Elements of a Story

1. Setting.*** Time and Place. Character. Protagonist*** and Supporting Characters. Round vs. Flat. Dynamic vs. Static. Direct Characterization vs. Indirect Characterization. Point of View. 1st person narration vs. 3rd person narration. Omniscient vs. Limited. Reliable vs. Unreliable. Tone/Mood.*** (Style) Narrator’s Attitude. Emotional Impression. Plot. Exposition (a.k.a. Introduction) Setting, Character, Point of View, Tone/Mood Inciting Incident (a.k.a. Narrative Hook) Central Conflict*** Development (a.k.a. Rising Action) Climax Falling Action Resolution (of the Conflict) Denouement (a.k.a. Conclusion) Theme.*** Meaning or Lesson. Elements of a Story

2. Elements of a Story • Setting • When and Where does a story takes place? • When (time): moment, time of day, time of year, time period. • Where (place): (abstract or concrete) location, surroundings. • General setting vs. Specific setting. • e.g. the universe – on the point of a needle in a pin cushion under my bed in my room at my home in Boonville, Missouri. • e.g. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia (for example).

3. Elements of a Story continued • Character • Who are the people, animals, or things with personalities that the story follows? • Flat: a character who has limited features, mental or physical. • Round: a character who has distinct personality and physical traits. • Static: a character who does not change over the course of a story. • Dynamic: a character who develops and changes significantly throughout the story. • Protagonist: the main character; the character whose problem is the central conflict.

4. Characterization • How the writer creates and develops a character’s personality. • Direct Characterization: the writer tells you about a character’s personality traits by directly describing him or her. • e.g. Charlie was a mean, old man. • Indirect Characterization: the writer shows you a character’s personality traits by describing that character’s appearance, actions, and how others interact/respond to him or her. • e.g. Wrinkle-faced, white-haired Charlie used to scream at his neighbors’ children when they walked on his lawn, and he would starve and beat his dog and then train her to bark at the kids when they came near his yard.

5. Elements of a Story continued • Point of View • Who is telling the story? • 1st person: the narrator is a character in the story and usually has limited information outside of himself. • 3rd person: the narrator is not a character in the story. • Reliable (truthful) vs. Unreliable (not truthful for certain reasons: confused/ignorant, evil, insane, etc.). • Limited (the narrator is only able to relay that which a person would be able to perceive) vs. Omniscient (the narrator knows and can describe everything about the characters, plot, and setting).

6. Elements of a Story continued • TONE explains how the narrator feels about the elements of the story. • What is the narrator’s attitude? • e.g. formal/informal, serious/playful. • MOOD is the impression the elements of the story leave on you. • How does the tone make you feel? • e.g. happy/sad, funny/scary. • Style...

7. Elements of a Story continued • Plot • What are the major and minor events of the story? • Chronological order: events happen as they would on a timeline (past or present). • Foreshadow: details in the story that may hint as to what will happen later chronologically in the story. • Flashback: events that happened prior to the current chronological event in the story. • Tangent: details that digress from the chronological events of the story.

8. Plot • EXPOSITION (a.k.a. INTRODUCTION) • the introduction of the setting and characters. • INCITING INCIDENT (a.k.a. NARRATIVE HOOK) • the introduction of the conflict. • DEVELOPMENT (a.k.a. RISING ACTION) • the development of the conflict. • CLIMAX • when the conflict is at its strongest. • FALLING ACTION • the events leading to the outcome of the conflict. • RESOLUTION • the outcome of the conflict. • DENOUEMENT (day-new-maw) (a.k.a. CONCLUSION) • all of the events occurring after the resolution.

9. Conflict • The centralCONFLICT of a story is the type of struggle that the protagonist undergoes. The struggle will be either External or Internal. • Protagonist vs. Antagonist (man v. man): A protagonist’s opposing force is another character in the story. (“the Most Dangerous Game”) short story • Protagonist vs. Fate: A protagonist’s opposing force is historical pattern or the foreseen future. (Oedipus Rex) drama • Protagonist vs. Nature: A protagonist’s opposing force is the natural world (plants, animals, weather, etc.). (“to Build a Fire”) short story • Protagonist vs. Self: A protagonist’s opposing force is himself (his own thoughts, feelings, and actions). (“the Laugher”) short story • Protagonist vs. Society: A protagonist’s opposing force is the people and beliefs of the society he is in. (the Grapes of Wrath) novel • Protagonist vs. Supernatural: A protagonist’s opposing force is something that is unexplainable. (the Iliad & the Odyssey) novel/poem • NOTE: a story may have several different conflicts occurring at the same time. Like THEME, it may be a matter of interpretation.

10. Elements of a Story continued • Theme • Why was the story written? • What is the meaning of the story (the universal truth)? • What lesson are you taught by reading the story (the message)? • Cliché: a statement of theme made using figurative language. • Never judge a book by its cover. • Moral: a statement of theme commanding the reader to do or not to do something. • Don’t form an opinion about someone based only on the way he looks. • Thematic Statement***: a statement of theme made using formal language. • Appearances can be deceiving.

