Short Story Elements

1. Short Story Elements Mrs. Atwell 6th grade 2013-2014

2. PLOT DIAGRAM

3. EXPOSITION • a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers. • Without it the rest of the story will probably not make sense Opening Segment

4. THINGS INTRODUCED IN THE EXPOSITION • PROTAGONIST: the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel or other fictional text • ANTAGONIST: a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary

5. THINGS INTRODUCED IN THE EXPOSITION: SETTING • The place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place. This can include a time period. Some stories have only a few settings. Others have many.

6. THINGS INTRODUCED IN THE EXPOSITION: CHARACTERIZATION • The way the author describes the character • Direct characterization: involves the author telling you what a character is like • Indirect characterization: done through dialogue or actions, and is considered the best form of characterization

7. RISING ACTION • A related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest

8. RISING ACTION: CONFLICT • An inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces. • INTERNAL: • Takes place inside a characters mind or heart • Sometimes involves a decision • EXTERNAL: • Takes place between a character and something outside the character • Outside forces = nature, an event/situation or another character

9. INTERNAL CONFLICT (MAN VS. SELF) • A struggle between a character and his feelings, conscience or fear

10. EXTERNAL CONFLICT (MAN VS. MAN) • A struggle, mental or physical, between two characters

11. EXTERNAL CONFLICT (MAN VS. NATURE) • A struggle between a character and mother nature; mother nature = weather, animals, insects, sickness, epidemics

12. EXTERNAL CONFLICT (MAN VS. SOCIETY) • A struggle between a character and the laws or beliefs of a group; could involve poverty, politics, social norms, expectations or values

13. CLIMAX • A decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot

14. FALLING ACTION • The part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved

15. RESOLUTION (DENOUEMENT) • The final part of a play, movie or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are resolved Resolution

16. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: THEME • A common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work What is the theme of “Sleeping Beauty?”

17. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: THEME True love conquers all.

18. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: POINT OF VIEW • Standpoint from which a story is told • First Person: told from the viewpoint of one of the characters using the pronouns “I” and “we” • Second Person: uses the words “you” is normally found when giving directions or instructions

19. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: POINT OF VIEW – THIRD PERSON • Third Person Limited: narrator is an outside observer that focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only one character • Third Person Omniscient – the narrator is an outside observer who can tell us the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in a story • Third Person Objective: the narrator reports the facts of a narrator as a seemingly neutral and impersonal outside observer • Omniscient Definition: having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things

20. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONY • Irony is about expectations • Irony: the opposite of what is expected • Types of Irony: • Verbal • Dramatic • Situational

21. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYVERBAL A character says one thing but means the opposite Also calledsarcasmor beingsarcastic. Examples The locker room smells really good. Awesome! Another homework packet! • l

22. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYVERBAL Examples: • As your teacher is signing detention forms for students who did not complete their homework, she says in an irritated voice, “I just love when students don’t do their homework!” • It’s raining cats and dogs outside. You took the day off from work today to finally put up a fence post because of your annoying neighbors. You express, “This weather is just lovely.” • Your friend spoils the ending of a movie for you, and you express in a haughty tone, “Thanks a lot!” • You have a six-foot tall friend who you call “shorty.”

23. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYDRAMATIC When the reader understands more about the events of a story than a character. You know something that a character doesn’t. Example Tim’s parents are proud of the “A” he got on the test, but we know he cheated. Alex writes a love poem to Judy but we know that Judy loves Devin. • l

24. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYDRAMATIC Example: • In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, we know that Brutus is plotting to kill Julius Caesar, but Julius Caesar does not know this. He thinks that Brutus is a loyal man to him. • In Cinderella, the prince goes searching for the “princess” who lost her slipper at the ball. The prince does not know that she is a poor girl, almost a slave to her stepsisters and stepmother. It is ironic because we know the owner of the shoe is Cinderella, a poor girl, but he thinks it is a girl that comes from great wealth.

25. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYSITUATIONAL When what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected. Something about the situation is completely unexpected. Example General Sedgwick’s last words were, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” Bill Gates uses an Apple computer.

26. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYSITUATIONAL An aviator was sent on a mission to a distant part of a globe. When he returned to his base, he noticed it was strangely quiet. Everything was in perfect order, but there wasn’t a sign of life in that place. He wandered through the town in growing astonishment. Human beings and animals simply had vanished from the scene. He tore back to the airport, filled his plane with high octane gas, and flew terrified, to New York, London, Moscow, Shanghai. While he had been on his mission, every living creature had apparently disappeared. He was the only man alive in the world! He weighed the situation carefully and found it intolerable. Suicide seemed the only solution. He swallowed a vial of deadly poison and calmly waited for it to take effect. Just as the drug reached his brain, and the room started swimming before his eyes, he heard a familiar sound. It was the telephone ringing.

27. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYREVIEW Something that is ironic is unexpected. If unexpected by a character, it’s dramatic. If unexpected by everyone, it’s situational. If it’s sarcasm, it’s verbal.

28. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #1 • Amy was so excited about the Christmas dance that she couldn't concentrate on anything else. The whole week leading up to it, she drew doodles of herself wearing her dress and a sparkling tiara instead of taking notes. The night before the dance, she noticed that she was getting a small pimple on her nose. It was just a tiny little mark, but she imagined herself with a great big pimple, looking like Rudolph the Reindeer in all of the photos, and grew gravely concerned. She ran out to the store and bought a tube of every kind of pimple fighting cream available and then applied large globs of each of them to her nose. She went to bed satisfied that she had done all that she could to fight the blemish. When she woke up, she ran to mirror hoping that the pimple had vanished. As she gazed upon herself in the mirror, she screamed, not because the pimple had vanished, but because a bright red rash covered her entire nose.

29. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #1 • Which type of irony was used? • Situational Irony • Explain your answer. • One would expect that the acne cream would improve the appearance of Amy’s nose when it has the complete opposite effect.

30. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #2 • Max hated Brussels sprouts, but his Dad always made him eat them. One night an idea came to Max that would allow him to escape this cruel fate: he would feed the Brussels sprouts to his dog. This seemed to go well enough at first, as the dog hungrily consumed the sprouts. His dad even congratulated him on eating them all. “Normally it’s a pain to get you to eat those, Max,” He said. “I’m glad that you stepped it up.” Max basked in his father’s approval and felt quite clever. Then his dog let out a yelp. Max grew concerned. The dog was walking in a circle and hacking. His Dad asked, “What’s wrong, Boy?” Max attempted to distract his father as he tended to the dog, “He probably just needs some space, Dad.” Max’s father looked at him curiously, right as the dog vomited a stream of Brussels sprouts.

31. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #2 • Which type of irony is used? • Dramatic Irony • Explain your answer. • Max’s father believes that Max has done well by eating all of his Brussels sprouts, but the opposite is true. The audience knows that Max gave the Brussels sprouts to the dog but Max’s father does not.

32. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #3 • It was the ninth inning and Bryant’s team was down by two. There was a man on first and second and Bryant was up to bat. If he could get a good hit, he could tie the game and maybe even win it. He stared the pitcher in the eye with a cold steel gaze as the ball floated from his hand. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Bryant twirled awkwardly, swinging the bat and somehow hitting the ball with the bottom of the handle. From the sheer force of the blow, the ball bounced a few feet from Bryant and landed directly in the third baseman’s mitt, causing a force out. The third baseman tossed it to second, who rounded it out to first, and Bryant was responsible for a triple play. As the players lined up to exchange handshakes at the end of the game, the pitcher stared coolly at Bryant. They shook hands, and the pitcher said, “Nice hit, Champ. Way to get a hold of it.” Bryant had never felt more embarrassed.

33. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #3 • Which type of irony is used? • Verbal • Explain your answer. • The pitcher congratulates Bryant on his hit when in fact Bryant hit the ball rather disgracefully.

34. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #3

35. OTHER SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: IRONYEXAMPLE #3