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English 10 - Short Story > Short Story Terms > Flashcards

Short Story Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

List the 8 general characteristics of a short story.

A
  1. The length may vary from 1,500 - 30,000 words, but can be read in one sitting.
  2. It has an overall sense of unity and finality. Nothing is included that does not further the action. Therefore, nothing can be added or taken away.
  3. It deals with one situation and has no subplots, therefore conveying a single impression.
  4. There is a “conflict,” a struggle between two opposing forces (the motivation).
  5. There is a distinct climax or crisis which develops directly from the conflict.
  6. It has one central character and very few others, with no unnecessary characterization.
  7. The amount of time which passes and the location of the action are both limited.
  8. A single, dominant mood permeates the story.
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2
Q

What are the 6 elements of a short story?

A
  1. Setting
  2. Plot
  3. Character
  4. Theme
  5. Point of View
  6. Ending
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3
Q

Setting

A
  • time during which the story occurs
  • place where the action occurs
  • mood or feeling which dominates the story
  • includes antecedent action
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4
Q

Antecedent Action

A

This information is often presented through flashbacks or conversation to “fill the readers in” on any background information that they need to understand what is going on or why a character may act in a certain way.

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5
Q

Plot

A
  • the sequence of events or actions that occur

- contains rising and falling action

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6
Q

Rising Action

A

Consists of:

  • the initial incident
  • conflict
  • complication
  • crisis
  • climax
  • turning point
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7
Q

Falling Action

A
  • follows the rising action

- usually brief, contains the denouement

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8
Q

Initial Incident

A

The action or comment that gets the story going

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9
Q

Conflict

A

A clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills
There are three types:
1. Man vs Man / Person vs Person - the main character against another person or group of people; the protagonist vs the antagonist
2. Man vs Environment / Person vs Environment - the main character against aspects of nature, society, or “fate”
3. Man vs himself / Person vs Self - inner struggle

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10
Q

Complication

A

The unexpected or that which makes the problem more difficult

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11
Q

Crisis

A

The point when no solution seems possible

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12
Q

Climax

A

The point of most intense interest

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13
Q

Turning Point

A

Reader gets a hint of how the problem may be resolved

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14
Q

Denouement

A

The final explanation or happening which makes clear the outcome

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15
Q

What are the three types of characters?

A
  1. Main character
  2. Secondary characters
  3. Minor characters
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16
Q

Main Character

A

The protagonist, the person who has the problem to overcome

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17
Q

Secondary Characters

A

Usually includes the antagonist who is the person, people, or forces against the protagonist

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18
Q

Minor Characters

A
  • people whose roles make the story appear more realistic (ie. the taxi driver, the secretary, the phone operator, the shopkeeper etc.)
  • they do not have a major function in the story, but without them, the story would not be realistic.
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19
Q

Flat

A

Revealing only one to two character traits

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20
Q

Round

A

Complex, many-sided character revealed

21
Q

Static

A

A character who does not change

22
Q

Dynamic/Developing

A

A character who undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of their character, personality, or outlook because of what happens within the story.

23
Q

Stock/Stereotypical/Stereotyping

A

Commonly recognized as flat, minor characters

24
Q

Unique

A

One of a kind. A character that is fresh and new.

25
Q

Theme

A
  • the central idea of the story
  • the writer must have this clearly in mind before they begin to write a story
  • states some universal truth about human behavior
26
Q

Point of View

A
  • the writer decides who will tell the story depending on if the narrator is a participant in the story or an outside observer and how much inside information the author wishes the reader to know about during the story.
  • there are four types: omniscient, objective, limited omniscient, and first person.
27
Q

Omniscient

A

This is an all-seeing, all-knowing or God-like point of view. The narrator has the ability to get into the minds of any and all the characters. He knows all the facts about all of them and can take the reader into his confidence so that the reader understands the characters’ motives, hopes, and fears, as well as seeing their actions.

28
Q

Objective

A

The narrator in this point of view can only record what is seen and heard. The narrator does not have the ability to tell what is going on inside the characters’ minds and hearts, nor is the narrator able to tell about what is going on in another location which cannot be seen. The reader is now just a spectator on the outside, with no inside information. This point of view is more dramatic, as the writer can spring surprises on the reader.

29
Q

Limited Omniscient

A

The story is narrated by one of the people taking the part in it. Therefore, the reader sees and knows only as much as the character does. He knows what that particular character is thinking and feeling but does not know what is going on in the heads of the other characters. This is usually told in the third person. Most short stories are told using this point of view.

30
Q

First Person

A

The narrator has the same abilities as the limited omniscient narrator with the exception that this point of view is written in first person. It is usually a main character who narrates from the point of view.

31
Q

What are the 4 endings used for short stories?

A
  1. Happy
  2. Unhappy
  3. Indeterminate
  4. Surprise
32
Q

Happy (Ending)

A

An ending in which the protagonist wins the conflict by solving his or her own problems.

33
Q

Unhappy (Ending)

A

An ending in which the protagonist doesn’t win the conflict.

34
Q

Indeterminate (Ending)

A

This is the most realistic ending. It raises significant issues in the minds of the readers. It is the most life-like.

35
Q

Surprise (Ending)

A

This is an ending that is created from plot manipulation by the author. There is no antecedent within the story to suggest this kind of ending which reveals a sudden new turn or twist.

36
Q

Suspense

A

The feeling of anxiety and uncertainty experienced by the reader about the outcome of events or the protagonist’s destiny

37
Q

Local Colour

A
  • the use of specific regional detail in order to increase atmosphere or reader interest and a sense of setting
  • includes descriptions of locale, dress, and customs, as well as dialect and ways of thinking and feeling
  • characteristic of people in that region
38
Q

Irony

A
  • a literary device which reveals concealed or contradictory meanings
  • there are three forms: dramatic irony, situational irony, and verbal irony
39
Q

Humour

A

Implies a sympathetic recognition of human values and deals with the foibles and inconsistencies of human nature

40
Q

Foreshadowing

A

A hint or suggestion of an event or outcome which will occur later in the work

41
Q

Flashback

A
  • a scene that interrupts the main plot line in a work, showing events that happened at an earlier time
  • it is usually done in order to illustrate an important point or to reveal a change in character
42
Q

Symbol

A
  • something which has two levels of meaning, a literal level and a figurative level
  • any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, an attitude, a belief, or a value
    (ie. the dove - literally, it is a bird, but it has come to figuratively represent peace)
43
Q

Satire

A
  • a mode of writing that exposes the failings of individuals, institutions or societies to ridicule, but always in the interest of society
  • has hope for humans and provokes change
    (ie. the mocking of human vices and frailties in Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal’)
44
Q

Foil

A

A character whose behavior and qualities set off or enhance by contrast those of another figure

45
Q

Confidant/Confidante

A

A trusted friend of the protagonist who shares his or her thoughts, feelings, and intentions

46
Q

Contrast/Juxtaposition

A

Refers to the overlap or mixing of opposite or different situations, characters, settings, moods, or points of view in order to clarify meaning, purpose or character, or to heighten certain moods, especially humour, horror, and suspense

47
Q

Dialect

A

A form of speech characteristic of a particular geographic region, social class, or a people

48
Q

Dilemma

A
  • a situation in which a character must make a difficult choice between two disagreeable, undesirable, or unfavourable alternatives
  • one method by which an author can generate suspense in a story
49
Q

Epiphany

A

A moment of significant realization which happens to the main character, usually at the end of the story

English 10 - Short Story (1 decks)

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