THE SHORT STORY

1. Identify and interpret various literary elements used in the short story

2. Analyze the effects the elements have upon the reader

3. Analyze the emotions felt during the reading

Shaping the Short Story

“Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of the artist is to take these handfuls of confusion and put them together in a frame to give them some kind of shape and meaning.”

- Katherine Anne Porter American Short Story Writer

Plot and Setting When, Where, and How Setting: The time and place in which the

events of a literary work occur. Physical surroundings and ideas, customs, and values of a particular time and place.

Atmosphere: The dominant emotional feeling of a literary work. Created through setting, such as time, place and weather. Setting can be used to create mood

Let’s Practice! Now, balanced easily and firmly, he

stood on the ledge outside in the slight, chill, breeze, eleven stories above the street, staring into his own lighted apartment, odd and different-seeming now. - Jack Finney

Creating Events and Places The Allisons’ country cottage, seven miles from the

nearest town, was set prettily on a hill; from three sides it looked down on soft trees and grass that seldom, even at mid-summer, lay still and dry. On the fourth side was the lake, which touched against the wooden pier the Allisons had to keep repairing, and which looked equally well from the Allisons’ front porch, their side porch or any other spot leading to the water. Although the Allisons loved their summer cottage, looked forward to arriving in early summer and hated to leave in the fall, they had not troubled themselves to put in any improvement. The cottage had no heat, no running water, and no electricity. –Shirley Jackson

Setting Chart

Detail from Story Aspect of Setting

“summer cottage”

“no running water”

“seven miles from the nearest town”

Custom of vacationing

Rural place in modern time

Isolated place

Sequence of Events Plot: The sequence of events in a narrative work. Exposition: An author’s introduction of the characters,

setting, and conflict at the beginning of a story, novel, or play.

Rising Action: The part of a plot where complications to the conflict develop and increase the reader’s interest.

Climax: The point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in the plot of a literary work. Also near the end.

Falling Action: Following the climax, this shows the results of the climax. It may also include part of the “unknotting” before the resolution.

Resolution: Also called the denouement, French word meaning “unknotting.” The resolution concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict.

Let’s Practice! What part of the plot is this excerpt

from? What do we learn from it?

“ ‘You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,’ said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened to a lawn.” – Saki

Subject vs. Theme Subject

The topic of a literary work Theme

The main idea or message of a story, poem, novel or play. Sometimes it is a general statement about life or gives insight into human nature Implied: revealed gradually through plot,

characters’ actions or learning, setting, POV, and symbolism

Stated: expressed directly

Let’s Practice! Is the theme implied or stated? What is the theme?

“Luis thought that maybe if they ate together once in a while things might get better between them, but he always had something to do around dinnertime and ended up at a hamburger joint. Tonight was the first time in months they had sat down at the table together.” – Judith Ortiz Cofer

Character Protagonist vs. Antagonist

The central character who faces the main conflict. Readers are supposed to sympathize with him or her.

A person or a force in society or nature that opposes the central character.

Conflict Conflict: The struggle between opposing

forces that advance a story or drama. External: a character struggles against some

outside force such as a person, nature, society or fate

Internal: a struggle that takes place in the mind of a character – torn between two opposing feelings or goals

Let’s Practice! Who is the protagonist? Why? Who/what is the antagonist? What is the conflict? Who is it

against? “Thirty-five years ago I was out

prospecting on the Stanislaus, tramping all day long with pick and pan and horn, and washing a hatful of dirt here and there, always expecting to make a rich strike, and never doing it.” – Mark Twain

Let’s Practice! Who is the protagonist? Why? Who/what is the antagonist? What is the conflict? Who is it against?

“Luis thought that maybe if they ate together once in a while things might get better between them, but he always had something to do around dinnertime and ended up at a hamburger joint. Tonight was the first time in months they had sat down at the table together.” – Judith Ortiz Cofer

Narrator Narrator: The person who tells a story

– may be a character in the story. Unreliable: Intentionally mislead

readers/don’t understand the true meaning of events they describe – usually in 1st person

Reliable: Truthful/can trust

Point of View POV: The perspective from which a story is

told. 1st Person: narrator is a character in the

story/referred to as “I”/readers see everything through their eyes

3rd Person Omniscient: (all knowing) narrator is not a character but standing outside looking in and commenting on the action/may reveal details characters could not

3rd Person Limited: narrator reveals thoughts, feelings and observations of characters/refers to them as “he” or “she”

Let’s Practice! What point of view is this excerpt?

