Transcript Short Stories

Short Stories
Unit Test Review
Protagonist
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Main character of the story
Antagonist
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Force or forces that oppose the main
character
Foreshadowing
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Hints about what is to come.
Flashback
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Interruption of the current events to show
the past.
Characterization
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A writer’s method of revealing the
characters.
Mood
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Emotional quality of the story.
Suspense
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The reader’s uncertainty about what will
happen in the story.
Motivation
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The reasons a character does or feels
something.
Symbol
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A concrete object that stands for something
else.
Style
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The arrangement of words and sentences
First-person point-of-view
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The narrator is a character in the story.
Third-person point-of-view
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Narrator is outside of the story.
Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces.
Types of conflict
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Character vs. him/herself (internal)
Character vs. character (external)
Character vs. society (external)
Character vs. fate/nature (external)
Types of characterization
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Narrator’s direct comments (direct)
Physical description (direct)
Character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings
(indirect)
Other character’s thoughts, feelings, and
actions toward the character (indirect)
Characters
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Round characters (characters with many
traits)
Flat characters (characters with only one or
two character traits)
Dynamic characters (characters that
change as a result of the action)
Static characters (characters that do not
undergo a change)
Types of irony
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Verbal Irony- Statements that are contrary
to what is meant.
Situational Irony- Something happens that
is contrary to what is expected.
Dramatic Irony- Readers are aware of
information the characters are not aware of.
Plot graph
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Exposition
Conflict
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Setting

The time and place in which a story takes
place
“Lamb to the Slaughter”
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Mary Maloney is the protagonist.
Dramatic and situational irony are used
throughout the story.
The mood is darkly comic.
“The Bass, the River, and Sheila
Mant”
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Sheila is characterized as selfish and
unconcerned with the feelings of the narrator.
The conflict revolves around whether or not to cut
the fish loose.
The narrator feels that he made the wrong choice
because he did not take the action that reflected
his enduring values.
“The Cold Equations”
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The story is told from a limited third-person point
of view.
The voice of the narrator is calm, which increases
the story’s horror and characterizes Barton as
compassionate towards Marilyn.
The theme is that survival can demand hard
choices.
“The Leap”
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The fire is foreshadowed when the narrator
feels the “stitches burn” beneath her
fingers.
The point of view is first person.
Many of the events are told in flashback.
“The Pedestrian”
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The setting is Los Angeles in 2053, which is
important because it makes American readers
identify with the disconnect in society.
The mood is eerie and surreal and shifts to
terrifying when Mead is arrested for taking a walk.
“The Storyteller”
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Told from a third person omniscient point of
view which allows Saki to comment directly
on each character.
The tone of the story is humorous and
ironic because of the discrepancies
between the aunt and the man.
“By the Waters of Babylon”
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Told in first-person to restrict the flow of
information and build suspense.
The narrator’s (John’s) voice is scared but
amazed at the city of the gods since he is
self-assured but inexperienced.