SHORT STORY: definition and elements

Introduction

SHORT STORY

                - A short story is one of the most popular forms of literature. Even though it is a fiction, a product of the author’s imagination, you may become interested in reading because it deals with people, places, actions, and events that seem familiar. At other times it may stir your imagination because it deals with the fantastic-or unusual. Whatever your reason for enjoying a particular short story, you will find that because it is short, you can usually read in one sitting.   

Task

OBJECTIVES:

  1. Define Short Story
  2. Identify the different elements of a short story
  3. Appreciate the importance of short story in one’s life
  4. Create their own short story by group.
Process
  1. 1.    SETTING –

-  The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. . 

place - geographical location.  Where is the action of the story taking place? 

a)     time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc) 

b)     weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc? 

c)      social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like?

d)     mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? 


  1. 2.    PLOT 

-  It is the sequence of events in a story or play.  The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. 

 a)  Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.

b)  Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed

 c)  Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. 

d)  Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. 

e)  Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.


  1. 3.    CONFLICT--   It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. 

There are two types of conflict: 
1)  External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.

2)  Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

There are four kinds of conflict: 
1)  Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.

2)  Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.

3)  Man vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.

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.

4. CHARACTER 

- The person in a work of fiction. It is the characteristics of a person.

PROTAGONIST- central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character

ANTAGONIST- The opposer of the main character.

5. POINT OF VIEW

- Point of view, or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.

1.  Innocent Eye - The story is told through the eyes of a child

2.  Stream of Consciousness - The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.

3.  First Person - The story is told  by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters

4.  Omniscient- The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view.  He can move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces information where and when he chooses. 

a)  Omniscient Limited - The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). 

b)  Omniscient Objective – The author tells the story in the third person.  It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and heard. . 

6. THEME -- The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight.  It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation
1. When the author gives some background or needed details to the story this is known as what term?

 characterization point of view exposition foreshadowing


2. What element is known as the 'series of related events'?

 conflict plot theme falling action


3. Only people can be characters in a story.

 True False


4. The second person point of view is the same as the omniscient point of view.

 True False


5. If I told you this short story takes place in a jungle on a mysterious island sometime in the 1930s/1940s involving an eccentric hunter, I would be using what term?

Answer:

       

 (seven letters, think of time and place)


6. Which is the correct term for this definition - "turning point of the story"?

 rising action falling action resolution climax


7. In Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace", the main character learns that honesty is indeed the best policy. The main idea or the possible opinion of the author is known as what term?

 conflict point of view theme setting


8. The problem of the plot is also known as which short story element?

 conflict characterization theme exposition


9. What is the purpose of the short story's title?

 to indicate main idea all of the choices to inform readers of story content to create curiosity


10. What is another word for any hints of future plot occurrences?

 exposition foreshadowing setting falling action
Conclusion
5 Important Elements of a Short Story

A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that it does not depend on verses, meters or rhymes for its organization and presentation.

Novels are another example of fictional prose and are much longer than short stories. Some short stories, however, can be quite long. If a a short story is a long one, say fifty to one hundred pages, we call it a novella.

American literature contains some of the world's best examples of the short story. Readers around the world enjoy the finely crafted stories of American writers such as O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.

What makes these authors such remarkable short story writers? They are true masters at combining the five key elements that go into every great short story: character, setting, conflict, plot andtheme.

The ELLSA web-site uses one of these five key elements as the focus of each of the five on-line lessons in the Classics of American Literature section. In each lesson, you will explore a single American short story from the USIA Ladder Series and discover how the author uses a certain element.

The definitions on the right are repeated on the first page of each short story lesson.
Credits

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

GOA, CAMARINES SUR

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

A/Y 2014-2015

Creating Web Quest

Prepared by:

Maria Jessica SJ. Buendia BSED 3B

Prepared to:

Dr Myrna C. Bigueja
Instructor

References:

https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=JfM8VIrhL8eJ8Qfn8YD4Dw#q=short+…

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2141001883c68.html

http://users.aber.ac.uk/jpm/ellsa/ellsa_elements.html