short story

A short story is a fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel

Elements of the Short Story

Setting • It consists of the time, place, and social context of a story. The place or location of the action, the setting provides the historical and cultural context for characters. It often can symbolize the emotional state of characters.

Theme • It is the central or dominant idea of the story reinforced by the interaction of fictional devices such as character, plot, setting, and point of view. It is also the overall generalization the reader can make about the story's meaning and significance.

Plot • The series of interrelated incidents arranged by the author to make up what is called the complication or problem

Denouement-Is a French word meaning "unknotting" or "untying". It reveals the final resolution

 Character - is any person who acts and manifests the moral, emotional, and intellectual qualities endowed to them by the author. The character can be understood by what he does, says, thinks, and decides to do."

Two ways of presenting the characters

• Direct presentation - wherein the author describes what the character looks like

• Indirect presentation - where in character is shown by his action and how he thinks, moves, and talks

Point of view is the angle of vision from which the reader follows the development of the story.

Kinds of point of view

• Omniscient - "all knowing" - many or all of the characters' thoughts, feelings, and actions are revealed

• Objective (dramatic) - recording of actions, speech, and gestures leaving us to infer the thoughts and feelings behind them

• Editorial - freely exposes the characters' inner lives and comments on the story as it progresses

• Limited Omniscient - wherein one character can be identified as a storyteller; wherein the story is followed through the consciousness of a particular character

• First Person Point of View - uses "I"; the narrator or storyteller is a character in the story

F. Conflict

• External - the main characters pitted against a human adversary or against society. The main character struggles with another person, other people, or nature.

• Internal - opposing forces are factors contesting within focal character's being

G. Style and tone

• Style refers to the way writers express themselves. It depends on diction, syntax, voice, and rhythm. It reveals the writer's linguistic choices or preferences and therefore is a private and unique as their personalities and identities.

• Symbolism - the use of concrete things to represent abstract ideas

• A symbol is a sign which has further layers of meaning. In other words, a symbol means more than it literally says. ( Signs are literal; symbols are not).

• Irony - a contrast in which one term of contrast is in some ways mocking the other term; A contrast or discrepancy between one thing .

• Verbal Irony - we understand the opposite of what the speaker says.

• Irony of Circumstance or Situational Irony - when one event is expected to occur but the opposite happens. A discrepancy between what seems to be and what is.

• Dramatic Irony - Discrepancy between what characters know and what readers know.

• Ironic Vision - An overall tone of irony that pervades a work, suggesting how the writer views the characters.

• Imagery - A concrete representation of a sense impression, a feeling, or an idea which appeals to one or more of our senses.

• Tactile imagery - sense of touch

• Aural imagery - sense of hearing

• Olfactory imagery - sense of smell

• Visual imagery - sense of sight

• Gustatory imagery - sense of taste

Creating Flashcards

• Purpose: Flashcards are used as a study tool to help reinforce memory and understanding of concepts.

• Structure: Each flashcard typically contains a term or question on one side and the definition or answer on the other side.

• Design Tips:

  • Keep content clear and concise.

  • Use images or diagrams for visual learners.

  • Incorporate varied question types (e.g., multiple choice, true/false) for better engagement.

• Strategies for Use:

  • Review regularly to reinforce memory.

  • Use spaced repetition for optimal retention.

  • Quiz yourself or have others quiz you to enhance recall.