Fiction The short story
What is a short story? A fictional, narrative piece of prose that has many of the same characteristics of a novel Tells a story, or sometimes just part of a story Much shorter than a novel, covers a much shorter period of time and is limited to the effects it can achieve Due to length limitations, most short stories are cleverly crafted, promising a reading experience that is equally as satisfying as a novel, but in a fraction of the time!
Characteristics of the short story Genre Plot Conflict Setting Characters Point of view Theme
Based on true/real events Based on mythical stories or legends Stories like Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, etc. Short story Genre Genre a particular type of short story writing dividing it into categories: Like detective or crime stories About planets, aliens, unknown worlds, etc. Stories like: Huckleberry Finn
Short story -- plot A typical plot or story line follows a beginning, middle and end structure with a sequence of events similar to this:
Plot Structure Exposition/Inciting Moment/Lead An initial incident gets the action rolling Rising Action The rising action introduces complications or obstacles to the protagonist (main character) creating conflict and suspense Climax The rising action builds up to a climax which is the most suspenseful moment or the height of action Falling Action The falling action follows the climax when the author tries to tie up loose ends Resolution The resolution is the ending where the conflict is resolved or there is closure to the story Not all stories have a resolution some end at the climactic point we call these cliffhangers!
Short story plot terms & techniques Foreshadowing a technique for providing clues about events that may happen later in a story. Flashback A technique for presenting something that happened earlier (often prior to when the reader begins the story) that helps explain something about the current situation.
Suspense the feeling of excitement and curiousity the keeps the reader turning pages. What is going to happen next? What choice is the main character going to make? How will the conflict be resolved? How will the story end? Symbolism using a person, place or thing to represent an abstract idea or concept anything that stands for something beyond itself (ex. Deep water representing mystery, A tree symbolizing sturdiness or loneliness)
Short story - conflict 2 types of conflict: External a struggle with a force outside one s self Internal a struggle within one self a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
Short story -- conflict There are 4 kinds of conflict: 1. Man vs. Man (physical) the leading character struggles with his/her physical strength against other men/women, forces of nature, or animals 2. Man vs. Circumstance (classical) the leading character struggles against fate or the circumstance of life facing him/her 3. Man vs. Society (social) the leading character struggles against ideas, practices or customs of others 4. Man vs. Himself/herself (psychological) the leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
Short story -- setting The time and location in which a story takes place. Several aspects of setting can contribute to the story: Place (geographical location) Time (historical period, time of day) Weather conditions Social conditions Mood or atmosphere Setting can also be used to create conflict, reveal character, develop atmosphere or mood, or as a symbol to develop the story s theme.
Setting Terms Atmosphere the overall mood of the story; for example, comic, mocking, serious, mysterious. Every aspect of the story (setting, description, dialogue, word choice, and so on) should contribute to the atmosphere. It s the sense you get of the tone the writer was trying to create.
Short story - characters The author reveals what story characters are like through their reactions to the incidents and events of the story. Characters can be static and remain the same throughout the course of the story, or be dynamic and change as a result of the events of the story.
Characters Terms Protagonist the main character in a story, novel or play. Antagonist the character who struggles for fights against the protagonist.
Characterization (Character traits) In order for a story to seem believable to the reader, its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. Authors reveal a character s traits in many ways, but they rarely come out and tell us what a character is like; they instead reveal a character through their descriptions, in dialogue, or in how the plot develops. The author may reveal a character in several ways: His/her physical appearance What he/she says, feels, thinks and dreams What he/she does or does not do (actions) What others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters stock or stereotypes These are characters readers can easily relate to because they are common throughout stories, for example, the typical bully or kindly grandmother They can be characterized in a sentence or two because what is revealed about them is usually consistent with the readers understanding of the character type.
Short story point of view Point of view (POV) is defined as the angle from which the story is told. Different types of Point of View: Objective the writer tells what is happening through action and dialogue. (Henry said to Sally, Hello there ) Third Person the narrator does not participate in the action of the story, only tells its events (he, she, it, they) First Person - The narrator participates in in the action of the story. We need to remember this point of view might not be the whole objective truth need to question the trustworthiness of the account. (I, me) Omniscient the narrator knows everything about the characters, is all knowing/omniscient.
Short story -- theme The main idea of a short story its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the underlying meaning the author is trying to convey. (Often a message about life or a life lesson) It is not usually stated directly you must infer it from a close reading. The theme is developed through the interrelationship of all the characteristics of the short story.
Identifying theme There seems to be a bit of a fear factor when it comes to finding the theme of a book, because it takes a little faith in one's own gut instinct sometimes. A theme isn't something solid that is expressed in plain words anywhere in a book. It's a feeling the book gives you or a lesson it reveals. There is no set method for determining theme. Sometimes we may discover theme by examining (a) the way in which the main character has changed or what he or she has learned, and (b) the nature of the central conflict. Theme must be expressed in the form of a statement (a sentence or several sentences). Single words, such as guilt, or phrases, such as appearance versus reality, are topics. The theme is the author s idea about the topic. It is useful to identify several topics introduced by the text and then determine what the author argues about this topic.
A reoccurring symbol can also help a reader determine the theme in a story. Here are some common symbols: Birds Buildings Cats City Feathers Fire Plants Snakes Trees Water
Themes Some examples of common themes in literature: Things are not always what they appear to be Love is blind, and can be dangerous Believe in yourself, and good things will come People are afraid of change, but it is necessary to personal growth Don t judge a book by its cover As we grow older, we will lose our innocence and become more jaded True friendship can help us better understand ourselves Revenge is never a good thing Sacrifice is noble if done for the better good
As a recap: Characteristics of the short story Genre Plot Conflict Setting Characters Point of view Theme As we examine short stories, you will be asked to identify and pull out details for the following short story elements.