Transcript Document 7132153

Elements of a Story: A Flipped Lesson
Take Notes on this Power Point: Describe these
terms in your own words.
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Setting
Characters
Plot ~ all aspects
Conflict ~ all aspects
Point of View ~ all
points
Theme
Irony
Symbolism
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Elements of
Short Stories
PowerPoint adapted from:
Setting
The setting is the place where the story
takes place. Setting includes the
following:
– The geographical location
• For example: London, Cairo, Halifax, Vancouver
– The time period
• For example: 1865, during WWII, today
– The socio-economic characteristics of the
location
• For example: wealthy suburbs
– The specific building, room etc.
• For example: a prep school, a log cabin, a bus, a
military base
Setting
Can be used to tell readers about the
characters:
That evening T.J. smelled the
air, his nostrils dilating with the
odor of the earth under his feet.
“It’s spring,” he said, and there
was gladness rising in his voice
that filled us all with the same
feeling.
“It’s mighty late for it, but it’s
spring” … We were all sniffing at
the air, too, trying to smell it the way that T.J. did, and I
can still remember the sweet odor of the earth under
our feet. It was the first time in my life that spring and
spring earth had meant anything to me.
“Antaeus” by Borden Deal
Setting
Can be used to set the atmosphere for the story:
“During the whole of a dull,
dark, and soundless day in
the autumn of the year,
when the clouds hung
oppressively low in the
heavens, I had been passing
alone, on horseback, though
a singularly dreary tract of
country.”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
by Edgar Allan Poe
Characters
• Protagonist: The main
character in a literary
work (for instance,
Charles in “Here There
Be Tygers” or Cinderella
or Snow White in the
fairy tales named for
their characters)
•Antagonist: The character who opposes the protagonist
(for instance, Miss Bird in “Here There Be Tygers” or the
wicked stepmothers in the fairy tales)
Plot
Plot is how the author arranges events to develop his/her
basic idea. It is the sequence of events in a story or play.
The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a
beginning, middle and end.
Plot Components
Introduction: The start of the story, the situation
before the action starts
Rising Action: The series of conflicts and crisis in
the story that lead to the climax
Climax / Turning Point: The most intense moment
– either mentally or in action – the reader
wonders what will happen next; will the conflict
be resolved or not?
Falling Action: The events and complications begin
to resolve themselves. (The events between the
climax and the resolution)
Resolution: The conclusion, the untangling of
events in the story
Plot: Conflict
Conflict is the
dramatic struggle
between two forces in
a story. Without
conflict there is no
plot.
Plot: Types of Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
• Human vs. Human
• Human vs. Nature
• Human vs. Society
Internal Conflict
• Human vs. Self
Point of View
The angle or perspective from which
the story is told
• Who is telling the story?
– For instance, is it a player on the home
team or someone watching the game?
• How do we know what is happening?
– For instance, does a character tell us?
First Person Point of View
Told from the viewpoint of one of the
characters, using the first person
pronoun “I”.
“The thousands of injuries of Fortunato I
had borne as I best could, but when he
ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.
You, who so well know the nature of my
soul, will not suppose, however, that I
give utterance to a threat.”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
by Edgar Allan Poe
Third Person Point of View
The story is told using a narrator who is located
outside of the action of the story and uses third
person pronouns such as “he”, “she”, “his”, “her”,
“they” etc.
Third Person Point of View can be broken up into
three different types:
• Omniscient
• Limited Omniscient
• Objective
Theme
• Theme is the central idea or central
message of the story. It usually
contains some insight into the
human condition – telling
something about humans and life.
• The theme can be stated directly or
implied by the events and actions in
the story.
Types of Irony
• Verbal Irony: This is the contrast between what is
said and what is meant. In other words: sarcasm.
• Dramatic Irony: This is the contrast between what
the character thinks to be true and what we (the
reader) know to be true. Sometimes as we read we
are placed in the position of knowing more than what
one character knows. Because we know something
the character does not, we read to discover how the
character will react when he or she learns the truth of
the situation.
• Situational Irony: This is the most common in
literature. It is the contrast between what happens
and what was expected (or what would seem
appropriate). Because it emerges from the events
and circumstances of a story it is often more subtle
and effective than verbal or dramatic irony.
Symbolism
A symbol represents an idea, quality, or
concept larger than itself.
• A journey can
• A lion can be
symbolize life
a symbol of
courage.
• Water may
represent
cleanliness
and renewal
• A red rose
can
represent
love.
Flashback
This is a writers’ technique in which the author
interrupts the plot of the story to recreate an
incident of an earlier time (goes back in time; like
giving the reader a memory). This device is often
used to provide additional information to the reader.
Foreshadowing
This is a writers’
technique in which the
author provides clues or
hints as to what is going
to happen later in the
story. It’s like the music
in a scary movie when
we know that something
bad is about to happen.
Final Thoughts
• In class you will use
these terms to analyze
a story. You will be
assessed on your
analysis. Work hard!
Follow the rubric~
You can score an 8!