Elements of the short story Flashcards
Plot
the structure of a story; the sequence of events or actions that take place in the
story
Plot- Intro (exposition):
should spark interest, provide background
formation and establish the setting
Plot- Motivating Incident:
the event which begins the story’s action
Plot- Rising Action
a series of obstacles or problems that lead to the
climax
Plot- Climax
the high point of tension or suspense in a story. Usually
involves a resolution of conflicts
Plot- Falling Action
deals with the effects that the climax has on the
characters
Plot- Conclusion
(denouement
briefly explains any details that
require further clarification
Character:
the people, animals etc. who perform the actions of the story
Protagonist:
the main character in the story - can be good or evil
Antagonist
the character or force opposing the antagonist
Round:
a character that is well developed or well rounded
Flat:
A character that only shows one or two aspects
Static
A character that does not change - often used for contrast
Dynamic
A character that changes in a significant way during the story or a character that learns something significant
Stereotyped (Stock)
a character immediately identified with a group (Evil step-mother, the smart greek)
Setting
the time and place where the events of the story take place eg. Romeo
and Juliet is set in Verona, Italy during the Middle Ages
Mood/Atmospehre
the emotional tone of the story. What effect does the
author wish to produce (humour, suspense, curiosity, anger etc)
Theme
: the central idea behind the story. The theme is more than a moral; it is
a general comment or observation on human behaviour rather than a summary
A theme should meet the following requirements:
a. The theme must be expressed as a complete sentence
b. The theme must be stated as a generalization about life rather than
referring specifically to the characters in the story
c. The theme should not generalize beyond what can be justified by the tory. Qualify your statements carefully and avoid words like every, all,
never, etc.
d. The theme must account for all of the major details of the story and
must not be contradicted by any detail of the story.
e. The theme should not be reduced to a cliché or moral that we have
heard all our lives.
Conflict
: Occurs when the protagonist is opposed by a person or force in a story.
• Person vs. person / self / society / environment / technology /
supernatural etc
Resolution
the point in the story where the conflict is resolved