Sagot :
ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY
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1. Setting
- The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting.
- For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.
- There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):
a) place
- geographical location
- Where is the action of the story taking place?
b) time
- When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)
c) weather conditions
- Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d) social conditions
- What is the daily life of the characters like?
- Does the story contain local color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
e) mood or atmosphere
- What feeling is created at the beginning of the story?
- Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
2. Character
- There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction
- Antagonist and Protagonist
- Short stories use few characters.
- One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character- he/she is the PROTAGONIST.
- The opposer of the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
- Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated, and life-like (resemble real people)
3. Plot
- The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; It is the sequence of events in a story or play.
- The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end.
- There are five essential parts of plot:
a) Introduction
- The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
b) Rising Action
- This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c) Climax
- This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story.
- The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?
d) Falling action
- The events and complications begin to resolve themselves.
- The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
e) Denouement
- This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
4. Conflict
• Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot
• There are four kinds of conflict:
a) Man vs. Man/ Character vs. Character (physical)
- The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
b) Man vs. Circumstances/ Character vs. Nature (classical)
- The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
c) Man vs. Society/ Character vs. Society (social)
- The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
d) Man vs. Himself / Herself / Character vs. Self (psychological)
- The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
5. Theme
- The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight.
- The theme of a story is what the author is trying to convey — in other words, the central idea of the story.
- Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:
- things are not always as they appear to be
- Love is blind
- Believe in yourself
- People are afraid of change