ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORYTHEME AND POINT OF VIEW

Theme the author’s comment of life

Point of Viewwho is telling the story, the narrator

Based on this photo- What is his comment on life?

Elements of a Short Story

THEMETHEME is the author’s comment on life, a message to the reader. Theme is an aspect of human nature that the author expresses to the reader through the text.What message does this girl’s expression tell you?

What theme is NOT Theme is not the moral of the story. A moral is a piece of practical advice that readers can apply to their lives.

FIRST PERSON or PERSONAL The narrator is one of the characters and tells the story using the word “I”. Thisis also called “first person” because the word “I” is calledthe first person pronoun. Other first person pronounsinclude we and us.

Elements of a Short StoryPOINT OF VIEWPoint of view means who is telling the story, who the narrator is.

Based on the teen’s expression, what might he be thinking?

Respond using the pronoun “I”.

 THIRD PERSON: The narrator is “outside” of the story. The author writes using pronouns such

as he, she, it, they, and them. OBJECTIVE: The narrator “reports” only what he or she sees and hears. There is no author’s

opinion or involvement. This is sometimes called “fly on the wall.” OMNISCIENT: The narrator “knows all” and can see into the minds of the main characters. Not

only does the reader see the action and hear the dialogue, but he or she also knows that the characters are thinking.

LIMITED OMNISCIENT: The narrator sees into the mind of just one or a couple of characters,

such as the protagonist and knows what he or she is thinking.

Elements of a Short StoryPOINT OF VIEW

“ ______________________________________________________________________ ,” she accused.

Elements of a Short Story

Theme and Point of ViewShow what you have learned… based on this picture, write a very brief story. Can you include theme and point of view ?

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