There are several elements that make up

a story. These include:

› Characters

› Setting

› Plot

› Conflict

› Theme

A character is a person, or sometimes

even an animal, who takes part in the

action of a short story or other literary

work.

Major characters take part in most of the action and we see or hear

them often

Minor characters appear less

frequently and play smaller

roles

Flat Characters – Characters who we do not know much about

Round Characters – Characters who we know everything about

Dynamic Characters – Developing through the story

Static Characters – Stays the same throughout the story

Foils – Characters that contrast each other

Protagonist – the

main character or hero of a story who

struggles with a

major conflict

Antagonist – the

character who

struggles against

the protagonist; the

villain

The setting of a short story is the time and

place in which it happens. Authors often

use descriptions of landscape, scenery,

buildings, seasons or weather to provide

a strong sense of setting.

The setting of a

story can be as

vague as

“London” or as

specific as “A

Beach”

A plot is a series of events and character

actions that relate to the central conflict.

The conflict is a struggle between two

people or things in a short story. The main

character is usually on one side of the

central conflict.

On the other side, the main character

may struggle against another important

character, against the forces of nature,

against society, or even against

something inside himself or herself

(feelings, emotions, illness).

Click the books below to learn more about

internal & external conflicts!

A theme is the message, lesson, or moral

that an author is communicating through

a story.

Themes present a deeper

meaning to a reader, and

require you to think about

what you have learned

while reading.

Theme is what makes literature memorable. It may be difficult to remember the characters in a story, but we will always remember what we have learned by reading it.

The theme is presented as a sentence. It may be stated directly, or it may be implied.

Readers build connections with stories through universal themes.

These fables are known for their morals,

and usually state the theme in the final

line of the story.

Not all morals are stated in the story.

Some morals are learned while reading.

One hot summer’s day a Fox was

strolling through an orchard till he

came to a bunch of Grapes just

ripening on a vine which had been

trained over a lofty branch. “Just the

thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he.

Drawing back a few paces, he took a

run and a jump, and just missed the

bunch. Turning round again with a One,

Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no

greater success. Again and again he

tried after the tempting morsel, but at

last had to give it up, and walked away

with his nose in the air, saying: “I am

sure they are sour.”

It is easy to despise what you cannot

get.

“The Fox and the Grapes” had a THEME that stated: “it is easy to despise what you cannot get”

The Fox was a CHARACTER in the story.

The SETTING was an orchard during the summer time.

The PLOT consisted of a Fox walking through an orchard, seeing grapes that would quench his thirst, jumping to try to get them, failing, and walking away from them.

The CONFLICT was the Fox vs. nature. He was unable to reach the grapes that he wanted.

Now you’re a professional at knowing what

elements are in a story. All you need to

know are the who, what, where, when,

how & why’s of a story. Just remember

that characters are the people/animals,

setting answers where & when, theme is

the moral, plot is what is happening, and

the conflict is the problem!