Elements of a
Short Story
Prepare to enter a world of magic*
*not actually magic
Setting
• The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting.
• a) place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking
place?
b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day,
year, etc)
c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does
the story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress,
mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the
story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
Plot
• The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is
the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical
series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story
usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.
• a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and
the setting is revealed.
• b) 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).
•
Plot Continued
• c) 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?
• d) 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).
• e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the
story.
Conflict
• Conflict is essential to plot. It is the opposition of forces which
ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is
not limited to arguments, it is any form of opposition that faces
the main character. A short story may only have one central
struggle.
• There are two types of conflict:
• 1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
• 2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a decision, overcome
pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
Conflict Continued
• There are four kinds of conflict:
• 1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The character struggles with physical
strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
• 2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The character struggles against
fate, or the circumstances facing her.
• 3) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against
ideas, practices, or customs.
• 4) Man vs. Herself (psychological) - The leading character struggles with
herself; with her own soul, right or wrong, physical limitations, choices,
etc.
Character
• There are two meanings for the word character:
• 1) The person in a work of fiction.
• 2) The characteristics of a person.
• Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist
• Short stories use few characters. One character is main
character – the focus of the story - he/she is the
PROTAGONIST. The opposer of the main character is called
the ANTAGONIST.
Point of View
• 1. Innocent Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a
child.
• 2. Stream of Consciousness - The story is told so that the
reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character
we know their thoughts and reactions.
• 3. First Person - The story is told by the protagonist or
one of the characters who interacts closely with the
protagonist (using pronouns I, me, we, etc)..
Point of View Continued
• 4. Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the
omniscient point of view. We move from character to
character, event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of many characters and
he introduces information where and when he chooses.
Theme
• The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its
central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or
main idea that he is trying to convey. The title of the short
story usually points to what the writer is saying and he
may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme,
such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or
irony.
Theme continued
• Some simple examples of common themes from literature,
TV, and film are:
• - things are not always as they appear to be
• - Love is blind
• - Believe in yourself
• - People are afraid of change
• - Don't judge a book by its cover
