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    Short Story Terminology

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    This document defines key terminology used in analyzing short stories, including setting, characterization, symbol, point of view, plot, conflict, mood, tone, theme, foreshadowing, flashback, protagonist, and antagonist. It provides subcategories and descriptions for many of the terms. Specifically, it details the different types of characterization, point of view, elements of plot structure, and sources of conflict. The document serves as a reference guide for understanding the essential components and analysis of short stories.

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    Short Story Terminology

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    api-203814269
    464 views2 pages
    This document defines key terminology used in analyzing short stories, including setting, characterization, symbol, point of view, plot, conflict, mood, tone, theme, foreshadowing, flashback, protagonist, and antagonist. It provides subcategories and descriptions for many of the terms. Specifically, it details the different types of characterization, point of view, elements of plot structure, and sources of conflict. The document serves as a reference guide for understanding the essential components and analysis of short stories.

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    This document defines key terminology used in analyzing short stories, including setting, characterization, symbol, point of view, plot, conflict, mood, tone, theme, foreshadowing, flashback, protagonist, and antagonist. It provides subcategories and descriptions for many of the terms. Specifically, it details the different types of characterization, point of view, elements of plot structure, and sources of conflict. The document serves as a reference guide for understanding the essential components and analysis of short stories.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    464 views2 pages

    Short Story Terminology

    Uploaded by

    api-203814269
    This document defines key terminology used in analyzing short stories, including setting, characterization, symbol, point of view, plot, conflict, mood, tone, theme, foreshadowing, flashback, protagonist, and antagonist. It provides subcategories and descriptions for many of the terms. Specifically, it details the different types of characterization, point of view, elements of plot structure, and sources of conflict. The document serves as a reference guide for understanding the essential components and analysis of short stories.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
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    The key takeaways are the different terminology used in short stories including setting, characterization, symbolism, point of view, plot elements like exposition, climax etc., and types of conflict.

    The two main types of characterization are direct characterization, where the author tells us about the character, and indirect characterization, where the author shows the character through their actions. A character can also be dynamic and change, or static and stay the same.

    The main points of view are omniscient where the author knows everything, limited omniscient where the author only knows some characters' perspectives, first person where the story is told from one character's perspective, and objective where no character perspectives are given.

    Short Story Terminology

    1. SettingThe time, place, climate and era in which the events in a narrative occur.
    2. Characterizationthe process by which a writer creates a character.
    Direct characterizationwhen the writer tells us explicitly about the characters
    nature and motivation.
    Indirect characterizationwhen the writer shows a character acting and being
    acted upon, so that the reader can infer the characters nature and motivation.
    Dynamic charactera character who undergoes a significant psychological
    change over the course of the narrative.
    Round character (or realistic character)a believably human character, one
    who is seen to be as complex and consistently real as any person in actual life.
    Static charactera character who does not undergo a significant psychological
    change over the course of a narrative.
    Flat charactera character that is not well-developed (the opposite of a round
    character).
    Stock charactera stereotypical character, a standard and easily recognized
    functionary in the action of a narrative.
    3. Symbolan object, person, situation, action or some other item which has a literal
    meaning in the story, but which suggests or represents other meanings as well. It is
    usually something concrete standing for something abstract.
    4. Point of view
    Omniscientuses the third person. The author is all-knowing; she or he may tell
    us what the characters are thinking or feeling, interpret their behaviour, and
    comment on the storys significance.
    Limited omniscientuses the third person, but the story is told from the
    viewpoint of only some characters or only one character in the story. The author
    may tell us what these particular characters see, hear, think and feel, but does not
    do this for all characters.
    First personthe author tells the story from the point of view of one person.
    Pronouns such as I, me, we, and us are used.
    Objectivethe author records what is seen and heard, but does not comment,
    interpret or enter into a characters mind.
    5. Plotthe sequence of events of which a story is composed.
    Expositionestablishes a storys characters and their dispositions, and reveals
    the storys setting and general situation.
    Initial incidentthe incident in the story that starts the conflict.
    Rising actiona series of incidents that raises the level of conflict in a story, thus
    increasing tension.
    Climaxthe point of the story where the conflict reaches its highest point.
    Falling actionjust after the climax, but before the resolution.

    Resolution (or dnouement)the point in the story where the conflict is


    resolved.
    Conclusionestablishes the general mood and situation at the end of the story.
    6. Conflicta struggle between opposing forces which provides interest and suspense.
    Person vs. persona person is in conflict with another person (or group of
    people).
    Person vs. selfa person is in conflict with herself or himself (sometimes
    referred to as an internal conflict.
    Person vs. environmenta person is in conflict with nature or an aspect of
    society.
    Person vs. supernaturala person is in conflict with a special or unusual power
    or force.
    7. Moodthe dominant feeling of a work. Mood is often developed through
    descriptions of settings.
    8. Tonethe implied attitude of the writer or persona toward his subject matter or
    audience.
    9. Themethe main message imparted by a text. In other words, what the writer is
    trying to express through her or his work.
    10. Foreshadowingthe careful inclusion by an author of hints or clues about what is
    yet to come in a story.
    11. Flashbackthe setting of the story suddenly jumps back in time. The story then
    usually resumes at its previous point.
    12. Protagonistthe character the story follows most closely.
    13. Antagonistthe force (often a person) that creates obstacles for the protagonist.

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