Elements of a Short Story PDF

# Elements of a Short Story ## Protagonist The main/leading character of the story who make key decisions that affect the plot of the story. ## Conflicts * **External conflict**- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle. * **Internal conflict**- takes place in a c...

# Elements of a Short Story ## Protagonist The main/leading character of the story who make key decisions that affect the plot of the story. ## Conflicts * **External conflict**- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle. * **Internal conflict**- takes place in a character's mind. ## Types of Conflict ### External Conflict: * Man vs Man * Man vs Nature * Man vs Society * Man vs Fate ### Internal Conflict: * Man vs Himself ## Types of Characters * **Antagonist:** The character who opposes or conflicts with the main character. * **Protagonist:** The main/leading character of the story who makes key decisions that affect the plot of the story. ## Elements of a Short Story * **Setting:** Setting is the "where and when" of a story. It is the time and place during which the story takes place. * **Characters:** Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. * **Direct Characterization:** The author explicitly tells the readers what they want us to know about the character by clearly stating details about him/her. * **Dynamic or Round Character:** They are the characters in the story who change, accept changes, act, and view the changes as part of their role as human beings. * **Plot:** Plot is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. * **Conflict:** Conflict is a struggle or problem faced by the characters in the story. It can either be External or Internal. * **Theme:** It is the central, general message, the main idea, the controlling topic about life or people the author wants to get across through a literary work. ## Theme The theme is also the practical lesson (moral) that we learn from a story after we read it. ## Short Story A short story is a fully developed story which is shorter than a novel. It could be read in one sitting and it usually focuses on one plot, one main character, and one central theme. ## Plot Diagram * **Exposition:** It provides information about the character and the setting. * **Rising Action:** It introduces and develops conflict, or the main problem faced by the character. * **Climax:** It shows the highest point of interest, suspense, and turning point of the story. * **Falling Action:** It shows how the character solved the conflict or the problem. * **Resolution:** It shows how things end up in the story.