Elements of

a StoryLanguage Arts 7

Setting

Elements of a Story

The setting of a story is the place, time and circumstance:

Place – the geographic location of where the story is happening

Time – when the story is happening, such as historical period, time, day, year etc.

Circumstance – What is happening to cause conflict or to set up the atmosphere of the scene, such as weather, social conditions, war, etc.

Elements of a Story

How would you describe the setting of this picture?

How would you describe the atmosphere?

Atmosphere: The feeling created by the setting.

Characters

Elements of a Story

The people in the story are called characters. There are different types of characters:

Major characters – the main characters who are central to the main plot of the story

Minor characters – the other characters in the story who either help the action, cause trouble or move the plot along. They are like the “extras” in a movie, or the supporting characters

Characters

Elements of a Story

Protagonist – the hero of the story, this is also the major character

Antagonist – the villain of the story, or the character who is causing trouble for the protagonist Who are the

protagonists in “Monster House”?

Who is/are the antagonist(s)?

Characters

Elements of a Story

How do you get to know a character? The author may describe the character in several ways:

Physical appearance – what he or she looks likeWhat he or she thinks, feels or dreamsWhat other characters say about him or herHow other characters react to him or herWhat he or she does or does not do

Conflict

Elements of a Story

This is essential to the plot. It does not always mean that an argument or physical fight is taking place, but it is the opposition or the struggle that the main character faces. Sometimes there is only one conflict in a short story, or there may be one major conflict with a few minor ones leading up to it.

Conflict

Elements of a Story

Internal Conflict: This happens within the main character. It can also be described as:

Character vs. Self

Conflict

Elements of a Story

Interpersonal Conflict: This happens between two or more characters. It can also be described as:

Character vs. Character

Conflict

Elements of a Story

External Conflict: This happens between the main character(s) and an outside force, such as nature or society. It can also be described as:

Character vs. NatureCharacter vs. Society

Dialogue

Elements of a Story

Dialogue is a conversation between characters. Not all stories have dialogue, but it is an important element in most of them because it can give us clues to what characters are like and what the conflicts are.

As Bill walked down the street he shouted, “Hey Sally.”

Sally looked around for who had called her name and replied, “Hey to you too Bill.”

Point of View

Elements of a Story

How is the story being told? Consider who the narrator of the story is, or through whose “eyes” we see the story.

First person – usually through the eyes of the main character or someone close to the main

character as the narrator. This perspective uses the personal pronouns “I”, “me”, “we”.

Second person – the narrator refers to one of the characters as “you”. So you actually become a character in the story as the narrator.

Third person – all characters are referred to as “he”, “she”, “it” or “they”. The narrator is unnamed.

Point of View

Elements of a Story

“I don’t show favoritism, me. I’m just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is – play to your strengths.”“I haven’t got any,” said Harry, before he could stop himself.“Excuse me,” growled Moody, “you’ve got strengths if I say you’ve got them. Think now. What are you best at?”…“My second piece of general advice,” said Moodly loudly, interrupting him, “is to use a nice, simple spell that will enable you to get what you need.”

What point of view is the following passage? How do you know?

Point of View

Elements of a Story

Suddenly, you hear the noises of hundreds of animals all around you. You look around and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings, but for some reason you cannot remember where you were before. You realize that you are standing in the middle of a very large forest. You can see nothing but trees in all directions.

It is a bright sunny day, but the sunlight is mostly blocked by the thick canopy of towering trees of all species. Little rays of sunlight filter down in odd places, giving the place a surrealistic mood.

Feeling a little scared now, but knowing that you can accomplish nothing by staying in one place, you decide to explore this strange place. You start walking along a natural path that you find, and after a few minutes you come to a small clearing where you can view the perfectly blue sky unobstructed. There seem to be several ways you could go from here.-The Nameless Forest (http://www.namelessforest.com/)

What point of view is the following passage? How do you know?

Point of View

Elements of a Story

What point of view is the following passage? How do you know?

There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.

I sit on the stool and my mother stands behind me with the scissors, trimming. The strands fall on the floor in a dull, blond ring.

When she finishes, she pulls my hair away from my face and twists it into a knot. I note how calm she looks and how focused she is. She is well practiced in the art of losing herself. I can’t say the same of myself.

Perspective

Elements of a Story

Who is telling the story can influence how the story is understood and related to. The perspective of a story is usually through the eyes of the main character. The character’s personality, age and experience will influence their perspective of a situation.

Theme

Elements of a Story

The overall message of the story, or the lesson you learn from reading it. This is similar to a moral of a story.

Some common themes might be: love is blind, believe in yourself, people are afraid to change, don’t judge a book by its cover

Elements of a Story

PlotThe sequence of events that make up a story.

A. IntroductionB. Rising ActionC. ClimaxD. Falling ActionE. Conclusion/Resolution

Elements of a Story

PlotA. Introduction – this occurs at the beginning and it is where we learn about the setting and are introduced to the main conflict

B. Rising action – the conflicts develop or the events that build up to the major conflict. Suspense builds throughout the rising action.

C. Climax – the turning point in the story where the main character comes face to face with the main conflict. The major character will change in some way.

Elements of a Story

PlotFalling action – all loose ends of the plot are tied up. The conflict and the climax are taken care of.

Resolution – the story comes to an end.

A plot diagram is the illustration above. Why do you think plot is often shown as a triangle or mountain shape?

Plot ElementsSuspense: Usually found in the rising action, this is the feeling of anticipation that makes a reader want to find out what happens next.

Cliff Hanger: This is a form of suspense, usually found in novels at the end of each chapter, or in serials where the author has left us “hanging”.

Flashback: when an author interrupts the main plot of the story to explain something that happened in the past. Foreshadow: the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story. It is often used to build suspense or tension in the story.

Elements of a Story

Plot ElementsIrony: the opposite of what is expected. There are three ways it is used in literature:

A difference between words and their meaning (sarcasm)

A difference between what a reader expects to happen and what does happen

A difference between appearance and reality

Plot twist: A part of irony, some stories have a twist where what you thought you knew is reversed at the end. For example the person who thinks their house is haunted realizes that the “ghosts” are the new owners and that they themselves are the ghost.

Elements of a Story