Why read short stories?

! To discover the lives and lifestyle

of others; particularly other cultures
and customs (i.e. setting; elite;
peasants).
! Theyre a bridge to our culture and
our personal past (i.e. life before
television).
! To dream. Its an escape from
problems and tedious realities of
daily life.
! To know were not alone.
and captions.
1. To entertain the
enjoyment of reading.
2. To teach the author
has a point of view that
he / she wants to convey.
3. To raise questions the
message or lesson is not
always clear. The author
wants us to question
things we may never
have thought of or to
raise new questions
about familiar things.
Definition of short story:
A brief tale (fiction) that gives
the illusion of life.
Characteristics:
1. One defining feature of a short
story is compression every single
word is read carefully.
2. Short stories usually pull
you into the lives of the
characters and make you care
about their feelings,
relationships and problems.
3. Characters are usually
believable and interesting.
4. Characters are revealed
rather than developed.
Characteristics:
" Exposition introduction and background
" Complicating incident - problem
" Rising action helps create suspense
" Climax the height of tension in the conflict; turning point for the
main character
" Falling action unravelling; denouement
" Resolution conclusion; final outcome
- Revealed mainly through what they say and what they
do, what others say about them, and how others react to
them.
- Other elements can also contribute to one that is
believable: physical appearance, habits or characteristics,
ways of talking.
- - Some are dynamic and always changing; some are
static and unchanging.
! CONFLICT:
# Conflict arises between the protagonist and antagonistic forces. It forms the basis of plot.
# Conflict is resolved when either the protagonist or antagonist wins or gives up.
# There are FIVE types of conflict:
1. Person versus person
2. Person versus self
3. Person versus nature
4. Person versus society
5. Person versus technology
! SETTING:
- The time, place and
circumstances during which
the story takes place.
- The backdrop of the plot, but
it can also contribute to the
theme, the mood and even the
characters in the story.
PLOT
- The series of connected actions and
events in the story (including rising
action, conflict, climax falling action and
resolution.
TONE
- The feeling or attitude to the subject as
conveyed through elements of that text.
- - Writers establish this through diction
and style.
! FLASHBACK:
A device used to depict events
from the past.
! FORESHADOWING:
A device hinting at the future
or events later in the work.
! THEME
The message or moral of the
story.
- The overall message about
human nature or life that the
author wants to convey.
- -Expressed through all the
elements of the short story.
! SYMBOL:
Something concrete that
stands for something abstract.
! POINT OF VIEW
The perspective from which a
story is told.
1. First person story told from
the narrators perspective (uses
I, me).
2. Third person (omniscient)
narrator is not involved in the
story (uses he, she, they).
3. Second person the writer
never refers to him/herself or
directly to the reader as you.
.
! SUSPENSE:
Increasing tension caused by
uncertainty and excitement.
Five ways to create suspense:
1. Details of the setting
2. Danger to the life, position or
sanity of one of the characters
3. Sympathy felt by the reader
4. Withholding information
5. Drawing out events
.
! IRONY
A literary device based on
contrast.
Three types of irony include:
1. Verbal irony the speaker
says one thing, but means
another (sarcasm).
2. Dramatic irony the
audience or reader is aware of
something one or more of the
characters is not aware of.
3. Situational irony the
opposite happens to what the
reader has been led to expect.
! DIALOGUE:
Conversation.
Four purposes of dialogue
include:
1. Helps to produce a mood
or atmosphere.
2. Provides information
about the situation.
3. Gives information about
the situation.
4. Gives past information.