LITERARY

ELEMENTS
The Structure of a Story

Plot
Plot is the literary element that
describes the structure of a story. It
shows the causal arrangement of events
and actions within a story.
Plot details the process of resolving the
conflicts in a story.

Exposition
Beginning of the story & Characters and
setting are introduced
Shows the way things are before the action starts
and before the conflict is introduced.

Rising
Action

Major conflict and/or crisis is

introduced.
Stories can (and usually do) have more than
one conflict.

Climax
Height of the action & Turning point of
the story
The point at which there is no going back.

The most intense moment of the story

(can be physical or mental)

Falling
Action

Events following the climax that end in

the resolution.

Resolution
The conclusion of the story in which the
conflict is resolved.
Sometimes this is left to the readers
imaginationthe author may not directly
state the resolution.
Can be implied

Protagonist
Main character
Answers the question, Whose
story is this?
The protagonist always has
a goal.

Antagonist
The character that attempts to
BLOCK the protagonist from
achieving his/her goal.
This goal seeking/goal blocking is
what creates the CONFLICT in a
piece of literature.

Conflict
Without conflict there is NO story!!
A conflict is a struggle between two opposing
forces or ideas.
Two Categories : Internal and External Conflict
Internal - A struggle that takes place in a character's mind
External - occurs when a character struggles against an
outside force.

Human
Human
Human
Human
Human

v.
v.
v.
v.
v.

Human
Nature
Society
Machine
Supernatural

Two Categories
of
Conflict
INTERNAL
CONFLICT:
*A struggle that takes place in a
character's mind.
For example, when a character is trying to
make an important decision between two
things, s/he is experiencing
Internal Conflict
Also occurs when character is trying to
decide how s/he feels about an issuetrying
to define her/himself.

Internal Conflict
Cont
Internal Conflict is described as:
Human vs. Self
EXAMPLES:
Lord of The Rings: Frodoshould he keep the
ring?
Meet the Parents: Fockershould he be himself or
act how he thinks her parents want him to act?
Matrix: Neois he really the ONE?

External Conflict
External Conflict occurs when a
character struggles against an
outside force.
External Conflict is described as
Human
Human
Human
Human
Human

v.
v.
v.
v.
v.

Human
Nature
Society
Machine
Supernatural

Setting
Historical time and place and the social
circumstances that create the world in
which characters act and make choices.
Setting is revealed through:

Geographic location
Cultural backdrop/social context/time period
Artificial environment (rooms, buildings, cities)
Props (clothing, furniture, tools)

Setting creates the mood and atmosphere for

a story. Setting is linked to conflict!!!

Point of View
There are three main kinds
OMNISCIENT: the narrator knows all
feelings, thoughts and emotions of all
characters.
FIRST PERSON: one of the characters
is the narrator and the story is told from
his/her perspective (uses words like I,
me,my, mine, our, we, us).
THIRD PERSON: narrator is NOT a
character, but zooms in on one
characters thoughts and feelings.

Theme
Theme is the central, underlying and
controlling idea of a literary work.
It is a generalization about human
behavior.
Must be expressed in a FULL sentence.
Theme is almost always implicit
author does not come right out and
state theme.

Think of it like
this

Symbolism
A person, place or object which
has a meaning in itself but
suggests other meanings as well.
Things, characters and actions can be
symbols.
Anything that suggests a meaning
beyond the obvious.

Irony
Irony is the contrast between what is expected or
what appears to be and what actually is.
Verbal Irony
The contrast between what is said and what is
actually meant.
Situational Irony
This refers to a happening that is the opposite of
what is expected or intended.
Dramatic Irony
This occurs when the audience or reader knows
more than the characters know.

Allusion

Allusion is a brief reference to a

person, event, or place, real or
fictitious, or to a work of art. Casual
reference to a famous historical or
literary figure or event.
An allusion may be drawn from
history, geography, literature, art
or religion.