(English 9) Elements of the Short Story

Conflict: a clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills.

-The conflict may be physical, mental, emotional, or moral.

-The main character may be pitted against some other person or group of persons (= man-vs.-man). -He may be in conflict with some external force, such as nature, society, or fate (= man-vs.-environment). -He may be in conflict with some element of his own nature (= man-vs.-himself).

Theme: the central idea around which the story is built.

-The theme contains a view of life or a truth about human experience.

-It is a lesson or message that the author is trying to teach us.

Setting: refers to the place and time of a story, and also such factors as the weather and social customs. -In some short stories, the setting is vague and not really a factor.

-In others, the setting adds credibility to the action.

Related to the setting is the atmosphere of a story. The atmosphere refers to the mood or feeling which pervades a story.

Symbol: a literary symbol is something which means more than what it is.

-It is an object, person, situation, action, or some other item which has a literal meaning in the story but suggests or represents other meanings as well.

Plot:

Introduction: In the introduction, the reader meets the main characters and the setting is established. It is usually brief in a short story.

Cause of Action: This is the event which sets the story in motion. It occurs near the beginning of a short story.

Rising Action: This is the course of the story from the cause of action to the climax. It may contain several events or be concentrated in a single scene.

Climax This is the peak of excitement or the turning point of the story. At the climax, there is still some uncertainty about which way the events might turn.

Denouement: This is the outcome of the story and how the story wraps up (the conclusion). It shows the result of the climactic action. It occurs soon after the climax and is short.