Table of Contents Page 1 Plot Structure and

Table of Contents Page # 1 Plot Structure and Theme Notes

Plot Structure Breaking down stories…

Conflict is the struggle between two forces in a story.

EXTERNAL CONFLICT ○ An external conflict is between a character and an outside force. ○ Man vs. Man ○ Man vs. Nature ○ Man vs. Society

MAN vs. MAN ○ A character struggles with another character. ○ Protagonist vs. Antagonist ○ The classic “good guy” vs. “bad guy” situation

MAN vs. NATURE ○ A character struggles with a force of nature (natural disaster, desolation, animal, etc. ) ○ Usually, the character is struggling to survive.

MAN vs. SOCIETY ○ ○ ○ In this conflict, a character or a group of characters fight against the society in which they live. The character fights against social traditions or rules (fight for freedom, rights, for a cause etc. ) Society becomes a “character” of its own Usually used to comment on positive or negative aspects of real society (SATIRE) Can you think of any examples?

INTERNAL CONFLICT ○ An internal conflict is between a character and his/her self. ○ Man vs. Self

MAN vs. SELF ○ The character’s struggle takes place in his/her own mind. ○ Usually has something to do with a choice (choosing between right and wrong), or it may have to do with overcoming emotions or mixed feelings.

OTHER TYPES OF CONFLICT ○ Man vs. Supernatural ○ ○ Man vs. Fate ○ ○ Gods, ghosts, monsters, spirits, aliens, etc. Fight for choice; fight against destiny Man vs. Technology ○ Computers, machines, etc.

Types of Conflict External Conflict – a conflict that is observable Internal Conflict – a conflict within a character's mind; a difficult decision

Plot Components Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action Complication: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax Exposition/Basic Situation: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Resolution/Denouement: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

Types of Linear Plots can be told in Chronological order Flashback Flash Forward Foreshadowing

The Three Little Pigs The little pig built house outlittle of straw Oncefirst upon a time therehis were three pigs and the because it was the easiest thing to do. time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes. Before theybuilt left, his their mother them " The second little pig house out told of sticks. Whatever it the best you can This was ayou littledo, bitdo stronger thanthat a straw house. because that's the way to get along in the world. The third little pig built his house out of bricks. Exposition – background information

One night the big bad wolf, who dearly loved to eat fat little piggies, came along and saw the first little pig in his house of straw. He said "Let me in, little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin", said the little pig. But of course the wolf did blow the house in and ate the first little pig. The wolf then came to the house of sticks. "Let me in , Let me in little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin", said the little pig. But the wolf blew that house in too, and ate the second little pig.

Complication Exposition The struggle Opening of a story / background

The wolf then came to the house of bricks. "Let me in , let me in" cried the wolf "Or I'll huff and I'll puff till I blow your house in. " "Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, " said the pig. Well, the wolf huffed and puffed but he could not blow down that brick house. But the wolf was a sly old wolf and he climbed up on the roof to look for a way into the brick house. The little pig saw the wolf climb up on the roof and lit a roaring fire in the fireplace and placed on it a large kettle of water. When the wolf finally found the hole in the chimney he crawled down and KERSPLASH right into that kettle of water and that was the end of his troubles with the big bad wolf.

Climax Complication Exposition The most exciting part of the story The struggle Opening of a story / background

The next day the little pig invited his mother over. She said "You see it is just as I told you. The way to get along in the world is to do things as well as you can. " Fortunately for that little pig, he learned that lesson. And he just lived happily ever Climax after! Complication The most The struggle Exposition exciting part of the story Opening of a story / background Resolution/Denouement The ending

Plot: Moral: Romeo and Juliet, two kids from warring Don’t go against your parents’ wishes. families, fall in love. After Romeo murders Juliet’s cousin, he is banished from the city. Juliet devises a plan to fake her own death in an attempt to escape to Romeo. Tragically, he finds her before he is told of the plan and believes she is dead. He kills himself. Juliet awakens. She kills herself. Topics: Theme: Love Feud Friendship Loyalty Hatred Young people in love against all odds can be so passionate and unrealistic that tragedy results from their dramatic intrigues. Directions: 1. With your partner, create a definition for each of the terms (plot, moral, topic, theme) based on the examples from Romeo & Juliet.

Theme is… ▶ the central, underlying and controlling idea of a work of literature ▶ the idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject—the writer’s view of the world or a revelation about human nature.

Good theme statements… ▶ Are expressed in a whole sentence, not just a word or phrase.

Good theme statements… ▶ Account for all the major events of the story, not just certain ones.

Good theme statements… ▶ Are universal! That is, they can apply to other people, perhaps us. Important understanding: A good theme statement does not specifically name the people or events in the

Good theme statements… ▶ Are not clichés or morals. Don't judge a book by its cover. You should try hard or you might fail.

Good vs. Poor Theme Statements ▶ Suppose you were going to write a theme statement for Romeo and Juliet.

Poor ▶ ▶ ▶ love teenage love is usually doomed always look to see if someone's really dead before killing yourself from grief members of feuding families shouldn't fall in love a boy and girl from warring families try to be happy, but end up dead from a set of mistakes Good ▶ ▶ The bad blood of feuding families may eventually bring doom, not only to those who create the feud, but to the next generation. Young people in love against all odds can be so passionate and unrealistic that tragedy results from their dramatic intrigues.

How to Interpret Theme IDEAS ABOUT LIFE…

1. “Theme” and “subject” are not the same thing. ▶ The subject is just the topic (which can usually be stated in a single word, such as love. ) ▶ The theme is the lesson about the subject. A theme should be expressed as a statement.

2. Think of how the protagonist changes. ▶ Does the main character change in some way? ▶ Does the main character realize something that he or she did not know before? ▶ Example: How does Ebenezer Scrooge Change in A Christmas Carol? ▶ Example: How does Marlen change in the movie Finding Nemo?

3. How is the conflict resolved? ▶ The way a story’s major conflict is resolved usually is related to the major theme or message. ▶ Example: How is the conflict resolved in The Tortoise and the Hare?

4. Does the title hint at something? ▶ The title is often a hint for a major lesson in the story. ▶ Example ▶ What is a possible theme for The Boy Who Cried Wolf?

5. Test your statement of theme. ▶ Does your statement of theme apply to the whole piece and not just one part? ▶ Does it apply to multiple characters? ▶ Is it contradicted? If so, it may not be a major theme.

6. What do you know about the author? ▶ Knowing about an author’s background often allows the reader to better understand that author’s message. ▶ How did the author grow up? ▶ Did the author have any traumatic experiences? ▶ Does the author have any strong beliefs?

7. There are different ways to express theme. ▶ The best literary works often have more than one theme. ▶ A complex story is likely to have many lessons. ▶ People can have different opinions about theme (and that is perfectly fine). ▶ Ultimately, an interpretation of theme depends on how well one can argue a position.

Theme Statement Sentence Frame