This quarter we’ll be reviewing short stories, but a plot can be seen in movies, poems, plays, novels, songs, and so forth. You’ll be responsible for these terms on Friday’s test and you’ll see them for the rest of the year so take Cornell notes!

Parts of a Plot

What does “plot” mean?

Plot: A plot is a literary element or term which helps us to discuss the story’s structure (or organization) by giving us a way to describe the sequence of main events in a story.

The plot is basically the answer to the age old question– what was it about or what happened?

Types of Linear PlotsPlots can be told in

Chronological order

Flashback

In media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition

Summaries/Length VariesPlots are given in summarized form. For

example, if your friend asked you what the movie was about that you’d recently seen, you wouldn’t tell him or her every single detail from the movie. You would provide the “gist” or the most important facts.

The length of the summary would depend on the length of the work. A paragraph could summarize the plot of a short story, but a page might be better to summarize the plot of an entire novel.

1. Exposition: The basic set up of a story; this is where the reader learns the background information necessary to understand the story. Characters are introduced; the setting is provided.

Parts of Plot

Parts of Plot 2. Rising Action: The part of the story which occurs between the exposition and climax. This is where conflicts or problems are introduced and developed which build up the story and make it interesting.

Parts of Plot 3. Climax: The main conflict is typically resolved at this place. This is also known as the turning point or highest point of action in a story.

Parts of Plot 4. Falling Action: The part of

the story which occurs after the climax and continues to the end of the story. Here is where loose ends are tied up toward the end of the story.

5. Resolution: The final outcome of the story.

Parts of Plot Diagram

ConflictBasic Situation

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

Com

plic

atio

n

Exposition

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle

between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

Types of Conflict (Who remembers– at which part of the plot are these typically

introduced?)

I. Internal Conflict: A struggle that takes place in a character's mind is called internal conflict. For example, a character may have to decide between right and wrong or between two solutions to a problem. Sometimes, a character must deal with his or her own mixed feelings or emotions.

There is only one kind:Man vs. Himself.

Types of Conflict 2. External Conflict: A

conflict that occurs between a character and an outside force.

External Conflict There are three

types of external conflict: character vs. character; character vs. society; and character vs. nature.

1. Character vs. Character

The protagonist in the story experiences conflict with others, especially the antagonist.

2. Character vs. Society The

protagonist in the story experiences a conflict with society as a whole.

3. Character vs. Nature

The protagonist in the story experiences conflict with the elements of nature.

Exposition

Rising Action:

Opening of a story / background

Events are focusedaround the conflict.

Climax:Here’s a solution to my problem!

Carrying out the solution.

Falling Action:

ResolutionAll done!

Let’s review those parts of a plot one last time:

Remember the types of conflict: man vs. himself (only internal type of conflict), man vs. man, man vs. society, and man vs. nature.