1. SHORT
STORY
A short story is a work of

2. Elements of the Short
Story

3. Plot
 The chain of related events that take place in
a story.
 Plot at a Glance climax
falling action
rising action
resolution
exposition

4.  Exposition-
 gives the background of the story
 Rising Action-
 introduces complications; builds
suspense
 Climax-
 the turning point of the story
 suspense reaches its peak
 Falling Action and Resolution
 resolves the conflict

5. Types of Characters
• Main or Secondary
• Protagonist or Antagonist
• Round or Flat
• Dynamic or Static

6. Setting= time and place
 -puts the reader in the story by giving the
reader the feeling of being in the situation.

7. Mood and Atmosphere
 positive or negative feelings

8. Point of View or . . .
 (Who’s telling this story anyway?)
 -the point from which the story is told.
 -determines how much we, the readers, know
about the characters.

9.  1st Person
• Narrator is a character in the story.
• Narrator uses first-person pronouns, I m e , ,
m y , we , us , o ur to refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of
one character and speaks directly to reader.

10.  3rd Person Limited
• Narrator does not participate in action of story.
• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of
one character, but readers are able to
maintain some emotional distance from the
character.

11.  3rd Person Omniscient
• Narrator does not participate in action of story.
• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.
• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all
characters; readers get insight into several
characters.

12. Symbolism
 A symbol is a person, a place, an activity, or
an object that stands for something beyond
itself.

13. Theme
 In literature, theme is a perception about life or
human nature that the writer wants to share
with the reader.

14. Style
 Look at the writer’s sentence structure and
vocabulary. Does he or she use long
sentences or short, concise sentences? What
about figurative language?