ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT STORY

PROFESSOR J. ROMÁN

ENABLING OBJECTIVES

• After the discussion of the elements of the short story, the students will:

• Identify the story elements correctly.

• Differentiate the different points of view accurately.

• Distinguish the main character from the supporting character.

• Classify a character as round/flat and dynamic/static.

• Identify the parts of the plot.

• Identify the theme in a short story.

• Classify the conflict in internal or external conflict.

WHAT IS THE SHORT STORY?

• a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel. (Google.com)

• a fictional narrative shorter than a novel (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

• a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words. (Dictionary.com)

• a piece of fiction that has a limited number of words, only a few characters and one theme. (Yourdictionary.com)

ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT STORY

• Setting

• Point of view

• Characters

• Plot

• Theme

• Conflict

SETTING

• The setting of a story, poem, or play is its overall context- where, when, and in what circumstances the action occurs (Schakel & Ridl, 2005)

Discussion question:

Think about the movie “Up”, Where the story takes place?

POINT OF VIEW

• It is the approach used in presenting the events in a story.

• First person point of view

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

Discussion question:

Think about a story you have read. Who is telling the story?

POINT OF VIEW

• First Person Point of View

• The narrator is a character in the story and tells the story in his or her own words.

Discussion question:

Mention a story being told in the first person point of view.

POINT OF VIEW• Third Person Limited

• The narrator relates the thoughts, actions, and feelings of only one character.

Discussion question:

Mention a story told in the third person point of view limited

POINT OF VIEW

• Third Person Omniscient

• The narrator sees into the minds of multiple characters.

CHARACTERS• The characters are the persons or animals (personification) whom the story or

drama go around.

Discussion question:

Think about a movie or story you have read, can you mention its characters?

MAIN CHARACTERS

• The main characters are the most important characters in the story. They are better known as the major characters

• The supporting characters are the minor characters in a story. They help develop the story, but they are not the main focus in the story.

Main characters from movie

“Up” Carl (at the right) and

Russell (at the left).

Dug, supporting character

from the movie “Up”

PROTAGONIST VS. THE ANTAGONIST

• The protagonist is the hero of the story, the primary character.

• The antagonist is the character that opposes the protagonist, the rival.

Antagonist from movie “Up”, Charles F.

Munts.

DESCRIBING CHARACTERS

• There are two types of characters: round and flat.

• Round characters are those who evolve during the story. They are complex and well describe in the story.

• They can be dynamic since some characters show changing and growing due to their experiences during the story.

• Round characters can also be static, which means that they do not show much changing during the story.

• Flat characters are the opposite from round characters. They are not completely develop in the story. They are often static since they do not show much changing during the story.

• Usually the protagonists and the antagonists are round characters since the author works the story around them.

PLOT

• In a literary sense, is the way the events are selected and arranged in narrative work to present them most effectively (Schakel & Ridl, 2005).

• It is the sequence of events in stories (Wilhem, 2009)

• It consists in five elements:

• Exposition

• Rising Action

• Climax

• Falling action

• Resolution

THEME

• The theme of a book is a universal idea or message that stretches through an entire story (Fleming, n.d.)

• Examples:

• Beauty of simplicity

• Capitalism – effect on the individual

• Change of power - necessity

• Change versus tradition

• Chaos and order

CONFLICT

• The conflict is the central struggle between opposing forces in a story.

• The types of conflicts are:

• Internal conflicts

• External conflict

• Types of external conflict

• Another character

• Society

• Nature

CONCLUSION

• All in all, the elements of the short story helps us understand what is happening in the story and to identify the author’s purpose.

REFERENCES

• ((n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2014, from http://dictionary.reference.com/

• (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/short story?s=t

• Characters in a Story. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2014, from http://bogglesworldesl.com/character.htm

• Fleming, G. (n.d.). 101 Common Book Themes. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://homeworktips.about.com/od/writingabookreport/a/themelist.htm

• Google. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2014, from https://www.google.com.pr/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=short story definition&oq=short story de&gs_l=hp.3.0.0j0i20j0l8.1015.4657.0.7473.15.14.0.1.1.0.502.1884.0j8j1j5-1.10.0....0...1c.1.53.hp..5.10.1825.0.9oFbFpepcFU

REFERENCES, CONTINUATION.

• Hull, J. (n.d.). Narrative First. Retrieved August 31, 2014, from http://narrativefirst.com/articles/redefining-protagonist-and-main-character

• Schakel, P., & Ridl, J. (2005). Approaching Fiction. In Approaching literature in the 21st century: Fiction, poetry, drama. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

• Short story dictionary definition | short story defined. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/short-story

• Short story. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short story

• Wilhelm, J., Fisher, D., Hichman, K., O'Brien, D., Raphael, T., & Shanahan, C. (2009). How do You Stay True to Yourself? In Glencoe literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill.