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Class Notes
The Elements of Short Stories
Kinds of Conflict
Human vs. Nature
Human vs. Society
Human vs. SelfInternal Conflict
Human vs. HumanExternal Conflict
Plot Components
Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts
Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax
Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action
Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax
Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads
Characters
– Protagonist - The central character of the story
– Antagonist - The opposing force in the story
“Changes”
– African-Americans
Definition
–Police officers
Characters and Characterization
• Characterization – information the author gives the reader about
the characters. – The author may reveal a character in several
ways: a) his/her physical appearance b) what s/he says, thinks, feels and
dreams c) what s/he does or does not do d) what others say about him/her and
how others react to him/her
Plot Components1. Exposition: the start
of the story
2. Rising Action: the series of conflicts.
3. Climax: the most intense moment
4. Falling Action: action after the climax
5. Resolution: the conclusion
What is the exposition in “Changes”
What is the rising action in “Changes”
What is the climax in “Changes”
What is the falling action in “Changes”
What is the resolution in “Changes”
Point of View
• The perspective from which a story is told.
• Points of view include: – First person – Stream of consciousness– Omniscient
Point of View First Person
– Story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc).
– Reader sees the story through this person's eyes as s/he experiences it
Point of View Stream of Consciousness
• The reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
Theme
• The controlling idea, central insight, or message of the story.
• Focus of the story.• Explains what happens and why it
happens. • Theme is often inferred based on
characters and situations in a story. • To find the theme of a story consider:
– The purpose of the story– What view of life does it supports, or what
insight into life it reveals.