary Themes
(Themes repeated in many works)
1.
The quest for immortality
“Stranger, stop and cast an eye.
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you shall be,
Prepare for death and follow me.”
2. The individual’s relationship and obligation
to society.
Sometimes called “man vs. society”
3. The individual’s inward journey to understand
himself or herself/identity.
Sometimes called “man vs. self”
4. The individual’s relationship and
obligation to the natural world.
Sometimes called
“man
vs.
nature”
5. How justice and injustice are decided
6. The individual as hero; what it
means to be a hero or anti-hero.
7. What it means to be a “survivor.”
8. The individual’s
experience of alienation
and despair
9. The artist’s relationship and obligation to
society.
10.
aka:
What tomorrow’s world
“The Future”
holds for us …
11. Love:
Topics/Effects
• Marriage
 Logical-sensible love
• Romance
 Self-centered love
• Platonic or companionate
love
 Game-Playing
• Altruistic love
• Love of Country
• Admiration
• Possessiveness
• Intense dependency
 Unrequited love
 Godly love
 Familial love
 Infatuation
 Erotic love
 Jealousy
12. Role of Institutions
Sometimes
called “man vs.
the institution”
Creativity provides many possibilities
• Think about these themes—what would you
add as an important theme often expressed
in creative writing?
• What theme would you most like to explore?
Through the Tunnel

Objective: Understand the concept of
theme.

5 minute think:
Give an example of a static &
dynamic character.
Chee’s Daughter
Can you think of anyone personally or in
society that puts their personal comfort
above others welfare?
 What kind of person does it take to do
something like that?

Analyze both setting and theme.
 Blog!

The Handsomest Drowned Man
in the World

What might it take to give a small
desolate village a happier, more fruitful
existence?
– Vast sums of money?
– An inspirational leader?
Story Presentation: March 1st






Choose a classic novel to approved by Mrs. F.
You are to present this story by BREIFLY summarizing, but
mainly touching on how the character, plot, setting, point of
view, irony, symbolism, and theme of your novel.
This requires a careful reading of the text, and thoughtful
analysis.
Presentations will be made, and should be between 4-7
minutes in length.
Rubrics will be posted online, and used for grading.
You must all prepared on the same day to present March 1st
 You must have some form of a visual aid. All technical problems must
be worked out IN ADVANCE, and any equipment needed must be
addressed ahead of time.