Transcript Plot Elements

WHAT DO YOU
SEE?
WHAT DO YOU
THINK THIS
PAINTING IS
ABOUT?
WHO ARE
THESE PEOPLE?
LOOK
CLOSER…
SHORT STORY UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
What information lies below
the surface?
 How can close reading reveal
information the author buried
below the surface?
 What details should we leave
buried in our own writing?
How do we do this?
 How can we apply analytical
and observations skills to our
own lives?

BECOMING A LITERARY DETECTIVE
THE ELEMENTS OF
PLOT
Reading 3.3: Analyze interactions between main and
subordinate characters in a literary text (internal
and external conflicts, motivations, relationships,
influences) and explain the way those interactions
affect the plot
WHY IS PLOT STRUCTURE IMPORTANT?
PLOT: the organized pattern or sequence of
events that make up a story. Every plot is made
up of a series of incidents that are related to
one another.
 The plot draws the reader into the character's lives
and helps the reader understand the choices that
the characters make.
 A plot's structure is the way in which the story
elements are arranged. Writers vary structure
depending on the needs of the story.
 Authors make their stories interesting by
manipulating plot structure to create suspense,
intrigue, anticipation, and conflict.

BASIC PLOT STRUCTURE
Climax
The turning point. The main character
faces the conflict and changes in some
way.
Falling Action
Rising Action
The series of conflicts
or events leading up to
the climax.
Loose ends of the plot
are tied up and the
conflicts are resolved.
Conclusion
The story comes to a
reasonable ending.
Exposition
Introduces basic information about the story.
Tells the reader who the characters are,
where and when the story takes place, and
what the basic conflict is.
PRACTICE: PLOT STRUCTURE OF
“CINDERELLA”
Climax
The Prince tries the slipper on all the maidens
in town to find the woman from the ball. He
finally tries Cinderella and the slipper fits.
Rising Action
The King invites all single women to a
ball to meet his son, the Prince.
Cinderella’s fairy godmother puts a spell
on her so she can attend. The Prince
immediately loves Cinderella, but she
runs away, leaving her glass slipper
behind.
Falling Action
Cinderella’s sisters apologize
for being mean to her, and
Cinderella forgives them.
Conclusion
Cinderella marries the
Prince. Her stepsisters
marry two lords.
Exposition
Cinderella is a beautiful girl trapped in her evil stepmother’s
house. She has three mean stepsisters, and has to do all of
the housework. Her real parents died long ago. Cinderella
and her stepsisters are eager to get married.
CHARACT
ER TRAITS
Reading 3.4: Determine characters’ traits by what
the characters say about themselves in narration,
dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy
CHARACTERIZATION
An author must use words to create a mental image
of the characters in a story.
 Authors use characterization to make their
characters complex and interesting.
 Direct Characterization: the author tells the
audience what the personality of the character is.



Ex: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well
mannered and did not disobey their mother.”
Indirect Characterization: the author shows details
that reveal the personality of a character.

Ex: “The boy knew he was wrong and did not want to go
to bed, but he looked at his mother’s stern face and he
dragged himself to his room anyway.”
IDENTIFYING CHARACTER TRAITS
 VALUES – what does the character care for?
 LONGINGS – what does the character desire or try to
obtain/achieve?
 ATTITUDE – what kind of mental outlook does the
character have?
 MOTIVES – what inspires or drives the character to act
in a certain way?
 INTENTIONS – what does the character plan to do?
 FLAWS – what imperfections or weaknesses does the
character have?
METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION

Authors communicate
information about their
characters by using:





Physical appearance of the
character
Interactions between
characters
Narration about the character
and hat the character is
thinking
Dialogue of or about the
character
Actions of the character