Transcript Story Literary Elements - Ms. Durham's 9th Grade English Class

Short Story
Literary Elements
Some basic elements that every good
story should have ….
Adapted from http://www.nebo.edu./misc/
learning_resources/ppt/6-12/story_elements.ppt
Every story needs characters…
People
Animals
Or Creatures
The protagonist is the main
character we can relate to…
The protagonist is usually, but
not always, a good guy.
The antagonist is the character or
force who opposes the protagonist.
How can the antagonist be a
force?
Good stories have a conflict.
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Society
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Fate
The time and place of the story is
the setting.
Plot is the sequence of events in the
story.
Climax
Rising
Action
Falling Action
Resolution
Exposition
During the exposition of the story,
we are introduced to the characters,
setting, and other background
information.
During the rising action, we discover
the characters’ problems and
complications.
The climax is the most exciting
part of the plot…
Or the highest
point of
suspense in
the story!!!
During the falling action, the
story winds down.
During the resolution or
dénouement, the conflict is
resolved and the story usually
has a conclusion.
The point of view is the
perspective of the story.
“That rotten wolf
tried to eat us!!!!”
“I was framed! I
just wanted to
borrow a cup of
sugar!”
The theme is the author’s central
message or insight into life.
A theme can be
stated (told outright)
or implied (revealed
gradually).
Example of Theme
“Every man needs to feel allegiance to
his native country, whether he always
appreciates that country or not.”
From “A Man Without a Country” by Edward Hale
pg. 185 in Prentice Hall Literature book
Whether you’re the reader, or the
writer, a good story should
include these literary elements!!!
characters
conflict
protagonist
climax
point of view
setting
antagonist