Elements of the Short Story

Theme is the central idea or belief in the short story.

Plot is defined as a series of related events.

The exposition occurs at the beginning of the story when the author introduces the
essential details of setting, characters, etc.
As part of the rising action, the author then introduces a problem.

The initial incident is the FIRST point of conflict in the story. It sets the story in motion
and drives the plot ahead.

Conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces, ideas or beliefs, which form the basis
of the plot. Traditionally, these forces have been referred to as the protagonist and the
antagonist.

The protagonist is the main character in the story. While he is usually someone the
reader empathizes with, he is not in all cases a likeable person.

The antagonist is a character or force that opposes the protagonist. The antagonist may
take one of 4 kinds of conflict:
1. another person (man vs. man)
2. a force of nature, fate or supernatural (man vs. environment)
3. the protagonist himself (man vs. himself)
4. existing state of affairs (man vs. status quo)

There are two types of conflict:

A dilemma refers to two choices a character faces, both of which are undesirable.

Conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces, The conflict reaches its peak in the
story's climax, the point in the story where the reader's interest is at its highest. The
conflict is resolved when one force succeeds in overcoming the opposing force (or gives
up trying).

As the action subsides (Falling Action – “wrapping up” of the story; not as long as the
rising action), the story eventually arrives at the denouement or resolution.
Traditionally, the problem(s) was resolved at the end of the story. However, the problems
in many modern stories remain unresolved. The denouement is the conclusion of the
story. It is often very short. The author explains how and why everything turned out as it
did.
Characters are the players in the story, usually human, although characters can be
animals, machines, or forces, such as evil. There may be main and supporting
characters. Characters fall into five general categories:
1. static - a character who does not change during the story.
2. dynamic - a character who undergoes a change during the story.
3. flat - a one-dimensional character
4. round - a character with many dimensions or sides to his personality.
5. stock – a character who occurs repeatedly in literature.

A plausible character is a character that is believable for the reader.

Motivations are the reason why a particular character behaves the way he or she does.

Setting is the time and place in which the events occur. However, in some stories, the
setting is also central to the conflict. Certain conflicts are created by particular settings or
environments.

Mood is the feeling you get from a story; the mood can be exciting or sad or funny.
Setting can help define the mood of a story.

Point of View is the author's method of telling the story. There are four primary points of
view:
1. first person
2. second person
3. third person omniscient
4. third person limited

In first person, a character within the story tells the story, or the narrator is someone who
experienced the events first hand and may be looking back on the experience. A key to
first person is the narrator's use of "I."
Example –“ I saw a tear roll down his cheek. I had never seen my father cry before. I
looked away while he brushed the offending tear with his hand.”

In second person the story is told directly to "you", with the reader as a participant in the
action.
Example –“ You laughed loudly at the antics of the clown. You clapped your hands with
joy.”

In third person omniscient point of view, the narrator has the ability to look into the
hearts and minds of all people at all times. Transitions are extremely important as you
move from one character to another.

In third person limited point of view, we see the events through the perspective of one
character. However, that character is not the narrator. This point of view is similar to
third person omniscient, but as the word "limited" implies, the narrator's scope is limited
to one character.

Theme is typically defined as the main idea in a work of fiction. However, theme may
also be stated as "the author's idea of what life is, should be, or could be." In short, the
theme is the statement or observation about life that the author is trying to make.

Irony is when we expect one thing but the opposite occurs. There are three essential
types of irony:
1. situational irony
2. verbal irony
3. dramatic irony

Situational irony depends a great deal on surprise. In fact, surprise is the element of
irony. Typically in cases of situational irony, the unexpected happens.

Verbal irony is similar to sarcasm but with some subtle differences. In essence, verbal
irony is when we say one thing but really mean another.

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows what is happening before the characters do.
For example, many horror movies utilize dramatic irony. We know that the actor or
actress should not open that door at the end of the hall, but they don't.

A flashback is a jump from the present to the past. It describes events that happened at
an earlier time.

When an author gives you a hint about what is going to happen later it is called
foreshadowing.

In symbolism, an author uses an object to stand for, or symbolize, an abstract idea or