Elements of Plot
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Transcript of Elements of Plot
Elements of PlotMrs. Snyder
August 27, 2014
What is Plot?
Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows an arrangement of events and actions within a story.
Types of linear plots (line plots):◦Chronological order (first, next, then, last)◦Flashback◦In media res (in the middle of things)
Plot Diagram
Elements of Plot
1. Exposition (introduction): the start of the story; the situation before the action starts.
2. Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax.
3. Climax: the turning point; major conflicts erupt in some kind of final showdown (fight, argument, violent or physical action, very tense emotional moment, etc.); at the end of the climax, the “winner” will be clear (but there is not always a winner).
Elements of Plot Continued
4. Falling Action: all the action that follows the climax; a kind of “cleaning up”.
5. Resolution: the conclusion; tying together of all the threads; the “happily ever after” in fairy tales.
Setting
The time and place that a story happens is called setting.
◦Example: The setting of Family Guy is modern day in Quahog, Rhode Island.
Mood
Mood is the feeling you get from reading a piece of literature.
◦Example: the mood of many stories about the witches in Salem is dark and eerie. Why?
Character
A Protagonist is the leading character, hero, or one of the major characters in a fictional text, who is involved in a competition, conflict, or cause.
◦Example: Homer Simpson, Batman, Peter Griffin
Character
An Antagonist is a character who acts against or opposes the Protagonist, and often causes conflict.
◦Example: Ned Flanders, Bane, Stewie Griffin
Conflict
Conflict is a dramatic struggle between two forces in the story. Without conflict, there is no plot. The conflict usually arises in the rising action.
Types of Conflict
1. External Conflict: a conflict or struggle that happens outside of the character.
a. man vs. man
b. man vs. nature
c. man vs. society
Types of Conflict
2. Internal conflict: a conflict or struggle that happens within the character’s mind or heart.
a. man vs. self