Short Story Elements Flashcards
Setting:
Time
When is the story taking place? (Historical period, time of day, year)
Setting:
Weather conditions
Is it raining, sunny, or stormy?
Setting:
Social conditions
Is there a war going on? Some kind of social issue? Civil rights movement?
Plot:
Exposition
The beginning of the story where the character and the setting are revealed.
Plot:
Inciting Incident
This is the trigger where the conflict is introduced and leads to the rising action.
Plot:
Rising action
This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed.
Plot:
Climax
The climax is the crucial part of the story. It is the part which determines the outcome of the conflict.
Plot:
Falling action
It is the series of events which take place after the climax. The falling action leads to the conclusion.
Plot:
Final resolution
It is the part of a story which occurs after the climax. The resolution establishes the new way things are going to be from then on.
What are the different types of conflict?
Person vs. person, self, society, nature, God/ fate/ supernatural
Character:
Protagonist
Central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character.
Character;
Antagonist
The person who opposes the main character.
Characteristics of a person:
How can an author reveal a character?
- physical appearance
- what he/she thinks, says, or feels
- what he/she does it does not do
- what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are:
Rounded
Many different sides and complex personality. The character’s personality can change, good or bad, by the end of the story.
Characters are:
Flat
Personality does not change, can be a stereotype, and may have one or two characteristics emphasized.
Point of view:
First person
The story is told by the main character or one of the characters close to the main character.
Point of View:
Third person
The author narrates the story. The author can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, actions, and motivations of the character.
Theme:
It is the controlling idea, and there can be more than one.
Personal narrative:
In a personal narrative the climax can be called the turning point. The turning point is when the character has an epiphany (important realization)
Setting:
Place
Geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
