Story Elements :Story Elements What parts make up a story? By Mr. Gonzalez


Story Elements :Story Elements Setting Characters Plot Conflict Resolution Point of View Tone Theme


Setting :Setting Setting is the “where and when” of a story. It is the time and place during which the story takes place.


Setting :Setting Details that describe: Furniture Scenery Customs Transportation Clothing Dialects Weather Time of day Time of year Time and place are where the action occurs


Elements of a Setting :Elements of a Setting


The Functions of a Setting :The Functions of a Setting To create a mood or atmosphere To show a reader a different way of life To make action seem more real To be the source of conflict or struggle To symbolize an idea


Mood :Mood Mood is the feeling that the author tries to convey throughout the story. The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting. Does the author want the reader to be frightened or sad, or does the story make the reader laugh and think happy thoughts? To figure out mood, examine how you feel while reading the story. Often mood is conveyed by the story’s setting.


Characters :Characters The people the story is about; characters are sometimes animals.


Characters :Characters Protagonist and antagonist are used to describe characters. The protagonist is the main character of the story, the one with whom the reader identifies. This person is not necessary “good”. The antagonist is the force in opposition of the protagonist; this person may not be “bad” or “evil”, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a significant way.


Characterization :Characterization A writer reveals what a character is like and how the character changes throughout the story. Two primary methods of characterization: Direct- writer tells what the character is like Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character looks like, by telling what the character says and does, and by what other characters say about and do in response to the character.


Factors in Analyzing Characters :Factors in Analyzing Characters Physical appearance of character Personality Background/personal history Motivation Relationships Conflict Does character change?


Plot :Plot Plot is what happens and how it happens in a narrative. The events that make the action; includes conflict and resolution. A narrative is any work that tells a story, such as a short story, a novel, a drama, or a narrative poem.


Parts of a Plot :Parts of a Plot Exposition - introduction Inciting incident – event that gives rise to conflict Rising Action- events that occur as result of central conflict Climax- highest point of interest or suspense of story Resolution- when conflict ends


Special Techniques used in a Story :Special Techniques used in a Story Suspense- excitement, tension, curiosity Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about something that happened in the past Symbolism – use of specific objects or images to represent ideas Personification – when you make a thing, idea or animal do something only humans do Surprise Ending - conclusion that reader does not expect


Conflict :Conflict Conflict is a problem that must be solved; an issue between the protagonist and antagonist forces. It forms the basis of the plot. Conflicts can be external or internal External conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle Internal conflict- takes place in a character’s mind


Resolution :Resolution How the character resolves the problem


Diagram of Plot :Diagram of Plot Inciting incident/Opening situation Introduction/ Exposition Development/Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution


Point of View :Point of View The storyteller as a participant in the action (first-person point of view); the storyteller outside of the action (third-person point of view)


Point of View :Point of View Who is the storyteller? In First-person point of view, the author uses the words I and me, and the story is told as though the author was a participant in the events. In Third-person point of view, the pronouns used are he, she, they, and the author is a storyteller who is outside of the events.


Tone :Tone Manner of expression or language the speaker/narrator uses to reveal attitudes ( opinions and feelings) about characters, places, or events. Tone only refers to the narrative voice, not to the author or character.


Theme :Theme The theme 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 To discover the theme of a story, think big. What big message is the author trying to say about the world in which we live? What is this story telling me about how life works, or how people behave?


The Theme is also :The Theme is also the practical lesson ( moral) that we learn from a story after we read it. The lesson that teaches us what to do or how to behave after you have learned something from a story or something that has happened to you. Example: The lesson or teaching of the story is be careful when you’re offered something for nothing.


Any questions? :Any questions?