11. Elements of a Story continued • Character • Who are the people, animals, or things with personalities that the story follows? • Flat: a character who has limited features, mental or physical. • Round: a character who has distinct personality and physical traits. • Static: a character who does not change over the course of a story. • Dynamic: a character who develops and changes significantly throughout the story. • Protagonist: the main character; the character whose problem is the central conflict.

12. Characterization • How the writer creates and develops a character’s personality. • Direct Characterization: the writer tells you about a character’s personality traits by directly describing him or her. • e.g. Charlie was a mean, old man. • Indirect Characterization: the writer shows you a character’s personality traits by describing that character’s appearance, actions, and how others interact/respond to him or her. • e.g. Wrinkle-faced, white-haired Charlie used to scream at his neighbors’ children when they walked on his lawn, and he would starve and beat his dog and then train her to bark at the kids when they came near his yard.

13. Elements of a Story continued • Point of View • Who is telling the story? • 1st person: the narrator is a character in the story and usually has limited information outside of himself. • 3rd person: the narrator is not a character in the story. • Reliable (truthful) vs. Unreliable (not truthful for certain reasons: confused/ignorant, evil, insane, etc.). • Limited (the narrator is only able to relay that which a person would be able to perceive) vs. Omniscient (the narrator knows and can describe everything about the characters, plot, and setting).

14. Elements of a Story continued • TONE explains how the narrator feels about the elements of the story. • What is the narrator’s attitude? • e.g. formal/informal, serious/playful. • MOOD is the impression the elements of the story leave on you. • How does the tone make you feel? • e.g. happy/sad, funny/scary. • Style...

15. Elements of a Story continued • Plot • What are the major and minor events of the story? • Chronological order: events happen as they would on a timeline (past or present). • Foreshadow: details in the story that may hint as to what will happen later chronologically in the story. • Flashback: events that happened prior to the current chronological event in the story. • Tangent: details that digress from the chronological events of the story.

16. Plot • EXPOSITION (a.k.a. INTRODUCTION) • the introduction of the setting and characters. • INCITING INCIDENT (a.k.a. NARRATIVE HOOK) • the introduction of the conflict. • DEVELOPMENT (a.k.a. RISING ACTION) • the development of the conflict. • CLIMAX • when the conflict is at its strongest. • FALLING ACTION • the events leading to the outcome of the conflict. • RESOLUTION • the outcome of the conflict. • DENOUEMENT (day-new-maw) (a.k.a. CONCLUSION) • all of the events occurring after the resolution.

17. Conflict • The centralCONFLICT of a story is the type of struggle that the protagonist undergoes. The struggle will be either External or Internal. • Protagonist vs. Antagonist (man v. man): A protagonist’s opposing force is another character in the story. (“the Most Dangerous Game”) short story • Protagonist vs. Fate: A protagonist’s opposing force is historical pattern or the foreseen future. (Oedipus Rex) drama • Protagonist vs. Nature: A protagonist’s opposing force is the natural world (plants, animals, weather, etc.). (“to Build a Fire”) short story • Protagonist vs. Self: A protagonist’s opposing force is himself (his own thoughts, feelings, and actions). (“the Laugher”) short story • Protagonist vs. Society: A protagonist’s opposing force is the people and beliefs of the society he is in. (the Grapes of Wrath) novel • Protagonist vs. Supernatural: A protagonist’s opposing force is something that is unexplainable. (the Iliad & the Odyssey) novel/poem • NOTE: a story may have several different conflicts occurring at the same time. Like THEME, it may be a matter of interpretation.

18. Elements of a Story continued • Theme • Why was the story written? • What is the meaning of the story (the universal truth)? • What lesson are you taught by reading the story (the message)? • Cliché: a statement of theme made using figurative language. • Never judge a book by its cover. • Moral: a statement of theme commanding the reader to do or not to do something. • Don’t form an opinion about someone based only on the way he looks. • Thematic Statement***: a statement of theme made using formal language. • Appearances can be deceiving.

19. Constructed Responses • Constructed response items should be written in complete sentences, restating the question/prompt in the response. • e.g. Why did the chicken cross the road? • Acceptable constructed response: • The chicken crossed the road to get to the other side. • DO NOT begin sentences with the words “Yes,” “No,” “Well,” or “So,” and DO NOT use the phrases “I think” or “I believe;” they are unnecessary. • e.g. Why did the chicken cross the road? • Unacceptable response: • To get to the other side. (fragment) • I think the chicken crossed the road to get to the other side. (unnecessary) • Well, the chicken crossed the road because there was a handsome rooster on the other side. (informal)

20. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice • Voice is determined by the relationship between the subject and the verb. • Only action verbs show voice – linking verbs do not show voice. • In a sentence in the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb (generally, use the active voice to emphasize the subject and eliminate confusion about the performer of the action). • Active voice (preferred): e.g. Joe washed the dishes in the kitchen.

21. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice • In a sentence in the passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed by the verb (generally contains the helping verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the action verb and a “by/from” prepositional phrase; use the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of the action or when the performer of the action is unknown). • Passive voice (generally, the active voice is preferred in this situation): e.g. The dishes were washed by Joe in the kitchen. • Passive voice (the performer of action unknown): e.g. The dishes were washed in the kitchen. • Passive voice (emphasize receiver of action): e.g. Joe was soaked by the dishwater.