Literary Elements

Plot arrangement of events in a story or a play.

The plot may be in chronological order or in flashback.

Plot TrianglePlot Triangle

Characters/setting introduced

Exposition

Com

plic

atio

n/

Ris

ing

Act

ion

Climax

Falling

Action

Resolution

Exposition The author introduces the

reader to the characters, setting, and conflict. Example: Once upon a time in a land far,

far away (setting) there lived a beautiful princess and her wicked step-mother (characters). The stepmother forced the princess to scrub the floors, do the cooking, wash the dishes, mend the clothes, and every other menial task at the castle. (conflict).

Rising Action/Complications The conflict of the story

grows, new complications arise making the problem bigger and/or more serious. Example: Harry Potter has

problems with the Dursleys, but things really become complicated when he learns that he is a wizard, goes to wizard school, encounters Snape and Malfoy, and confronts Voldemort!

Climax•The most exciting part of the story, the turning point

Falling Action All the action after the climax. Minor

problems get solved. Not every story has falling action.

Example: In Scooby Doo, after the villain is caught (climax), Velma always explains why and how he/she did the crime. That is the falling action.

Resolution Tying up of “loose ends” of the

plot; the conclusion

Every story needs characters - People

Animals

Or Creatures

in the story.

The protagonist is the “good guy”

The antagonist is the “bad guy” or force

The time and place of the story is the setting

Conflict – opposing forces in the story

Character vs. Character

Character vs. Nature

Character vs. Society

Character vs. self

The point of view is the perspective of the story 1st person – the story is told from one

of the character’s point of view. Uses pronouns like I, me, us, we… The reader only knows what the narrator’s

thoughts and feelings are.

3rd person – there is either a narrator or the author is narrating the story Uses pronouns like he, she, they… Can focus on one character thoughts and

feelings, or can reveal the thoughts and feeling of all characters

Narrator

“That rotten wolf tried to eat us!!!!”

“I was framed! I just wanted to borrow a cup of

sugar!”

•the person or character telling the story

•3rd person narrator is usually the author

Theme The overall lesson or moral of the

storyEX:“Three Little Pigs,” theme: Put forth your

best effort“Beauty and the Beast,” theme: Don’t

judge a person by their appearances There can be multiple themes in

one story, and it is open to interpretation by the reader.