plot, characters, setting, point of view, theme
the elements of a short story, novel, play, TV show, or movie
plot
the order or sequence of events that are closely related
characters
things, animals, or people acting in a story
flat character
predictable and one sided
round character
many-sided and unpredictable
dynamic character
shows a change by the end of the story
setting
time and place of the action
point of view
vantage point from which a story is told
first person point of view
story told by a character is her or his words; "limited" or "I" point of view
third person point of view
story told by a narrator who is not a character
omniscient point of view
all-knowing narrator tells the story and lets the reader know what the character is thinking
theme
general idea or insight about life in the story
explicit theme
stated directly
implicit theme
must be dug out of the story
exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution
elements of plot
exposition
necessary background information
conflict
a struggle; most important element of plot
internal conflict
in the mind of a character
external conflict
one the reader or viewer can actually see
man vs. man conflict
a human struggles against another human
man vs. society conflict
a person's beliefs conflict with those of society
man vs. nature conflict
a character struggles against the forces of nature
man vs. himself
an internal conflict
complication
an unexpected problem that occurs
climax
the highest point of interest in a story
rising action
events preceding the climax which intensify the conflict
falling action
events following the climax, leading to the resolution
resolution (denouement)
the conflict ends and the outcome is clear
irony
contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens
verbal irony
a writer or speaker says one thing and means something different
dramatic irony
a reader or audience perceives something that a character does not know
suspense
the reader or audience is uncertain about the outcome
subject
description of what a story is about; not the same as theme
foreshadowing
use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later
flashback
a scene that interrupts the action to show earlier events
protagonist
central character of a story with whom the reader or viewer sympathizes most
antagonist
person, thing, or force opposing the protagonist
imaginative language
words that arouse specific feeling in the reader