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The elements of the short story:‫عناصر القصة القصيرة‬
1-Setting: Refers to time and place Of events of the story and the condition and the
mood.
Example:
-Outdoors(concentrate on landscape)
-In doors(kitchen-sitting room-home-work)
-During day(or night )
-On summer (or winter)
-In the past(present-future)
Used to emphasis the theme of the story
2-Plot:Is arrangement or sequence of events in a story.
It is a planned ,logical series of events
With a beginning, middle and the end.
It is composed of:
- Introduction or exposition (details of setting and character are revealed)
-The rising action(describes the build –up of event)
-Climax(highest point of the story [turning point])
-Falling action(describes the events which take place after the turning point)
-Resolution(the final outcome of the story)
3-character :Refers to the main person or persons who act in a story.
*the protagonist(is the main character)
*the antagonist(is the person who opposes the protagonist)
4-Point of a view: Is the angle from which a story is told.
-The first person point of view : The story told by one characters in the story.
-The third person(omniscient narrator) : Moves from one character to another with
unlimited access to all character's minds.
-Omniscient narrator:
-Who knows every thing about all the characters.
-The limited third person(limited omniscient)
Concentrates on the consciousness of one character.
5-Theme : Controlling or main idea of the literary piece .
Maybe hint on the title.
It is emphasized through the other elements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------‫ما هو إعداد القصة؟‬
What is the setting of the short story ?
*is the time and place of action.
*the background against which events happen.
*takes on a central role in the story; it makes things happen.
*it can force characters to act.
Khalid S
This mean the setting not only tells us where a story is taking place and what is
going on at the time (the circumstances) but also can set the tone or the mood of a
story.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How is the setting created?
*Setting is created through language.
* detailed description provided by the text, and the kind of language used in the
description.
*not only tells the reader where and when a story taking a place , but also how a
story is taking a place.
Some writers:
1-provide many often realistic(resembling)details about the setting of the story.
2-provide many details but ones which are less 'realistic' and more 'impressionistic'
(based on one's mood feeling or senses rather than some thing real)
Irony:
(Situation does not seem right or balanced)
* is a technique used to emphasis a gap between reality and appearance .
They may also be a bit of snobbery(thinking one is better than other people)
Symbolism
Describes the use of a concrete object to represent a concept or idea .
Example: (color)
Yellow=fear
Brown=lifeless
Naturalism
* does not mean that the story has to take place in nature *
- is a literary and philosophical approach that argues that there is a logical or
practical explanation for every thing.
It is a kind of realism (writing which tries to represent reality or life as it is)
How could we explain a human behavior according to naturalism ?
By looking at , biological or hereditary traits, instinct, environment and sometimes
chance.
*in naturalism literature , the environment seems to be treating the character in an
unfeeling way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Five Elements of a Short Story Plot, Character, Setting, Atmosphere, Style
1. Plot The arrangement of incidents or events in a story.
Opening Situation - The reader is often told where and when the story occurs;
introduces the character (s).
Inciting Force - A conflict is usually established between characters.
Rising Action - The conflict between characters develops and becomes more
pronounced.
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Climax - The moment of greatest suspense.
Falling Action - The action leads to the resolution or final outcome.
Final Outcome - The writer wraps up and ties up any loose ends in hopes that the
reader will leave the story satisfied
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------There are three types of characters
Flat Character - a character who doesn't go through a change. These characters are
usually one-dimensional.
Round (Dynamic) Characters - a character affected by the events of the story. These
characters are usually fully developed in terms of personality. They are described in
more detail and their personalities emerge more fully. Round characters usually
become enlightened, learn, grow, or deteriorate by the end of the story.
Stereotyped Characters - a character who is so well known that little has to be said
about him/her. These characters are immediately recognizable because of the role
he/she plays. Examples - the strong silent gunfighter, the nerd, the beautiful
international spy, the mad scientist, etc.
‫ انواع الشخصيات‬Characters
Protagonist: the central figure in a drama or narrative
Antagonist: opposing character that causes the initial conflict
Round: character with a complete and detailed description
Flat: less important; not nearly as characterized or described
Static: stays the same; hardly ever changes
Dynamic: shows change throughout the story
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is the plot of a short story?
Plot describes the way the events of a story are arranged.
Exposition Tells the reader about the protagonist ,the antagonist ,the setting and the
basic problem or conflict.
ends with something called inciting incident, an incident that incites , provokes or
begins the action of the story.
the action in a story starts building up. action will bring the events to a high point
rising action.
that the complication or problem the protagonist must overcome in the story is
shown or developed more fully.
smaller conflicts or obstacles are introduced , making the task of the protagonist
more difficult and making the story more interesting.
climax turning point at which the situation for the protagonist turns or changes
.funny protagonist's life might start becoming sad protagonist's life might start
becoming worse.
falling action is at this point that the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist
begins to fall apart.
