Short Story Elements Flashcards
Five parts of setting
- Place
- Time
- Weather conditions
- Social conditions
- Mood or atmosphere
The characteristics of a person
Individual, developing, or static
Individual characteristic
Round, many sided and complex personalities
Developing characteristic
Dynamic, many sides personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story e.g. Scrooge
Static characteristic
Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized
Two types of conflict
External - a struggle with a force outside one’s self
Internal - a struggle within one’s self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
Four kinds of conflict
Man vs. Man (physical)
Man vs. Circumstances (classical)
Man vs. Society (social)
Man vs. Self (psychological)
Man vs. Man (physical)
The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other characters, forces of nature, or animals
Man vs. Circumstances (classical)
The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/ her
Man vs. Society (social)
The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people
Man vs. Self (psychological)
The leading character struggles with himself/ herself; his/ her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
Lead In (opening)
The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
Rising Action
This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the
story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
Climax
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?
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 (events between climax and denouement).