Elements of Fiction

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Elements of Fiction

• What are the ingredients
• of a great story?

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The Main Ingredients

• Fictions main ingredients are
• Plot (Setting)
• Conflict
• Characters
• Point of View
• Theme

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Plot

• Plot is the sequence of events in a story. Plot
  tells what happens.
• There is a natural pattern of how the plot
  happens in stories, and we call this pattern, the
  plot line.
• Good readers know what part of plot is happening
  at different times in the story.

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Plot Line
Climax The turning point. The most intense
moment (either mentally or in action.)
Rising Action the series of conflicts and crisis
in the story that lead to the climax.
Falling Action all of the action which follows
the Climax.
Resolution The conclusion, all conflicts are
resolved.
Exposition The start of the story. The way
things are before the action starts.
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Setting

• The setting is where the story happens at,
  usually known as the Time and the Place. Setting
  can also include the atmosphere.
• Setting can include
• The geographical location (Sterling)
• The time period (1902, or 2400)
• The specific area or space (Sterling Middle
  School, the backyard)
• The atmosphere (cold, dark night or bright, sunny
  afternoon)

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What Is Conflict?

• Conflict is a struggle or clash between opposing
  characters or opposing forces.
• Conflict is
• the driving force of a story.
• the problem that the characters must solve or
  overcome.
• Without conflict there is no plot.

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Two Main Types of Conflict

• Two basic types of conflict are
• External Conflict
• Internal Conflict

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External Conflict

• External conflict is a struggle between a
  character and some outside forceanother
  character, a group, or nature (can be
  supernatural, too).

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Internal Conflicts

• Internal conflict is a struggle between opposing
  desires or emotions within a person.
• Internal conflicts may take place within a
  characters mind or heart.

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Conflicts
Person VS Person
Person VS Nature
Person VS Society
Person VS Himself
Person VS Supernatural
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Characters

• Characters are the people (or animals and things
  presented as people) appearing in a literary
  work.
• We learn about characters by what they say, do,
  think, and how they act.
• Protagonist
• the main character in the story who is trying to
  solve the problem.
• Antagonist
• the character or force working against the
  protagonist.

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Point of View

• Point of view is the perspective from which a
  story is told.
• In first-person point of view, one of the
  characters, using the personal pronoun I, is
  telling the story.
• I rapped on the cottage door and wondered why it
  was taking Granny so long to answer. Finally I
  heard a hoarse voice cry, Come in, Little Red.

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Different Points of View

• In the Third-person point of view the narrator is
  distant from all of the characters, and uses
  their names or pronouns, instead of I or Me.
• Riding Hood rapped on the cottage door and
  wondered why it was taking Granny so long to
  answer. Finally, she heard a hoarse voice cry,
  Come in, Little Red.
• In an omniscient point of view, the narrator
  knows everything about the characters and their
  problems.
• As Little Red Riding Hood rapped on the cottage
  door, the Wolf finished tying Grannys wrists and
  shut her in the closet. The Wolf wriggled into
  Grannys nightgown, scrambled into bed, and cried
  out, Come in, Little Red.

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Practice with ___________________

• Before Reading Asses you views on topics found
  in the story.
• While Reading Record the main events of the
  story on a plot line.
• After Reading Reevaluate your views on the
  topics in the story.

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Now, lets do a deeper reading!

• It isnt enough to simply identify the elements
  of a short story. You also need to be able to
  analyze these elements.

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1. Characterization

• Characterization is how a writer reveals
  character. There are two types of
  characterization direct and indirect.
• When an author uses direct characterization,
  he/she directly states a characters traits.
• Example He was a tall man past middle age, for
  his hair was a vivid white but his thick
  eyebrows and pointed military mustache were as
  black as the night from which Rainsford had come
  (Connell 44). Zaroff
• No interpretation necessary!

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Characterization Continued

• Sounds like Connell is indirectly describing
  General Zaroff as being vampire-like!
• Break here for practice with characterization

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2. Theme

• Theme is an idea about life that the story
  reveals. Theme is the authors message.
• Usually the theme is not stated directly in the
  story. You have to figure it out.
• Theme is a complete sentence!
• There can many themes in a single story.
• When looking for themes, think of which things
  are repeated throughout the story. These must be
  important to the author.

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STOP!
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There is more!

• To analyze literature you will need to do more
  than just look at the main ingredients of ______,
  _______, __________, _________, _______, and
  ________. You will also need to interpret
  stylistic choices of the author.

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3. Figurative Language

• Expressions, which put aside literal meanings in
  favor of imaginative connections, describing one
  thing in terms of another.
• Examples metaphor, simile, personification,
  analogy, symbolism, allusion, and imagery
• It is called figurative language because you have
  to figure it out.

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Types of Fig. Language

• Analogy A comparison of an unfamiliar object or
  idea to a familiar one.
• Metaphor direct comparison without like or as
• Simile Comparison using like or as
• Hyperbole a grand exaggeration
• Irony something that happens that is the
  opposite of what is excepted.
• Symbolism when one thing stands for or
  represents another.
• Personification giving human qualities to
  non-human things.

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Figurative Language Continued

• Figurative Language Challenge
• Pick TWO of the following visuals. Write a
  sentence using figurative language that ties your
  chosen visual to The Most Dangerous Game

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PICK TWO
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Warm Up

• Please preview the short stories that we will be
  using for presentations.

• Select your top three stories and put them in
  order.
• Thanks!

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4. Tone

• The attitude an author takes toward his/her
  subject, audience, and characters.
• Established by careful selection (diction) and
  placement (syntax) of words, and by purposeful
  use of details and images. 
• Tone is the hallmark of a writers personality!
• Mood is the emotional effect that the story
  creates.

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Tone vs. Mood

• Mary Poppins Trailer
• Watch the Mary Poppins Trailer. Write down two
  words to describe the tone two words to describe
  the mood.
• Scary Mary Poppins Trailer
• Watch this version of the trailer and write down
  two words to describe the tone and two words to
  describe the mood.

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Tone Continued

• Think Fast What is the primary tone of The Most
  Dangerous Game, in your opinion?
  ______________________________
• Identify a text example and page number showing
  this tone. _______________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ___________________________

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6. Style

• Style is defined as the way in which an author
  chooses to write.
• Style is not what is said, but how it is said.
• Literary style may be described in a variety of
  ways, such as formal, conversational,
  journalistic, wordy, archaic, poetic, or dynamic.

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6. Style Continued

• Elements of style include descriptive writing,
  word choice (diction), sentence length, tone,
  figurative language, dialogue, strong verbs,
  adjectives, difficult vocabulary, and point of
  view.
• Break here for practice with style! Complete
  style chart analysis of Richard Connells style
  in TMDG.