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the protagonist will either win or lose in his or her battle against the antagonist
.suspense the act of waiting for something to happen
final stage of a short of a short story is
the resolution .
all the problems and conflicts in the story are resolved or concluded
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Is it important who tells the story?
The author: is the person who writes the story.
The narrator: is the one who tells the story (can be a real person (in the case of oral
stories) or in the book.
The narrative: is the story
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the point of view?
.Each story has a narrator and narrators can have different points of view
.Point of View: is the angle from which the story is told
:Your book identifies four different points of view
-1First person point of view
-2Third person point of view
-3Objective point of view/detached (distanced, impersonal) observer
-4Unreliable narrator
-1First person point of view
It is when the narrator of the story is either a main or minor character in it. The
speaker of the story says “I” and the reader only knows the inside of this character’s
head; hence, it is a limited point of view.
A first narrator can be reliable or unreliable for readers can only know what the
character knows and feels. What the narrator recounts in the story may not be the
truth .
-2Third person point of view
The narrator is usually not a character in the story, and he uses third person
pronouns such as “they” , “he”, and “she”. There are two kinds of it:
:Omniscient narrator
.The narrator is “all knowing” and comments on all the characters of the story
.He reveals their actions, experiences, feelings, and thoughts
.He enters the characters minds
:Limited omniscient narrator
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When the narrator concentrates on one character of the story. This character’s
actions, experiences, feelings and thoughts are usually made known to the reader.
)(ONLY ONE CHARACTER
-3Objective point of view “detached”
The objective point of view/detached (distanced, impersonal) observer: also called
the camera technique is when the narrator uses third person pronouns “he”, “she”,
“they”, but does not give commentary on characters. The narrator is usually
detached (away) from the characters. The characters feelings remain unknown to the
.reader
-4Unreliable narrator
This narrator could be mad, dishonest, deceptive or deceived into believing
something that is not true. It could speak from first person point of view or third
person point of view
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What are characters in fiction?
Characters is a person in a work of fiction.
Characters can be also animals or any thing writer choose to act in the story.
Kinds of characters:
1-main versus minor characters:
- main characters
Important person in the story. Can be antagonist or protagonist, there are no specific
or fixed quality that must be possessed by the main character; he or she can be
heroic or ordinary, strong or weak.
.-minor characters
Are not as important as main characters in a story.
They usually functions to reveal more fully the main character. They could be used
to move the plot forward.
they Are not developed so they do not take the attention away from main characters.
2-dynamic versus static characters;
-dynamic character
Main characters, are basically dynamic. This means that they change during the
course of the story:
*discover something they had not known before.
*Come to realize a certain truth.
*Struggle with some kinds of inner conflict.
*Experience feelings of joy sadness sympathy or indifference.
*React to the world around them.
*Be change by experience.
-static character
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Unlike dynamic characters, static character do not change during the course of the
story. Static character are usually minor or secondary in a literature work; they can
be also be main character.
3-round versus flat character.
-rounded character
Are realistic in the sense that they develop; they are "three dimensional" characters
that change during the course of the story. A main character is developed
emotionally, mentally and physically. Thus, a round character's emotions are "alive"
on the page. We understand the round character's thoughts because they are
conveyed to us either directly or indirectly.
When the character's thought or other qualities are given to the reader directly, this
mean that we are told by the author about the character.
Indirect characterization means that the reader must figure out the qualities of a
character based on the thoughts action speech or attention.
Flat character
In contract to round characters, Flat characters
are stereotypical or fixed they do not develop or change. It usually have one or two
characteristics which stay the same during the entire story. They are not changed by
their experience. Reader can see only one side of the flat character because that is all
that is presented. This character is often a common character like a villain the mad
scientist or the nagging wife. These kind of common characters are called stock
characters,
Motivation
All characters act out of a certain motivation. A motivation is the reason behind a
character's action. These reasons for action can either be stated clearly in the story or
suggested. A character can act due to his/her greed, sense of belonging to a place or
the lack of it revenge love and sympathy for others hatred jealousy and envy or for
any other reason. Motivation makes a character's action more or les believable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How are characters revealed
- through a description of the character's physical appearance.(how they looks)
- through direct statement.
- through the character' action.
- through dialogue, by examining the character's words.
- through what other characters say or think about him/her.
- through the character's name.
- through the character's thought.