Elements of a Short Story Flashcards
Geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
Place
When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc.)
Time
Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
Social Conditions -What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
Weather Conditions
What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
Mood or Atmosphere
a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or a piece of literary work.
Character
those who are most important in the story
main characters -
usually static or unchanging
minor characters -
is the character with whom the reader empathizes
Protagonist
is the character that goes against the protagonist
Antagonist
a character that exhibits noticeable development
Dynamic
a character who exhibits no changes and development
Static
is a character that displays different/multiple personalities throughout the story
Round
it is the character that reveals conventional traits; who remains the same throughout the story
Flat
is the method used by the writer/author to reveal the personality of the character/s.
Characterization
It is the sequence of events in a story or play.
Plot
Moves with the natural sequence of events where actions are arranged sequentially.
Linear Plot
A kind of plot where linear development of the story merges with an interruption in the chronological order to show an event that happened in the past.
Circular Plot
A kind of plot where the story commences in the middle part of the action.
En Medias Res
The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
Introduction
This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
Rising Action
This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
Climax
The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
Falling Action
This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
Denoument
is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move.
Conflict
A struggle with a force outside one’s self.
External Conflict
A struggle within one’s self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
Internal Conflict
a type of conflict where one character in the story has a problem with one or more of the other characters
man vs. man (external)
a type of conflict where a character has a conflict or problem with some element of society-the school, the law, the accepted way of doing things, and so on
man vs. society (external)
a type of conflict where a character has a problem with some natural happening: snowstorm, typhoon, avalanche, bitter cold, or any elements common to nature
man vs. nature (external)
is a type of conflict where a character has trouble deciding what to do in a particular situation
man vs. self (internal)
The angle from which the story is told.
Point of View
The story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters who interact closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc).
First-Person POT
The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
Stream of Consciousness
The narrator tells the story from an all-knowing point of view. He can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of his characters and he introduces information where and when he chooses.
Third-Person Omniscient POT (third-person)
The theme is the controlling idea or the central insight
Theme
It is the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey.
Theme
maybe the author’s thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.
theme
