Literary Elements Some basics that every good story

Literary Elements Some basics that every good story must have ….

The time and place of the story is the setting Time – could be time of day, a certain year, or even a specific historical era Place – could be a home, a small town, or outer space

The point of view is the perspective of the story or who is telling the story It shapes the way the reader sees events and characters in the story. “That rotten wolf tried to eat us!!!!” “I was framed! I just wanted to borrow a cup of sugar!”

Every story needs characters People Animals Or Creatures

The protagonist is often the “good guy. ”

Protagonist ¨ Main character or the one most central to the action of the story ¨ Usually the hero ¨ Can have both good and bad qualities

The antagonist is the “bad guy” or force.

Antagonist ¨ Person, thing or force that works against the protagonist or hero. ¨ One of the main characters as well. ¨ An antagonist can be another character, a family, a society, a force of nature, or a force within the main character

Identify the Protagonist/Antagonist: ¨ http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p 3 j. VKD d 3 n. AA ¨ http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=4 w 8 NXT -u 5 OU

More on Characterization We talked about indirect and direct characterization. Here are two more ways to “label” a character in a story: ¨ Dynamic (change) – the character often learns something about themselves, the others or the world; they “evolve” by the end of the story; think of dynamite – it “changes” things ¨ Static (same) – a character that stays the same; used most often to help the main character move the story along

Plot ¨ The events that happen in the story Notice where most of the story takes place.

Five Parts of Plot 1. Exposition – the author “exposes” or introduces the characters, setting, and possibly parts of the conflict “It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator with a maximum capacity of three people. Martin, a thin twelve-year-old, felt nervous in it from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but there was something especially unpleasant about this one. ” -from “The Elevator” by William Sleator How does the author “expose” the story?

Five parts of the plot 2. Rising Action - Conflict or complications/problems the characters face - Most of the story takes place in Rising Action. - There can be “mini” turning points or climaxes in this part of the story.

Five Parts of Plot 3. Climax - Turning point of the story where the conflict is decided one way or another, or the solution may have begun. 4. Falling action -Author describes how the problem is solved. 5. Resolution (ending) - Brings story to an end

Conflict ¨ Internal conflict - character’s struggle within himself (man vs. self) ¨ External conflict - struggle between two characters or forces (man vs. nature; man vs. man; man vs. society) ¨ Identify the types of conflict in this clip: ¨ http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Xoa. L 5 Qm. WWDA

Foreshadowing A hint about what will happen next is called foreshadowing. http: //www. youtube. comwatch? v=n. Jd. XA 6 z. Ngq. U

Allusion ¨ A reference to something out of the story with which the reader is likely to be familiar, such as a person, place, or event from history or literature. ¨ Ask yourself: What doesn’t fit?

Allusion ¨ What is the allusion in this passage, and WHY is it an allusion? ¨ “Rafaela leans out the window and leans on her elbow and dreams her hair is like Rapunzel’s. On the corner there is music from the bar, and Rafaela wishes she could go there and dance before she gets old. ” –from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Mood and Tone ¨ Mood – The feeling that a literary work gives to readers – “I feel _________. ” Tone • • The writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject and audience – “The author feels _______ about the character/situation. ”

Flashback ¨ FLASHBACK: story stops for a past moment to be relived in the present Watch this clip and identify the flashback: Toy Story 2: When Somebody Loved Me. You. Tube

Suspense ¨ Feeling of anxious curiosity 1. Keeps readers interested 2. The real power of story lies in its ability to create suspense. 3. What literary elements contribute to/create suspense? Foreshadowing and conflict

Whether you’re the reader, or the writer, a great story includes all these literary elements! foreshadowing protagonist conflict climax characters setting antagonist point of view