ELA - short stories test

Study guide for = Vocab terms, Cask of Amontillado, Monkeys Paw and Red Headed League.

short story

- brief, imaginative story
- few characters, simple plot
- CAN be read in one sitting

4 elements of a short story

plot, setting, character, theme

plot

has 6 main ingredients
- introduction, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution

foreshadowing

technique for hinting at future events

flash back

the insertion of a earlier event into the time order of a narrative

conflict

- what prevents the main character from getting what they want
- most important feature of the story
- internal vs external

internal

1. person vs. self (spider man)

external

1. person vs. person (harry potter)
2. person vs. society (enola holmes)
3. person vs. environment (hatchet)
4. person vs. fate/destiny (Lord of the Rings)
5. person vs. technology (wall-i)
6. person vs. supernatural (ghostbusters)

suspence

feeling of excitement or curiosity

climax

- highest point of interest
- character solves their struggles

setting

- time = day, season, present, past, future
- location = country, planet, town, buildings and description of surroundings

mood

- not mood of the characters
- authors emotional attitude toward subject matter

atmostphere

feeling that the setting evokes

characters

- usually less than 6 in short stories
- any personalities that are involved in the plot of the story

protagonist

- usually "good guy"
- usually main character, who we follow
- wants to solve conflict

antagonist

- usually "bad guy"
- usually creates conflict for the main character

secondary characters

- other characters who are necessary to moving the plot along
- may not be involved in central conflict
- side kicks

character traits

- physical and personality characteristics revealed through:
1) what character does
2) what character says
3) what others say/do about the character
4) what the author directly states
5) what the author infers

theme

central idea about the life the story highlights, main idea, universal truths,

direct characterization

Direct characterization tells the reader
- writer makes direct statements about the character's personality
- tells the reader or viewer what the character is like

indirect characterization

indirect characterization shows the reader
- writer reveals information about a character's personality through his/her words, actions, and thoughts
- other characters' responses to that character (what they think/say about him/her)

Mary Shelly

(EC maybe)
1) wrote Frankenstein
2) Her mom died while giving birth to her

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

(EC maybe)
1) wrote the Read-headed league
2) received death threats for killing off Sherlock Holmes

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(EC maybe)
1) wrote "100 years of solitude"
2) wrote magical realism

Sandra Cisheros

(EC maybe)
1) used writing to handle her depression
2) wrote "the house on mango street"

Edgar Allen Poe

(EC maybe)
1) started writing at 13
2) married his 13 year old cousin

Authors purpose

universal meaning