Module Activities

BIT International College
Main Campus
Tagbilaran City
ENGLISH 4
Survey of Afro –Asian Literature
First Semester
Activity No. 1.1
Activity Title : Elements of a Short Story

Learning Target : To be able to identify the elements of a short story.
CONCEPT NOTES
An ideal short story is composed of the following elements:

1. Plot – Is the structural element that refers to the series of events and actions in a story.
The action of the plot progresses because of a conflict, or the struggle between two opposing
forces. The conflict usually builds up to the emotional peak or climax, and a denouement follows
when the conflict is resolved in some way.
2. Character – Generally defined in literature as ‘make-believe persons encountered in
fiction”, character is another important element of the short story. Characters reveal themselves
by action, word, thought, physical appearance, what others say and juxtaposition with other
characters.
3. Setting – provides the locale and period in which a story occurs. This includes time and
space. Functions of the setting are: it gives immediacy to the story, it provides atmosphere to a
story, and it can enter directly into the meaning of the story.
4. Symbol and Irony – These two are powerful elements or devices used by writers to
achieve effective storytelling. People in ordinary life are exposed to a lot of symbols and they are
confronted by situations or irony.
5. Point of View – refers to the position or perspective which the author uses to narrate the
story using characters and events. Types of points view includes: a) objective point of view, b)
omniscient or godlike point of view, c) limited omniscient point of view, and d) first person point of
view.
6. Theme – Is the expression of universal truth or philosophy, the moral of the story.
7. Tone - The narrator’s predominant attitude towards the subject of the story. Dominant
tones are maybe happy, tragic, loving, tender, accusing, protesting, cynical, shocking, angry,
detached, and pathetic.
Checkpoint:
1. What are the elements of a short story?
2. What does each element tell about the story?
3. Explain how important of the elements in the story.
Main Campus
Tagbilaran City
ENGLISH 4
First Semester
Activity No. 1.2
Activity Title : Characters of a Short Story

Learning Target : To be able to point out how the character affect the story
CONCEPT NOTES
A character is any person, animal, or personified object in a story. Characters work together to tell a
story. Usually there is one or a few main characters and varying number of supporting characters. In many
stories, characters confront challenges and overcome obstacle and as a result, they grow and change.
Characters vary as widely as people; they each have different personalities, backgrounds, and react to their
surroundings in different ways.
A round character is a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed
by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat, or static, characters. If you
think of the characters you most love in fiction, they probably seem as real to you as people you know in
real life. This is a good sign that they are round characters.
A writer employs a number of tools or elements to develop a character, making him or her round,
including description and dialogue. A character’s responses to conflict and his or her internal dialogue are
also revelatory.
A flat character is a minor character is work of fiction who does not undergo substantial change or
growth in the course of a story. Also referred to a supporting role to the main character, who as a rule
should be round.
What is a dynamic character? What is static character? How are they different?
In a story, a dynamic character is someone who undergoes an important, internal change because
of the action in the plot. Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, is a classic
example. When we first meet him, he is mean, bitter, and avaricious. Through his experiences with the
three ghosts, he becomes generous, kind, and beloved.
A static character is one whose personality doesn’t change throughout the events in the story’s plot.
Dickens, again, is the source of an example in Joe Gargery, from Great Expectations. Joe remains faithful,
honorable, and loyal despite being robbed by a convict and treated poorly by his wife and nephew.
Checkpoint:
Read the story, Anticipation by Mabel Dove – Danquah Ghana, and identify its characters and tell
whether they are:
a. round
b. flat
c. dynamic
d. static
Main Campus
Tagbilaran City
ENGLISH 4
First Semester
Activity No. 1.3
Activity Title : Setting of the Story

Learning Target : To be able to point out the setting and conflict of the story
CONCEPT NOTES
The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories
the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story’s setting
to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a
story):
a. place – geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
b. time – when is the story taking place? (Historical period, time of day, year, etc.)
c. weather conditions – Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
d. social conditions – What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain
local
color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular
place?
e. mood or atmosphere – What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright
and cheerful or dark and frightening?
Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces
which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open
arguments; rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story
there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor
ones.
There are two types of conflict:

1. External – A struggle with a force outside one’s self.
2. Internal – A struggle within one’ self, a person must make some decision, overcome pain,
quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
Check point:
1. Describe the setting.
2. What atmosphere is created by this setting?
3. What African customs and traits are revealed in this story?
4. Compare the African ways of celebrating with those of Filipinos.
Main Campus
Tagbilaran City
ENGLISH 4
First Semester
Activity No. 1.4
Activity Title : Point of View of a story

Learning Target : To be able to point out the point of view of the story
CONCEPT NOTES:
Point of view or p.o.v., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1. Innocent Eye – The story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment being
different from that of an adult).
2. Stream of Consciousness – The story is told so that the reader feels as if they are
inside
the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
3. First Person – The story is told by their protagonist or one of the characters who
interacts
closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me we,
etc.). The reader sees the story through this person’s eyes as he/she
experiences it and only knows what he/she knows or feels.
4. Omniscient – The author can narrate the story using the omniscient point of view. He
can
move from character to character, event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces
information. where and when he chooses. There are two main types of
omniscient point of view:
a. Omniscient limited – The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns
they,
she, he, it, etc.). We know only what the characters and he knows and what
the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of
characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.
b. Omniscient objective – The author tells the story in the third person. It appears as
though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording
only what is seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their
thoughts. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position
of spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to interpret
events on his own.
Checkpoint:
Read the story Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing. (The Literatures of the
World, pp 93 - 104
1. Through the story, find out the point of view of a story.

2. How old is Jerry? Describe his relationship with his mother.
3. Characterize Jerry’s mother.
4. Determine what is shown in the boy’s attempt to speak French. Can he really
speak
French?
5. How did the bigger French boys treat Jerry?

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BIT International College

Activity No. 1.1

Activity Title : Elements of a Short Story

An ideal short story is composed of the following elements:

Activity No. 1.2

Activity Title : Characters of a Short Story

Activity No. 1.3

Activity Title : Setting of the Story

There are two types of conflict:

Activity No. 1.4

Activity Title : Point of View of a story

1. Through the story, find out the point of view of a story.

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