Elements of short stories

1. Elements of short stories

2. Introduction • Stories, in one form or another, have existed throughout history. Egyptian papyri, dating from 3000 to 4000 B.C., reveal how the sons of Cheops regaled their father with narrative. Some three thousand years before the birth of Christ, we had such Old Testament stories as those of Jonah and Ruth.

3. Introduction continued • Christ spoke in parables. The Greeks and Romans left us episodes and incidents in the Classics. In the Middle Ages the impulse to tell storytelling manifested in Fablesand Epics about beasts of various kinds. In view of this long development, it seems foolish to name one person as the founder of the short story.

4. Introduction continued • A form that comes to us from the ancient past and was known throughout the world, that drew its first breath from oral tradition and has existed as a prottion of much of human literary expression in all ages, can be said to have no origin more specific than the creative spirit of human beings satisfying their desire to tell and hear stories.

5. What is a short story? A short story is a relatively brief fictional narrative or story written without using any rhymes or rhythms. The short story has a beginning, a middle, and an end and is composed of the following elements: Theme, Plot, Character, Setting and Point of View

6. I. THEME—The central idea that the author wishes to set forth in his or her writing. To find the theme, ask yourself these questions: • 1. What is the story about? 2. What is the central idea? 3. What observation did the author make about human nature? • II. PLOT—A series of related events that the author uses to develop the theme of a story. To identify the plot, ask yourself these questions: • 1. What happens in the beginning of the story? 2. What happens in the middle of the story? 3. What happens at the end of the story?

7. III. CHARACTER—The action of the story is centered around the characters in the story. One central character usually dominates the story. • IV. SETTING—The stage upon which the action of the story takes place. The setting is to a story just as the background is to a painting. • V. POINT OF VIEW—The author’s choice of the teller of the story. The point of view is important to the total structure and meaning of the short story. To find the point of view, ask yourself who is telling the story.

8. A. Literary techniques used to develop theme: • 1. foreshadowing—giving hints to the reader about what is to happen next • 2. flashback—the author interrupts the story to go back in time to add scenes or information. This helps the reader understand what is happening in the present. 3. Irony—the opposite of what is expected to happen. Either a statement may • have an opposite meaning, or an outcome of events may be the opposite of • those hoped for or expected. 4. Tone—the “feeling” conveyed by the way the writer writes about his • subject.

9. 3. Irony—the opposite of what is expected to happen. Either a statement may have an opposite meaning, or an outcome of events may be the opposite of those hoped for or expected. • 4. Tone—the “feeling” conveyed by the way the writer writes about his or her subject.

10. Elements of Plot • I. EXPOSITION — the beginning stage • a. the reader is given the setting of the story b. the reader is introduced to the principal characters and their relationships to each other

11. Elements of Plot continued • CONFLICT is the struggle between opposing forces. • Types of conflict: • 1. Man vs. man — external struggle between two or more individuals

12. 2. Man vs. himself— internal struggle concerning emotion and decision • 3. Man vs. nature — external struggle between man and an element of nature. • II. RISING ACTION—mini-conflicts that contribute to the rise in action. • A. Each mini-conflict must be more intense than the other until the most dramatic conflict occurs • 3. CLIMAX—the turning point in the story, or the emotional high point • 4. FALLING ACTION—the events that lead to the resolution 5. RESOLUTION (denouement)—the final stage • a. Theoutcomeoftheconflictortheresolutionoftheproblem. • b. The outcome of the resolution will express the general theme of the story. A. All characters should be believable—have recognizable human traits and • characteristics

13. III. CLIMAX — the turning point in the story, or the emotional high point • IV. FALLING ACTION — the events that lead to the resolution • V. RESOLUTION (denouement) — the final stage • a. The outcome of the conflict or the resolution of the problem. • b. The outcome of the resolution will express the general theme of the story.

14. Characterization • FOUR TYPES OF CHARACTERIZATION — techniques the writer uses to develop character • 1. What the author states, for example the character’s physical description • 2. What the characters say or do

15. Characterization continued • 3. How the characters look • a. The characters’ speech and dress play significant factors in the development of their characterizations • 4. What other characters say

16. Types of characters • Types of characters: • protagonist—the central character—he or she can be good or bad • antagonist—the “opposing” character(s)

17. Types of Characters • flat — characters who do NOT change in a story • round — characters who change