“The young man was daring and brave, eager to go up to the mountaintop. He had been brought up by good, honest people who were wise in the ancient ways and who prayed for him.” –Lame Deer

Let’s Practice! What point of view is this excerpt?

“As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone.”

Let’s Practice! What point of view is this excerpt?

“As the girl walked up the hill, she realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. The cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing, but just as the first note passed his beak he heard the crack of a dead branch far below his perch high in the maple tree. Startled, he looked down, cocking his head to one side and watching with great interest while the man rattled the blades of grass as he tried to hide himself behind the tree.”

Let’s Practice! How do the POV and narrator’s voice differ? What can you tell from language choice? Are the narrators reliable? Why or why not?

“The young man was daring and brave, eager to go up to the mountaintop. He had been brought up by good, honest people who were wise in the ancient ways and who prayed for him.” –Lame Deer

“It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousands of friends…” – Edgar Allan Poe

Title The name given to a literary work.

Can help explain setting, theme, or describe action taking place.

The Open Window Saki Look for:

Sequencing Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling

Action, Resolution Flashbacks

An interruption in the chronological order of a narrative to describe an event that happened earlier.

Gives readers more information that may help explain the main events of the story.

The Summer People Jackson Look for:

Plot The sequence of events in a narrative work.

Conflict The struggle between opposing forces in a

story or drama. Foreshadowing

An author’s use of hints or clues to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story.

Tuesday Siesta Marquez Look for:

Theme The main idea or message of a story, poem,

novel or play. Sometimes it is a general statement about life or gives insight into human nature.

Catch the Moon Cofer & Through the Tunnel Lessing Look for:

Point of View The perspective from which a story is told.

Imagery Descriptive language that appeals to one or

more of the five senses: smell, hear, taste, feel, or see. Uses senses to create emotion.

Everyday Use Walker Look for:

Reliable/Unreliable Narrator The person who tells a story – may be a

character in the story.

Characters – Elaborated Main

Central to the story and fully developed

Minor Display few traits Used to develop the

story Round

Complex Sometimes surprising

or changing

Flat Simple and

unchanging Static

Remains the same throughout the story

Dynamic Changes during the

story

Characterization & Author’s Purpose Characterization:

The methods a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character.

Direct: writer makes explicit statements about a character.

Indirect: the writer reveals a character’s personality through the individual’s words, thoughts, actions and what they think about other characters.

Description: A detailed portrayal of a person, place, object or

event. Helps readers see, hear, smell, taste or feel the subject.

Author’s Purpose: The intent in writing a literary work

To persuade, inform, describe, entertain, express opinion

To Da-duh, in Memoriam Marshall Look for:

Characters An individual in a literary work.

Characterization The methods a writer uses to reveal the

personality of a character.

Language Choice Voice: The distinct use of language that

conveys the author’s or narrator’s personality to the reader. Narrators must sound like the character they are Authors choose objective and calm voices so the

narrator seems qualified and “knows” what is going on

Dialect: A variation of a language spoken by a group of people, often within a particular region

All About Authors Style

The expressive qualities that distinguish an author’s work

Tone An author’s attitude toward his or her subject

matter. Conveyed through elements such as word

choice, sentence structure, and figures of speech.

Can convey attitude, such as sympathy, sadness, irony, or humor.

All About Authors (Cont.) Diction

A writer’s choice of words to convey a certain meaning or feeling.

Adds to writer’s style. Persona

Created by the author to tell a story – the narrator is not the author.

The attitudes and beliefs of the persona may not be the same as those of the author.

Winter Night Boyle Look for:

Tone An author’s attitude toward his or her

subject matter.

Additional Literary Elements Symbolism

Any person, animal, place, object, or event that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level.

Mood The emotional quality of literary work.

Irony A contrast between expectation and reality, or

between what is expected and what actually happens

The Masque of the Red Death Poe Look for:

Mood The emotional quality of literary work

Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets Finney Look for:

Symbolism Any person, animal, place, object, or event

that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level.

The Book of the Dead Danticat Look for:

Irony A contrast between expectation and reality,

or between what is expected and what actually happens