FICTION ELEMENTS NOTES Fiction Elements There are SIX

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FICTION ELEMENTS NOTES

FICTION ELEMENTS NOTES

Fiction Elements There are SIX literary elements that occur in EVERY piece of FICTION

Fiction Elements There are SIX literary elements that occur in EVERY piece of FICTION (novel, short story, drama, myth, etc. ) you might read. They are as follows: setting, plot, conflict, characters, point of view, and theme. You can, and usually will be asked to, find these in any piece of literature.

Setting Setting is where and when the story or novel takes place. The setting

Setting Setting is where and when the story or novel takes place. The setting of the novel can change the mood, or emotion, in the novel. For example, if the setting is a dark stormy night in the woods of Virginia, the mood of the story might be scary, gloomy, or sad. On the other hand, if the setting is a bright sunny day at the beach in Florida, the mood might be happy, cheerful, bright, and funny.

Plot The plot of a story or novel are the related events that take

Plot The plot of a story or novel are the related events that take place, or the things that happen in the story. There are FIVE parts to the plot of a story. We often put these five parts of the plot of a plot diagram or plot peak.

Plot cont. Exposition~ the introduction, the set up of characters, conflict, etc. Rising Action~

Plot cont. Exposition~ the introduction, the set up of characters, conflict, etc. Rising Action~ where most of the novel takes place, the complications and major conflict happen here Climax~ the most intense part of the story Falling Action~ the let down after the climax, things start to be resolved Resolution~ all the loose ends are tied up

Conflict The major problem in the novel or story (A piece of fiction also

Conflict The major problem in the novel or story (A piece of fiction also has complications, or smaller problems that arise throughout the piece of literature. ) These conflicts and complications can be broken down in 2 ways. Internal conflict~ a problem within the character’s mind External conflict~ a problem between a character and outside force Character vs. Nature Character vs. Society Character vs. Fate

Characters The characters are the people in the story. There are many ways characters

Characters The characters are the people in the story. There are many ways characters can be classified; these are the 3 ways I expect you to know. Static vs. Dynamic~ Stay the same vs. Growing and maturing Major vs. Minor~ Has a large part vs. Has a small part Protagonist vs. Antagonist~ Main character vs. Person/Group who is against the main character

Point of view The perspective from which the story is told (The narrator is

Point of view The perspective from which the story is told (The narrator is the person telling the story. ) 1 st person~ A character within the story is the narrator and telling the story, we know most things about one character but not as much about the others, be careful as to whether you can trust this kind of narrator 3 rd person limited~ an outside narrator is telling the story, we only know what the characters do and say (not what they think and feel) 3 rd person omniscient~ an outside narrator is telling the story, we know everything about

POV cont. Authors do NOT pick their point of view randomly. It’s always a

POV cont. Authors do NOT pick their point of view randomly. It’s always a good idea to think about WHY an author chose as he or she did. If an author really wants you to sympathize, or side with, a particular character, 1 st person would be a good choice. However, if an author wants you to choose which character to sympathize with, 3 rd person would be a better choice.

Theme The theme is the central message or an insight about life (a lesson)

Theme The theme is the central message or an insight about life (a lesson) the author wants us to learn. Themes are usually developed throughout a story with the characters constantly learning as problems arise. Its purpose to the story is that it shows how the characters grow and learn about life. In turn, we, the readers, learn a message about life as well. Themes are written as complete sentences!

Other literary terms in literature Flashback~ when the narrator tells about an event from

Other literary terms in literature Flashback~ when the narrator tells about an event from the past within a novel Foreshadowing~ giving hints about what will happen later Simile~ a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Metaphor~ a comparison not using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Allusion~ an unexplained reference to a famous book, person, etc. Idiom~ a commonly used expression that isn’t literally true Alliteration~ using two or more words with the same beginning consonant sound Hyperbole~ stretching or over emphasizing the truth