The Elements of Fiction

Transcription

1 The Elements of Fiction

2 What Is Plot? Plot is what happens in a story the sequence of related events that makes a story hang together.

3 Exposition The first part of a story is the exposition. The writer introduces: a character who wants something very much the setting

4 Conflict The main conflict in a story may be internal or external. External conflict: a struggle between a character and an outside force Internal conflict: a struggle within the character s own heart or mind External: climbing wall Internal: fear

5 Conflict Types of Conflict Internal conflict man vs. himself External conflict man vs. society man vs. man man vs. nature man vs. supernatural

6 Rising Action Next, a series of complications arises events that make the character s situation more difficult and heighten the suspense. Complication 1 occurs and builds up, then complication 2 occurs and builds up, then complication 3 occurs and builds up, etc. It is like hearing the clickity clack of a roller coaster, ratcheting your cart up the highest hill, making your heart jump with every grind of metal on metal, slowly but resolutely, clicking by every foot, upwards towards the tippy top of the hill where you KNOW you are going to tip over and go screaming down the hill on the other side.

7 Climax The plot reaches a climax. The climax is the most exciting or suspenseful moment decides the outcome of the conflict The climax is the tip top of the highest hill on roller coaster where you stop and hang for a minute JUUUUUUUUUST before you tip over the top and...

8 Denouement After the climax, is the Falling Action, or denouement. Is where you tip over the top of the highest hill on the roller coaster and... fly at top speed down the other side, twisting and screaming towards the end, gathering speed as you shoot downhill towards the end. It often involves buttoning-up unfinished business, fixing broken relationships, and/or resolving old conflicts.

9 Resolution The last part of the plot is the resolution. The problems are resolved in some way. The story ends sometimes happily, sometimes not.

10 Mapping You will chart the plot of the story we will read by using a diagram like the one below. Copy this example so that you may successfully complete the mapping assignment. Climax Exposition Event Event Rising Action Event Denouement Resolution

11 Setting Setting draws us into the world of a story. Details of setting tell us where and when events are happening how the situation feels who the characters are what challenges the characters face

12 Characters The protagonist is the main character and the focus of readers attention. A good protagonist is complicated and contradictory, like a real person has both strengths and weaknesses

13 Characters The antagonist is the force that blocks the protagonist from getting what he or she wants. The antagonist may be: another character a nonhuman force

14 Dynamic Characters Dynamic characters change or grow as a result of the story s action. They... are main characters gain a new understanding, make an important decision, or take a crucial action help reveal the meaning of the story

15 Static Characters Static characters are usually exactly the same as the story ends as they were when it began. They... are almost always subordinate characters support the plot without distracting readers from the main action the protagonist s conflict and growth

16 Flat Characters Flat characters have only one or two character traits can be described in a few words are usually minor characters

17 Round Characters Round characters have many character traits are complex, like real people are often major characters

18 Point of View Point of view is the vantage point from which a writer narrates or tells a story.

19 Omniscient In the omniscient point of view, the all-knowing narrator think fairytale. plays no part in the story knows and can tell what any character is thinking and feeling knows what is happening in all of the story s settings

20 Third-Person-Limited In third-person-limited point of view, the narrator... plays no part in the story knows and can tell what a single character is thinking and feeling

21 First-Person In first-person point of view, the narrator... is a character in the story knows and can tell only what he or she thinks and feels may be reliable and trustworthy or an unreliable narrator

22 Theme A work s theme is the central idea or insight about human life that it reveals. Many elements contribute to a work s theme. characters plot Theme conflict setting

23 Theme The theme of a work of literature is its root. It gives meaning to the work s characters and events reveals the writer s personal attitude toward the world and the people in it may give readers insight into life and human nature or help them realize the importance of what they already know

24 Theme A work s theme is sometimes confused with its subject what the story is about plot the events of the story moral the rule of conduct that the story teaches These parts of a story are important, but they are not its theme.

25 Theme Quick Check What Is Theme? Listen to your elders. Three siblings go swimming in a creek even though their grandfather warns them not to. One sibling is almost swept away by the current. Identify each item as one of the following: subject plot moral theme The story of a dangerous swim Young people s overconfidence can put them in danger; young people often learn a lesson the hard way.

26 Theme Identifying a work s theme is not easy but can help the reader understand the work more fully. The theme is rarely stated outright and must be inferred. A long and complex work may present more than one theme, or insight into human life.

27 Theme Here are some guidelines for discovering theme. Think about the title. Readers may find clues to the theme in the first words they read, the work s title. Consider how the protagonist changes. Often what the main character learns about life is the truth the writer wants to reveal to the reader. Pay attention to story s conflict and how it is resolved. Conflict is central to most literature and often contains clues to the theme. Consider the work as a whole. Other elements of the story, such as setting or characters, may also contribute to the theme.

28 Theme Express the theme as a generalization about life or human nature. Do not refer to specific characters or events in the work. You should use at least one complete and complex sentence, written in third-person, to state the theme of a work.