On National Teacher Day, meet the 2024-25 Kenan Fellows
Elements of a short story
1.
2. OBJECTIVES:
Identify the elements of a short
story
Define each element of a short
story
Use knowledge of short story
elements in completing story
map/grammar
3. What is a SHORT STORY?
A fictional work depicting one
character’s inner conflict or
conflict with others, usually
having one thematic focus.
A short story tells only one
story and is shorter than a
novel.
5. Several aspects to consider:
A.) PLACE – geographical location
W
here is the action of the story taking place.
B.) TIME – W
hen is the story taking place?
(historical period, time of day, year etc)
C.)W
EATHER CONDITIONS – Is it rainy,
sunny, stormy?
D.)SOCIAL CONDITIONS – W is the daily
hat
life of the characters?
6. E.)MOOD or ATMOSPHERE- W
hat
feeling is created at the
beginning of a story?
Is it bright and cheerful? Is it
dark and frightening?
7. Persons, animals or things
involved in a short story
Characteristics of a person
8. KINDS OF
CHARACTERS:
1.MAJOR CHARACTERS – main
characters of a story
PROTAGONIST – central character
ANTAGONIST – opposer of the
protagonist
- “villain”
2. MINOR CHARACTERS – have little
roles in the story
10. Characters can be ….
INDIVIDUAL/
ROUND – many sided and
complex personalities
DEVELOPING/
DYNAMIC – many sided
personalities that change for better or for
worse by the end of the story
STATIC – have one or more characteristics
that never change
-stereotypes
-cruel stepmother,supportive bestfriend
11. The author may reveal
the characteristics of a
person in several ways:
His / physical
her
appearance
W
hat he/ says,
she
thinks, feels and
dreams
W
hat he/ does or
she
does not do
W
hat others say about
him or her and how
others react to him/
her
12. PLOT
How the author arranges events to
develop his basic idea
It is the sequence of events in a story
A planned, logical series of events
having a beginning, middle and end.
14. INTRODUCTION/
EXPOSITION –
beginning of a story where the characters
and the setting are revealed
RISING ACTION – This is where the
events become complicated and the
conflict is revealed
(events between the introduction and
climax)
CLIMAX – highest point of interest and
turning point of a story
15. FALLING ACTION – The events and
complications begin to resolve
themselves.
The reader knows what happened and if
the conflict was resolved or not
RESOLUTION/
DENOUEMENT – This is
the final outcome or untangling of
events
16. CONFLICT
It is the opposition of forces
which ties one incident to
another and makes the plot
move
Conflicts are not limited to
open arguments rather it is
any form of opposition to the
main character
17. TYPES OF
CONFLICT
EXTERNAL – A struggle
with a force outside one’s
self
INTERNAL – A struggle
with one’s self
A person must make some
decision, overcome pain,
control anger, resist an urge
18. FOUR KINDS OF CONFLICT:
MAN VS MAN – The
leading character struggles
with his physical strength
against men (physical)
MAN VS
CIRCUMSTANCES – the
leading character struggles
against fate or the
circumstances of life facing
her
19. MAN VS SOCIETY – the leading
character struggles against
ideas, practices or customs of
other people
(social)
MAN VS HIMSELF/
HERSELF –
the leading character struggles
with himself/
herself; with his or
her own soul,ideas of right or
wrong,physical
limitations,choices,etc
20. THEME
Is the story’s controlling
idea or its central insight
It is the author’s underlying
meaning or main idea that he
is trying to convey
The theme may be the
author’s thoughts about a
topic or view of human
21. COMMON THEMES
Believe in yourself.
Don’t judge a book by its
cover.
Honesty is the best policy.
Don’t do unto what others you
don’t want to do unto you.
23. TYPES OF POINT OF
VIEW
INNOCENT EYE – The story is
told through the eyes of a child
STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS –
the story is told so that the
readers feel as if they are inside
the head of one character and
knows all her thoughts and
actions
24. FIRST PERSON – the story is told by the
protagonist or one of the characters who
interacts closely with the protagonist
- Pronouns I, me,we are used
OMNISCIENT – the writer moves from
character to character,event to event
having a free access to the
thoughts,feelings and motivation of the
characters.
25. Now that you know
the elements of a
short story,it would
be easier for you to
complete a story
map.
W
ith all the elements
in your mind,you can
already retell a story
in your own words.