There are basically 6 elements to a short story:
1. Setting: Time and location of when and where the story takes place. Often significant in understanding the short story. Items to consider: geographical location, historical period, social conditions, mood.
2. Plot: Arrangement of events to develop the author's basic idea. It is the sequence of the story with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Introduction: where characters and setting are revealed
- Rising Action: where the conflict is revealed
- Climax: highest point of interest and the turning point
- Falling Action: where conflicts begin to resolve themselves
- Denouement: the final outcome or untangling of events
3. Conflict: essential to plot. Two types: external- struggle with force outside self (man vs man, man vs circumstances, man vs society); internal- struggle within oneself (man vs himself)
4. Character: Antagonist and Protagonist; establishes characteristics of a person. Dynamic- change for better or worse; Static- stereotype, never change
5. Point of View: angle from which the story is told. 1st person told by protagonist, omniscient told by narrator to know what all characters are feeling and thinking etc.
6. Theme: main idea in a story, usually a shared view of the author
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