SHORT STORIES

What is a Short Story ?What is a Short Story ?• A fictional prose narrative that is A fictional prose narrative that is

from about five to twenty book from about five to twenty book pages long.pages long.

• Short stories are more limited Short stories are more limited than novels.than novels.

• They usually have one or two They usually have one or two major characters and one major characters and one setting.setting.

Short Story ElementsShort Story Elements•SettingSetting•CharactersCharacters•PlotPlot•MoodMood•Point of ViewPoint of View• ThemeTheme

• The time and place of a story, a The time and place of a story, a poem, or a playpoem, or a play

• Helps the reader paint a vivid Helps the reader paint a vivid picture in their mindspicture in their minds

• Brings the conflict and the mood Brings the conflict and the mood into sharp focusinto sharp focus

• Often limited to one or two Often limited to one or two scenes in a short storyscenes in a short story

SettingSetting

CharactersCharacters• A person or an animal in a story, play, A person or an animal in a story, play,

or other literary workor other literary work• Short stories only have a few Short stories only have a few

characters (usually 1 – 4)characters (usually 1 – 4)• Short stories usually only have one Short stories usually only have one

main charactermain character• ProtagonistProtagonist – main character (good – main character (good

guy)guy)• Antagonist Antagonist – opposing character or – opposing character or

force force (bad guy) (bad guy)

CharacterizationCharacterization• Direct characterizationDirect characterization – Writer – Writer

tells you what the characters are tells you what the characters are like through descriptionlike through description

• Indirect characterizationIndirect characterization – Writer – Writer shows you what the characters shows you what the characters are like through their thoughts, are like through their thoughts, their speech, their actions, and their speech, their actions, and the reactions of other characters the reactions of other characters to themto them

PlotPlot• The series of related events that The series of related events that

make up the storymake up the story• Usually uncomplicated and simple in Usually uncomplicated and simple in

a short storya short story• Plot line has five parts:Plot line has five parts:

- Exposition- Exposition- Rising Action- Rising Action- Climax- Climax- Falling Action- Falling Action- Resolution- Resolution Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

ExpositionExposition• Introduction of characters and Introduction of characters and

setting of storysetting of story• Hooks the readerHooks the reader

Rising ActionRising Action• Introduces problem or conflict of Introduces problem or conflict of

the storythe story• Tells us what the protagonist Tells us what the protagonist

(main character) is facing(main character) is facing

Types of conflictTypes of conflict• Man vs. ManMan vs. Man – involves the main – involves the main

character and another character in the character and another character in the storystory

• Man vs. societyMan vs. society – main character faces – main character faces problem involving something in the problem involving something in the society (i.e. racism)society (i.e. racism)

• Man vs. HimselfMan vs. Himself – main character has – main character has an internal struggle inside him/herselfan internal struggle inside him/herself

• Man vs. NatureMan vs. Nature – main character – main character struggles with some natural force (i.e. struggles with some natural force (i.e. tornado, harsh climate, etc.)tornado, harsh climate, etc.)

ClimaxClimax• The point in the story where The point in the story where

tension is the greatesttension is the greatest• Highest point of interestHighest point of interest

Falling ActionFalling Action• Events that lead to the end Events that lead to the end

“resolution” of the story“resolution” of the story

ResolutionResolution• All the problems are resolved, or All the problems are resolved, or

worked out – happily or worked out – happily or unhappily.unhappily.

MoodMood• Feeling or emotion you get from a Feeling or emotion you get from a

storystory- scary, strange, suspenseful, - scary, strange, suspenseful, hopeful, easy, comfortable, hopeful, easy, comfortable, desperate, relaxing, etc. desperate, relaxing, etc.

• Usually developed by description Usually developed by description and/or dialogueand/or dialogue

Point of ViewPoint of View• The angle from which the events The angle from which the events

are toldare told• The point of view from which a The point of view from which a

writer chooses to have a story writer chooses to have a story told affects your impression of told affects your impression of the characters and eventsthe characters and events

Point of ViewPoint of View• First-person point of viewFirst-person point of view – the – the

narrator is the “I” telling the narrator is the “I” telling the storystory

- I, me, my- I, me, my

• Third-person point of viewThird-person point of view – – story told by an outside observerstory told by an outside observer

- she, he, they, them- she, he, they, them

ThemeTheme• An idea about life revealed in a An idea about life revealed in a

work of literaturework of literature• Has to be expressed in a full Has to be expressed in a full

sentencesentence• Usually not stated in the work Usually not stated in the work • The reader has to infer what it isThe reader has to infer what it is