|The Elements of the Story

Characters
Conflict Plot

Setting Point of View

What is a Short Theme

Story?

The Elements of a Short Story

 WHAT IS SHORT STORY?

Short story, brief fictional prose narrative

that is shorter than a novel and that
usually deals with only a few characters.
A piece of fiction that has a developed storyline but is much shorter than a novel.
It can normally be read in one setting, rather that over a span of a couple days.

Examples of a Short Stories:

 DISTINCTION

Novels are another example of fictional prose and are much

longer than Short stories. Some short stories, however, can be
fairly long. If a short story is a long one, say fifty to one
hundred pages, we call it a novella.

Example of novels:
What is Setting?

Answers the questions: “Where?” and “When?”

The setting is the location of the story, or is

where the story takes place.

Examples of Setting:

Forest
Bikini Bottom
Park
City
Province
Etc..
 What is Conflict?

Answers the question: “What happened?”

The conflict is the story’s main problem. It’s what

is keeping the characters from reaching their goal.

Five Common Types of Conflict:

1. Man vs Himself
2. Man vs Society
3. Man vs Man
4. Man vs Nature
5. Man vs Supernatural
 Man vs Himself

These are internal battles that characters wage within themselves; these are internal issues
That affect their actions, motivations and interactions with other characters. The conflict can
be
A repetitive theme throughout the story or at particular point in time.

“When a character is struggling with themselves on the inside”

Example:
An example of Man vs Himself is that when your deciding on something but you can’t figure out what
to decided. Like what flavor of ice cream you would prefer at the moment.

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 Man vs Society

These are conflicts where the characters’ firm beliefs are against norms
that the entire society as a whole recommends. It could be social evils or judgment
practiced by society
that opposed by a minority.

“When a protagonist has a strong belief against the majority of the community or
surroundings, and decides to act on it”

Examples:

Racism
Environmental issues
Being wrongly accused of something
Being ousted from society
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 Man vs Man

These conflicts are the most usual. Characters will be

opposed by or will contradict the actions, reactions,
motivations of another character or characters.

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 Man vs Nature

Nature serves as the obstacle for characters. Anybody could choose to write a
specific scene around a natural calamity such as a typhoon or tsunami. There are
many stories waiting to be explored because an inspirational story such as the
triumph of human spirit over adversity will never go out of fashion.

Nature conflicts bring a character face to face with Mother Nature’s power. Seeing
how a character responds to this can lay bare their deepest values, motivations,
and fears, leading to a rich, character-driven story.

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 Man vs Supernatural

A person vs. supernatural conflict is a conflict between a

character and something that is not normal in some way.
Supernatural elements include ghosts, omens, and
superstitions.

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 What are Characters?

Answers the question: “Who?”

The characters are the people, animal, or object

of the story follows.

1. Protagonist
2. Antagonist
3. Confidante
4. Dynamic
5. Flat
6. Foil
7. Round
8. Static
9. Stock
 Protagonist

The protagonist is the central person in a story, and is

often referred to as the story's main character. He or
she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be
resolved. The protagonist may not always be
admirable (e.g. an anti-hero); nevertheless s/he must
command involvement on the part of the reader, or
better yet, empathy.
 Antagonist

The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that

represents the opposition against which the protagonist
must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an
obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.
 Confidante

A confidante is someone in whom the main character

confides. He reveals the central character’s thoughts,
intentions, and personality traits. However, a confidante
need not necessarily be a person. An animal can also be a
confidante.
 Dynamic

A dynamic character is a person who changes over time,

usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a
major crisis. Most dynamic characters tend to be central rather
than peripheral characters, because resolving the conflict is the
major role of central characters.
 Flat

A flat character is the opposite of a round character. This

literary personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or
characteristic.
 Foil
A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an important
supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with
another character (usually the protagonist). By providing this
contrast, we get to know more about the other character.
 Round
A rounded character is anyone who has a complex
personality; he or she is often portrayed as a conflicted
and contradictory person.
 Static
A static character is someone who does not change over time; his
or her personality does not transform or evolve.
 Stock

Stock characters are those types of characters who have become conventional or
stereotypical through repeated use in particular types of stories. Stock characters
are instantly recognizable to readers or audience members (e.g. the femme
fatale, the cynical but moral private eye, the mad scientist, the geeky boy with
glasses, and the faithful sidekick). Stock characters are normally one-
dimensional flat characters, but sometimes stock personalities are deeply
conflicted, rounded characters (e.g. the "Hamlet" type).
 What is Plot?
Answers the question: “What’s the story about?”

The plot is what happens in the beginning, middle and end of the story.
In other words, it’s the events in the story.
• A plot is one of the most vital parts of the story, and has various purposes.
The plot give emphases to important characters and their roles in the story.

• It encourages the characters to have great effect on the story,

and connects the events in a well-ordered manner.

