Analyzing a Story

To become adept at analyzing a story, long or short, the reader needs to become familiar with the elements
of story making.

Elements of Storymaking:
• structure
• characterization
• plot
• theme
• setting
• point of view
• character

Structure - the "shape" of the plot line. The way the action is organized. The structure gives the external
and internal framework for each story.
¬ External framework - marked by chapter divisions or sections with numbers or subtitles.
¬ Internal framework - marked by change of seasons, passage of time, yearly cycle, time of day, life
cycle, changes in weather, phases of social relationships, and changes in location.
Plot - The sequence of action or events in the story. There are four basic components to plot:
¬ Introduction - this is the beginning of the story, where information is given to the reader about the
story's characters, location and time period.
¬ Conflict - this is generally introduced near the beginning of the story we learn that the major
character has a Problem or conflict, either personal (internal) or with someone or something else
(external).
¬ Climax - this occurs when the conflict is pushed to its limits, something intense or important occurs,
usually near the end of the story.
¬ Resolution - this is the continuation of the story after the climax. The resolution may answer
questions left after the climax, or it may leave questions intentionally unanswered.

Setting - describes the scene for you by telling you where and when the story's action occurs. Setting
generally includes the time, place and social environment that frame the action.

Character - the character(s) is the person (or people) presented by the writer. There are two main types of
characters:
¬ Protagonist - the hero or heroine, the main character in the story.
¬ Antagonist - the character who opposes the protagonist, the person that helps cause conflict for the
protagonist.
Characterization - the way that the author makes that character seem real; the way the author presents the
character's personality, behavior, motives, values and conflicts. It is the author's characterization, or how
the author characterizes a specific character, that tells the reader which character is the protagonist and
which is the antagonist.
Theme - the central idea of the story. It can be plainly written, or implied.
Point of view - the perspective from which a story is told, i.e. who tells the story and how it is told. Some
common points of view are:
¬ First person - the narrator uses “I” to tell the story and can either be a major or minor participant in
the action.
¬ Third person - the narrator uses he, she, or they to tell the story and does not participate in the
action. This narrator can have different levels of information regarding the characters' inner
thoughts.’
¬ Third person omniscient - the narrator uses third person view point, but knows all of the characters'
thoughts.
¬ Third person limited - third person view point, but the narrator only has access to the thoughts of
one or a few of the characters.
Objective - this is still the third person view point (uses he, she, or they), but the narrator does not see into
the mind of any particular character. The narrator reports action impartially, without telling us what the
characters think or feel.