Short Story Analysis

SHORT STORYA short story is a work of fiction

Elements of the Short Story

Plot The chain of related events that take

place in a story. Plot at a Glance climax

falling action

rising action

resolution

exposition

Exposition-

gives the background of the story

Rising Action-

introduces complications; builds suspense

Climax-

the turning point of the story

suspense reaches its peak

Falling Action and Resolution

resolves the conflict

Types of Characters

• Main or Secondary

• Protagonist or Antagonist

• Round or Flat

• Dynamic or Static

Setting= time and place

-puts the reader in the story by giving the reader the feeling of being in the situation.

Mood and Atmosphere

positive or negative feelings

Point of View or . . .

(Who’s telling this story anyway?)

-the point from which the story is told.

-determines how much we, the readers, know about the characters.

1st Person• Narrator is a character in the story.

• Narrator uses first-person pronouns, I, me, my, we, us, our to refer to himself or herself.

• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character and speaks directly to reader.

3rd Person Limited• Narrator does not participate in action of

story.

• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.

• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character, but readers are able to maintain some emotional distance from the character.

3rd Person Omniscient• Narrator does not participate in action of

story.

• Narrator does not refer to himself or herself.

• Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters; readers get insight into several characters.

Symbolism

A symbol is a person, a place, an activity, or an object that stands for something beyond itself.

Theme

In literature, theme is a perception about life or human nature that the writer wants to share with the reader.

Style

Look at the writer’s sentence structure and vocabulary. Does he or she use long sentences or short, concise sentences? What about figurative language?