Story elements Flashcards
Definition of character
- The person in a work of fiction
- The characteristics of a person
Protagonist
Character that is clearly central to a story with all major events having some connection to this character.
Antagonist
The character in opposition to the main character (protagonist)
Characterization
The information the author gives the reader about the characters.
1. Their physical appearance.
2. What they say, dream or think.
3. What other characters think of them/ how they react to them.
4. What they do or not do.
Round character
many sided and complex personalities. You see different sides of them and they usually go through some changes.
Flat character
Stereotypes, they usually only have one or two personality traits that will not change throughout the story. The characteristics are usually over-emphasized.
Developing character
many-sided personalities that change by the end of the story.
Theme
The subject of a piece of writing. (the moral of the story)
How to extract the theme of a story?
To fully extract the theme you need to look at the characters, the plot (action) and the setting. But also:
1. Check out the title.
2. Look for repeating patterns and symbols (motifs)
3. Hints/ suggestions throughout the story.
4. Details and particulars, what greater meaning might they have?
Plot
- A series of causes and effects which shape the story as a whole (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution)
- The why for things that happen in a story
How to uncover the plot?
Look at the elements of the story and identify them.
The exposition of the plot
Information needed to understand the story/ usually an introduction (who’s doing what, why and where)
The rising action of a plot
The catalyst that begins the major conflict.
The climax of a plot
A point where things can’t get any worse/ there is no going back. It is a turning point where the story usually gets at its worst.
The falling action of a plot
The way down toward the ending of a story.
The resolution of a plot
Brings the story to a close, all problems are solved/ all the story lines are over and have ended.
Point of view
The narrator
Types of point of view
- First person point of view
- Third person point of view
- Omniscient point of view
- Limited omniscient
First person point of view
I and me are being used. And we only know the thoughts of that person. The narrator does participate in the story. Can be subjective and untrustworthy and thus unreliable.
Third person point of view
Narrator doesn’t participate in the story as a character, but lets us know exactly how the character(s) feel. He and she are being used.
Omniscient point of view
Narrator doesn’t participate, but knows all the thoughts of all the characters. He tells the story through different perspectives and is therefore reliable.
Limited omniscient point of view
A narrator whose knowledge is limited to a few characters.
Setting
The location, period of time and climate of a story.
How to describe a setting?
The location, the period of time, the social conditions (dress, manners, speech, weather of a specific place or person) and the mood or atmosphere (what feeling is created? is it dark and frightening or humorous and cheerful?, how things taste, feel, smell, sound or look)
