SHORT STORY ELEMENTS



ELEMENTS OF FICTION

1) SETTING – The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important while for others it is less so. There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story. Some or all of the following may be present in a story:

➢ Place – geographic location. Where is the action of the story taking place?

➢ Time – When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc.)

➢ Weather conditions – Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?

➢ Social conditions – What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?

➢ Mood/atmosphere – What feeling is the author intending the reader to experience through the telling of the story?

2) PLOT – The plot is how the author arranges events to develop the basic idea; it is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so that it can be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of plot:

➢ Introduction – This occurs at the beginning of the story where the characters and the setting are revealed.

➢ Rising Action – This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (but not yet experienced by the characters).

➢ Climax – This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next and whether the conflict will be resolved or not.

➢ Falling Action – The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not.

➢ Denouement – This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

3) CONFLICT – Conflict is essential to plot and reader interest. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another, makes the plot move, and deeply affects the main character.

There are two types of conflict:

➢ External – This is when the character struggles with a force outside one’s self.

➢ Internal – This is when the character experiences a struggle within one’s self; the character must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, etc.

Within these types, there are four kinds of conflict:

➢ Person vs. Person (physical) – The character struggles physically with another person, forces of nature, or animals.

➢ Person vs. Circumstance (classical) – The character struggles against fate, or the life circumstances facing him/her.

➢ Person vs. Society (social) – The character struggles against the (usually dominant) ideas, practices, or customs of other people in their society.

➢ Person vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) – The character struggles with him/herself; they struggle with their own soul, conscience, choices, etc.

4) CHARACTER – There are two meanings for the word character:

➢ the person in a work of fiction (The protagonist is the central/main character and the antagonist is the character that is opposed to the protagonist)

➢ the characteristics of a person’s personality

5) THEME – The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that the author is trying to convey. The theme may be the author’s thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. Some common themes in literature, television, and film are: conformity, discrimination, revenge, justice, good vs. evil, and power. Symbolism, the use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea, is often used to support the given theme of a piece of literature.

SETTING

NAME OF STORY: Once Upon A Time

AUTHOR: Nadine Gordimer

1) Where does the story take place? Why do you think the author chose this setting?

2) When does the story take place?

3) What are the social conditions are present in the story? How does it contribute to the telling of the story?

4) What is the mood the author intends the reader to feel as the plot unfolds?

5) Are weather conditions present in the story?

PLOT

NAME OF STORY: Once Upon A Time

AUTHOR: Nadine Gordimer

1) How is the story introduced?

2) What is the rising action?

3) What is the climax?

4) What is the falling action?

5) What is the denouement?

CONFLICT

NAME OF STORY: Once Upon A Time

AUTHOR: Nadine Gordimer

1) Is the conflict external or internal? What evidence can you use from the story to support your conclusion?

2) Which kind of conflict is it? What evidence can you use from the story to support your conclusion?

CHARACTER

NAME OF STORY: Once Upon A Time

AUTHOR: Nadine Gordimer

1) Who is the protagonist? How do you know?

2) Who is the antagonist? How do you know?

3) What are the characteristics of the protagonist? List as many as you can.

4) What are the characteristics of the antagonist? List as many as you can.

THEME

NAME OF STORY: Once Upon A Time

AUTHOR: Nadine Gordimer

1) What is the theme of this story? What evidence can you use from the story to support your conclusion?

2) What symbolism, if any, was used by the author to communicate the theme?

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