Literary Criticism Literary Criticism study, evaluation, and
interpretation of literature
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Setting
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Time Place Surrounding ideas, customs, values, and beliefs
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Characters
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Protagonist main character Antagonist in conflict with the main
character Not all stories have an antagonist
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Point of View
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Narrator person telling the story 1 st person narrator is a
character in the story, uses I and me 2 nd person narrator uses you
and we in reference to self or reader 3 rd person narrator is
outside the story 3 rd person omniscient narrator knows everything
that goes on 3 rd person limited narrator describes events as one
of the characters sees them
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Theme
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Message of a story readers can apply to life Stated themes
directly presented in a story Implied themes can be implied by the
story but are not explicitly stated
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Plot
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Sequence of events in a story, a series of related events Most
plots deal with a conflict or problem between opposing forces
External conflict between a character and outside forces (another
character, nature, society, or fate) Internal conflict within a
character who struggles with opposing feelings and indecision on
how to act
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Parts of Plot Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action
Resolution
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Exposition Introduces the storys characters, setting, and
conflict
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Rising Action Develops the conflict with complications and
twists
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Climax Emotional high point of the story
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Falling Action Shows what happens to the characters after the
climax
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Resolution Shows how the conflict is resolved or how the
problem is solved
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Book or Movie Setting Characters Point of view Theme Plot
Exposition Rising action Climax Falling action Resolution
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Homework: 10-sentence story Write a 10-sentence story that
includes all the elements of a short story. Be sure to consciously
include your setting, characters, point of view, theme, and plot
(exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution)