Elements of Fiction
Point of View
•how the story is told and who tells it.
•In first person point of view, the story is
told by a character within the story, a
character using the first person pronoun, I.
Fig. 1
Point of view, continued
•If the narrator is the main character, the point of view is
first person protagonist. Mark Twain lets Huck Finn
narrate his own story in this point of view.
•If the narrator is a secondary character, the point of view is
first person observer. Arthur Conan Doyle lets Sherlock
Holmes’ friend Dr. Watson tell the Sherlock Holmes story.
Point of view, continued
•In third person point of view, the story is not told by a character but by
an “invisible narrator,” using the third person pronoun (he, she, or it) to
tell the story.
•If the third person narrator gives us the thoughts of characters (“She
wondered where her pet hamster had gone”), then he is a third person
omniscient (all-knowing) narrator.
•If the third person narrator only gives us information which could be
recorded by a camera and microphone (no thoughts), then he is a third
person dramatic narrator.
Setting
Stories actually have two types of setting: Physical (where) and
Chronological (when).
The physical setting can be general (e.g. a small island in the Puget
Sound) or very specific (e.g. a two-story bright green ultra-modern
condominium in Winslow).
The chronological setting can be likewise general (e.g. long, long ago)
or specific (e.g. at 12:02 p.m. on the third Tuesday in March, 1999…)
* Bonus: do you know what the abbreviation ‘e.g.’ stands for?
e.g.
e.g. (Latin) = exempli gratia
or in English,
for example
Why might a writer neglect to give
clues about the setting?
Fig. 2
Universality
As in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,”
sometimes writers want a story to feel as if it
could happen anywhere, at any time. An author
might not want to limit her story by time and
place.
Characters
A. Protagonist (hero): the central figure with whom we
usually sympathize or identify
B. Antagonist (villain): the figure who opposes the
protagonist and creates the conflict
C. Foil Character: a character who serves as a contrast to
another character
Characters, continued
•complex or round characters: multidimensional, with conflicting motivations
•dynamic characters: change over the course of
the story
•flat characters: static (don’t change), stock,
one-dimensional, stereotypical
Conflict
Literary conflict, at its core, is a struggle between
opposing forces.
•A conflict is external when it pits a character against
something or someone outside himself or herself—
another character or something in nature or society.
•A conflict is internal when the opposing forces are two
drives, impulses, or parts of a single character.
Conflict, continued
•Conflict occurs in nearly every story, poem,
play, and novel we read. Sometimes the
conflict is obvious, and sometimes it is very
subtle and only hinted at.
•Most of the time, there is more than one
conflict occurring at the same time.
Four Classic Conflicts in Literature
Individual vs. Individual
This conflict pits one person against another.
Fig.3
Individual vs. Nature
This conflict is a struggle against the forces of
nature. We tend to see just how small one
human being is in the face of nature.
Fig. 4
Individual vs. Self
This is internal conflict. Sometimes the process
of learning and growing involves resolving
conflicting views. Sometimes a person is his
own worst enemy.
Fig.5
Can you think of any characters like this?
Individual vs. Society
One person’s inner values conflict with those of
the larger society.
Fig. 6
Image Sources
Figure 1 http://www.librosnm.org/images/Woodcut-book-DaleHarris.jpg
Figure 2 http://webexpedition18.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/curious.jpg
Figure 3 http://ancientweb.org/images/explore/Japan_Woodcut_Samurai_Rooftop_Fight.jpg
Figure 4 http://www.alanbatley.co.uk/images_woodcut/storm_lg.jpg
Figure 5 http://jacobandlevis.com/CMS/uploads/NO4-2-2132-Nobleza-Mirror-L_001.jpg
Figure 6 http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/4/8/1333888792235/Gregory-Peck-as-Atticus-F-008.jpg