• The plot produces a desire for the reader to go on reading by absorbing them in the middle of the story, ensuring
they want to know what happens next.
“Plot is a sequence of events that occurs to characters in situations in the
beginning, middle, and end of a story.” (Hancock, 2004)

There are four primary types of plots (modified from Anderson, 2006, and Lukens, 2006

1. Linear plot- is constructed logically and not by coincidence.

• Beginning – the characters and setting are introduced, and the central conflict/problem of the story is
revealed. Usually the main character sets a goal to overcome the conflict/problem, or s/he may set a
goal that creates a conflict/problem.
• Middle – the main character participates in a series of events or attempts to reach the goal that leads
to a resolution of the conflict/problem.
• End – the main character may or may not reach his/her goal, thus resolving the conflict/problem. The
linear plot is common in folktales, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, as well as realistic fiction
(e.g., Make Way for Duckling, McCloskey, 1941) and fantasy (e.g., The Rainbow Fish, Pfister, 1992).

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2. Episodic Plot – “one incident or short episode is linked to another by common
characters or a unified theme” (Lukens, 2007, p. 121).

• An episodic plot features distinct episodes that are related to one another but that also
can be read individually, almost as stories by themselves (e.g., the chapters in Frog and
Toad All Year, Lobel, 1976). The chapters of short books with episodic structure like Frog
and Toad can be used to teach narrative structure as one would with a picture storybook,
because each chapter functions like a story that can stand alone.

• Most novels involve more complex plots, in which the story builds on itself, so that each
episode evolves out of a previous one and produces another one (e.g., Beverly Cleary
books, such as Ramona the Brave, and Judy Blume books, such as Superfudge, etc.).
3. Cumulative – plots with lots of repetition of phrases, sentences, or events with one
new aspect added with each repetition. The Gingerbread Man and The Great, Big,
Enormous Turnip are examples of cumulative plots.

4. Circular – the characters in the story end up in the same place that they were at the
beginning of the story. Examples of circular stories are If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
(Numeroff, 1985) and Where the Wild Things Are (Sendak, 1963).
 Traditional Parts of a Plot
1. Exposition or Introduction- is the start of the story, where characters and setting are
recognized.
The conflict or main problem is presented as well.
2. Rising Action- occurs when a series of events build up to the conflict. The main characters
are established by the time the rising action of a plot occurs, and at the same time, events
begin to get difficult. It is during this
Part of a story that excitement, tension, or crisis is encountered.
3. Climax or the main point of the plot, there is a turning point of the story. This is meant to
be the moment of highest interest and emotion, leaving the reader wondering what is going to
happen next.
4. Falling Action or the winding up of the story, happens when events and problems begin to
resolve.
The results of the action of the main characters are put forward.
5. Resolution or the conclusion is the end of a story, which may transpire with either a happy
or tragic ending.
What is Point of View?

Answers the question: “Who is speaking?”

The point of view is the perspective from which a story being told.
Often times, this is referred to as the narrator.

There are three points of view:

a. 1st Person- when the person telling the story uses. “I,” “We,” and
“Us.”
b. 2nd Person- when the person telling the story uses, “You.”
c. 3rd Person- when the person telling the story uses. “He,” “She,”
“It,” and “They.”
 The three main types of third-person point of view

a. Third-Person Objective- is when the facts of the narrative are reported by a

seemingly neutral
, impersonal observer or recorder.

b. Third-Person Omniscient- Is an all-knowing narrator and not only reports the

facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any
character.

c. Third-Person Limited- is when a narrator reports the facts and interpret events
from the perspective of a single character.
What is Theme?

Answers the question: “Why?”

• The theme is the subject of the writing or the underlying message of a piece.
It can be a state of being, moral, or emotion. Some stories have multiple themes.

• Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated
directly or indirectly.

Major and Minor Themes

Major and minor themes are two types of themes that appear in literary works.

A major theme is an idea that a writer repeats in his literary work, making it the most significant idea
in the work.

A minor theme, on the other hand, refers to an idea that appears in a work briefly, giving way to
another minor theme. Examples of theme in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” are matrimony, love,
friendship, and affection. The whole narrative revolves around the major theme of matrimony. Its
minor themes are love, friendship, affectation etc.
 Difference Between a Theme and a Subject

It is important not to confuse a theme of a literary work with its subject.

Subject is a topic that acts as a foundation for a literary work, while a theme
is an opinion expressed on the subject. For example, a writer may choose a
subject of war for his story, and the theme may be his personal opinion that
war is a curse for humanity. Usually, it is up to the readers to explore the
theme of a literary work by analyzing characters, plot, and other literary
devices.

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• A moral (from Latin morālis) is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to
be learned from a story or event. A moral is a lesson in a story or in real
life.
• A premise is the core belief system of the script and lifeblood of the story. […]
There can only be one premise per script from which all the ideas it contains
serve, otherwise the script loses focus and its sense of purpose. Premise is
hypothesis. It is the story’s purpose for existing at all.
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• When you have an insight, you have a feeling or emotion or thought that
helps you to know something essential about a person or thing.

• Being able to see or understand something clearly.

 Activity
Give the story’s theme, moral, premise and insight of the
Three Generations by Nick Joaquin

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