Transcript Unit 1: Fiction - EMC Publishing

Unit 1: Fiction
Plot
Fiction is like a spider’s
web, attached ever so lightly
perhaps, but still attached to
life at all four corners.
—Virginia Woolf
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What is fiction?
• Fiction is a genre, or category of literary
composition, that includes any work of prose
that tells an invented or imaginary story.
What are the two main
forms of fiction?
• The two main forms of fiction are the short
story and the novel.
What are your favorite
types of fiction?
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Realistic fiction
Mystery
Science fiction
Romance
Historical fiction
Horror
Fantasy
Sports fiction
What are the purposes of
fiction?
• To entertain readers
• To enlighten readers by sharing the human
experience
• To provide readers with an escape from reality
• To teach readers empathy
• To help readers explore unknown worlds
What are the five elements
of fiction?
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Plot
Point of view
Characters
Setting
Theme
Plot
• Plot is a series of related events that drive a
story.
A story to me means a plot where there is
some surprise. Because that is how life is—
full of surprises.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer
What do you think makes a plot interesting and
memorable?
• A plot is the frame that gives a story
its structure. There are five elements
of plot:
Climax
on
Ris
ing
cti
gA
Ac
tio
n
llin
Fa
Exposition
Plot
m
Diagra
Resolution
• The exposition is the introduction to
the plot.
• In the exposition
– characters are introduced
– setting is revealed
– mood or tone is established
• In the rising action, the main
character tries to solve a problem and
encounters several obstacles along the
way, resulting in a conflict.
• Conflict is what drives the plot.
• There are four types of conflict:
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person versus person
person versus society
person versus nature
person versus self
• The climax, or turning point, is the
high point of interest and suspense in
the plot.
• The falling action consists of all the
events that follow the climax.
• These events include the results of the
main character’s action or decision.
• The resolution, or conclusion, is the
point at which the central conflict is
ended, or resolved.
A story’s plot organization
is often framed by time.
• Chronological order unfolds events in the
order in which they occur.
• Flashback interrupts time sequence and
presents an event that occurred earlier or in the
past.
• Foreshadowing provides a hint or clue to
events that will occur in the future or later in
the story.
• A Time Line can help you understand
a story’s plot organization. This Time
Line is for “The Open Window,” by
Saki.
Framton Nuttel, a
nervous man who is
new to the area, arrives
at Mrs. Sappleton’s
home for a visit.
Mrs. Sappleton’s niece,
Vera, points out the
open window and tells
Mr. Nuttel about her
aunt’s “great tragedy.”
Vera says Mrs.
Sappleton keeps the
window open in case
her dead husband and
brothers return.
Mrs. Sappleton enters
the room, and she and
Mr. Nuttel chat; she
keeps looking out the
window as they talk.
Mr. Nuttel bolts from
the house when he sees
three ghostly figures
and a dog walking
toward the house.
Vera attributes Mr.
Nuttel’s quick exit to a
fear of dogs—a fear
based on Nuttel’s prior
experience with dogs.
To understand a story’s plot organization, make a
Time Line of events for a fairy tale or folk tale.
• Converting a Time Line into a Plot
Diagram can reveal which events fall
into each part of a story’s plot.
Mrs. Sappleton’s niece,
Vera, points out the
open window and tells
Mr. Nuttel about her
aunt’s “great tragedy.”
She says her aunt keeps
the window open in
case her dead husband
and brothers return.
Exposition
Framton Nuttel, a
nervous man who is
new to the area, arrives
at Mrs. Sappleton’s
home for a visit.
Mr. Nuttel sees three figures
outside the window and thinks
they are ghosts.
Climax
Plot
Diagram
Mr. Nuttel bolts from
the house without
saying good-bye.
Resolution
Vera attributes Mr. Nuttel’s quick
exit to a fear of dogs—a fear
based on Nuttel’s prior
experience with dogs.
Convert the Time Line you created for a fairy
tale or folk tale into a Plot Diagram.
Climax
Plot
Diagram
Exposition
Resolution
SUMMARY: Plot
• A good plot must
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advance the action
relate events in a logical, easy-to-follow order
engage the main character in some type of conflict
provide an element of surprise or suspense
provoke questions in the readers’ minds