Short Story Elements

Question 1

Five parts of setting

Answer 1

• Place
• Time
• Weather conditions
• Social conditions
• Mood or atmosphere

Question 2

The characteristics of a person

Answer 2

Individual, developing, or static

Question 3

Individual characteristic

Answer 3

Round, many sided and complex personalities

Question 4

Developing characteristic

Answer 4

Dynamic, many sides personalities that change, for better or worse, by the end of the story e.g. Scrooge

Question 5

Static characteristic

Answer 5

Stereotype, have one or two characteristics that never change and are emphasized

Question 6

Two types of conflict

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Four kinds of conflict

Answer 7

Man vs. Man (physical)
Man vs. Circumstances (classical)
Man vs. Society (social)
Man vs. Self (psychological)

Question 8

Man vs. Man (physical)

Answer 8

The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other characters, forces of nature, or animals

Question 9

Man vs. Circumstances (classical)

Answer 9

The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/ her

Question 10

Man vs. Society (social)

Answer 10

The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people

Question 11

Man vs. Self (psychological)

Answer 11

The leading character struggles with himself/ herself; his/ her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.

Question 12

Lead In (opening)

Answer 12

The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.

Question 13

Rising Action

Answer 13

This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the
story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).

Question 14

Climax

Answer 14

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?

Question 15

Falling Action

Answer 15

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).

Question 16

Resolution

Answer 16

This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

Question 17

Five types of Point of View

Answer 17

1. Innocent Eye
2. Stream of Consciousness
3. First Person
4. Second Person
5. Third Person Omniscient

Question 18

Innocent Eye

Answer 18

Through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment being

different than that of an adult)

Question 19

Stream of Consciousness

Answer 19

Inside the head - knows all thoughts and reactions

Question 20

First Person

Answer 20

Told by the protagonist or one of the characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc). Reader sees story through this person’s eyes as he/she experiences it, BUT only knows what he/she knows or feels

Question 21

Second Person

Answer 21

Addresses the reader (using pronouns such as you, your, yours, etc)

Question 22

Third Person Omniscient

Answer 22

Author can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of characters; author introduces information where and when he or she chooses (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc)

Question 23

There are two main types of omniscient point of view:

Answer 23

a) Omniscient Limited - We know only what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective - It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. The reader interprets and infers.

Question 24

Theme

Answer 24

The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight - the author’s underlying meaning or main idea that he/she is trying to convey. The theme may be the author’s thoughts about a topic or view of human nature (ex: chaos and order, death, everlasting love, motherhood, the superciliousness of youth, good vs. evil, etc.)

Question 25

Symbolism

Answer 25

Something that is itself and yet also represents something else, like an idea (ex: skull symbolising death).

Question 26

Pathos

Answer 26

Pathos occurs when the author expresses thoughts and feelings in a way that evokes pity or compassion.

Question 27

Mood

Answer 27

The prevailing emotions of a work or of the author in his or her creation of the work. The mood of a work is not always what might be expected based on its subject matter.