Short Story

Question 1

Define short story.

Answer 1

A work of prose fiction which can generally be read in as single sitting.

Question 2

Define atmosphere.

Answer 2

Atmosphere or mood is the tone an author gives to a story. The atmosphere refers to the mood a reader is put into when reading the story(angry, somber, gentle, tense, frightened, cheerful).

Question 3

Define characters.

Answer 3

Characters are the people in a story who have been given certain qualities by the author. The reader usually learns about a character through what the character says(the dialog) and through what the the character does (the action)

Question 4

Define plausible characters.

Answer 4

The writer of a short story must create plausible or convincing characters. Any character in a short story must be consistent, unless there is sufficient reason for the change.

Question 5

Define flat characters.

Answer 5

Flat characters are built around a single idea or quality. They can be adequately described in a single phrase or sentence.

Question 6

Define round characters.

Answer 6

Round characters are as complex as real people. Their motivations and temperaments are complicated. The degree to which a character is round depends on their function in the plot.

Question 7

Define dynamic or developing characters.

Answer 7

Dynamic or developing characters are characters who undergo a radical change in the story.

Question 8

Define static characters.

Answer 8

Static characters are characters who remain essentially the same in a story.

Question 9

Define stock characters.

Answer 9

Stock characters are character types that occur again and again in particular types of literature(the strong, silent type).

Question 10

Define motive or motivations of characters.

Answer 10

The reasons why characters behave as they do.

Question 11

Define verisimilitude.

Answer 11

Verisimilitude simply means that the appearance of being ture or real is given.

Question 12

Define foreshadowing.

Answer 12

Foreshadowing refers to the clues in the story which warn the reader about the ending.

Question 13

Define interpretive literature.

Answer 13

Interpretive literature is written for enjoyment and to broaden, deepen and sharpen a readers awareness of life. Escape literature is written purely for entertainment.

Question 14

Define irony.

Answer 14

Irony is a device used by writers to show something different from what is expected.

Question 15

Define Irony of a situation.

Answer 15

This is the most common type of irony. In this case, there is a difference(discrepancy) between appearance and reality. A situation takes an opposite turn at the end.

Question 16

Define sarcasm.

Answer 16

This is a type of irony which appears to praise people while actually insulting them.

Question 17

Define plot.

Answer 17

Plot is the plan of main action of a story. The plot of most short stories begins with some motivation.

Question 18

Define protagonist.

Answer 18

The central character in any conflict(they are not always the good guy).

Question 19

Define antagonist.

Answer 19

The force opposing the protagonist.

Question 20

Define conflict.

Answer 20

The conflict of the story develops into some complication which builds up and comes to a climax. The climax must be resolved and the outcome or conclusion made obvious before the action or plot is complete.

Question 21

Define conflict.

Answer 21

The conflict of the story develops into some complication which builds up and comes to a climax. The climax must be resolved and the outcome or conclusion made obvious before the action or plot is complete. I

Question 22

What types of conflict appear in stories.

Answer 22

Man versus man(physical conflict).
Man versus nature(elemental conflict).
Man versus self(mental conflict).

Question 23

Define suspense.

Answer 23

An anxious uncertainty about what is going to happen. If what in fact happens violates our expectations, it is known as surprise.

Question 24

What is the order of a plot diagram.

Answer 24

1. Exposition(introduction).
2. Rising action(complication).
3. Climax.
4. Denouement(resolution)
5. Conclusion.

Question 25

Define denouement.

Answer 25

A French word which means unknotting.

Question 26

Define point of veiw(pov).

Answer 26

The mental point of view of a story involves the idea of “on who’s authority is the story told?”.

Question 27

Define participant point of view.

Answer 27

This is also called the first person point of view, because first person pronouns(I, me, we, us) are used to tell the story.

Question 28

Define innocent eye narrator.

Answer 28

A special type of narrator. This character who is telling the story is usually a child, an idiot, or a not-to-bright adult. The narrator is thus naive. The contrast between what the innocent eye narrator perceives and what the “learned” readers understands produces an ironic effect.

Question 29

Define non-participant point of view.

Answer 29

This is also called the third person point of view, because the third person pronouns(he, him, she, her, they, them) are used to tell a story. The non-participant point of view can be further subdivided into three groupings.

Question 30

Define satire.

Answer 30

A form of writing in which the writer criticises or ridicules something such as politics, religion, or education. They do not criticises directly, but rather describes a completely different situation but makes direct parallels and references to things we know. We are then able to realize what it is that the writer is criticising.

Question 31

Define setting.

Answer 31

The time and place in which the story occurs.

Question 32

Define stream of consciousness.

Answer 32

Stream of consciousness is a narrative method of fiction in which the unbroken flow of thought and awareness in the mind is given. The technique attempts to put on paper exactly what is going on in the mind of a character.

Question 33

Define style.

Answer 33

Style is how speakers or writers say whatever they say. Style is the writers personality showing through. The style of work may be analysed in terms of its diction, or words:it's sentence structure; the types of figurative language used; and the patterns of its rhythm and sounds.
Style can be classified into 3 types
High(grand)
Middle(mean) 
Low(plain)

Question 34

Define symbol.

Answer 34

Anything which stands for something else. For example, A white dove may be a symbol for peace.

Question 35

Define theme.

Answer 35

Theme is the controlling idea or central insight of a piece of fiction. It is the generalisation about life stated or implied by the story. Not all stories have a theme. Theme exists only when the author has attempted to record life accurately or to reveal some truth about life. Theme is derived by deciding what the central purpose or the story is. It is usually expressed in a single sentence.

Question 36

Define types of short stories.

Answer 36

Short stories are most commonly classified into four main types. To determine the type, examine whether the characters, theme, setting, or plot is emphasised. One of these four categories should determine the type of short story that is being studied.