The Short Story
Crucial Parts to a Story
(Of any size!)
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Plot
Setting
Conflict
Characters
Point of View
Theme
Literary Devices
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Irony
Symbolism
Foreshadowing
Figurative Language and Imagery
Plot
• First of all….
– The plot is the actual STORY of the story!
• Secondly….
– There are parts to a plot….
• Exposition
• Rising Action
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution
Plot “Triangle”
Climax
ing
ion
Act
A
g
sin
i
R
Fall
n
o
cti
Exposition
Resolution
Setting
• “The physical and social context in which the
action of a story takes place.”
– Time
– Location
– Society
Example: The Diary of Anne Frank is a product of its
setting- Europe during the Holocaust.
While other stories deal with oppression, this book is
specifically related to its setting.
Conflict
• Basic Definition:
– “The struggle within the plot between
opposing forces.”
Types of Conflict
• Internal Conflict:
– Conflict within a character’s own self
• External Conflict
– Conflict outside of a character
– Such as with another character
– Or against a force
Internal Conflict
(Man v. Self)
• Example:
– Think of a your conscience.
– Someone torn between options in a decision.
• “I know I really need to study, but my favorite show
is on tonight.”
• “I want to save my money for a new IPod, but that
shirt in the store is really cute…”
External Conflict
• Most obvious form:
– Conflict between characters
• Man v. Man
– Example: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader
• Conflict between a character and a force
outside his/herself
– Man v. nature
• Example: Castaway
– Man v. society
• Example: Martin Luther King, Jr
– Man v. technology
• Example: Transformers or Wall-E
– Man v. the supernatural
• Example: World War Z (zombies)
Characters 101
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Protagonist v. Antagonist
Round v. Flat
Dynamic v. Static
Stock Characters
Ways an author reveals
characters
• Direct/Indirect
Characterization
Protagonist
• The main character of a narrative;
• The central individual who engages the
reader’s interest and empathy.
• Example:
– Harry Potter is the protagonist of all the novels
in the series.
Antagonist
• The character, force, or
collection of forces in fiction
or drama that opposes the
protagonist and gives rise to
the conflict of the story.
– In the Harry Potter series, the
antagonist to Harry (the
protagonist) is Voldemort
Does Pro= Good?
Does Ant= bad?
• NOT necessarily.
• The protagonist is the main character of the
story, not necessarily the good one.
• Thus, an antagonist is not necessarily bad, just
an opposing force to the protagonist.
– Example: Scrooge from Christmas Carol
Round Characters
• Round characters are “real” characters
• Complex
• Individual
• Display internal conflict
– Back to Harry Potter- He is not only the protagonist,
but also a round character.
Flat Character
• One that embodies
one or two qualities,
ideas, or traits that can
easily be described in
a brief summary.
• Sometimes seen as
“stock” characters
What do we mean by
“Stock Characters”?
• Think of a stocked
shelf in a grocery
store….
• Stock characters
– Are NOT individuals
– Represent some
stereotype or idea
– Can be “taken off the
shelf” from an author’s
store when needed
Examples of stock character
stereotypes
• The “southern belle”
• The “mad scientist”
• The “damsel in
distress”
• The “knight in shining
armor”
• The “guy next door”
• The “evil stepmother”
– (just to name a few.)
Static V. Dynamic
Static
• Think Static=Stationary
• Or think of a STATue….it
never moves!
• Static characters do not
change in the narrative.
• Remain the same
throughout.
• “Static Statues Stay the
Same!”
Dynamic
• A dynamic character is one that does
change throughout the narrative
• The events in the story cause the
character to change in some way.
• Example:
– “The Most Dangerous Game”
– Rainsford goes from not caring about animals
when he hunts to caring.
How do authors reveal character?
STEAL
• Speech
– What the character says.
• Thoughts
– What the character thinks.
• Effects
– What are the effects on other
characters?
• Actions
– What does the character do?
• Looks
– How does the author
describe the character?