De La Salle Senior English / Sr. Pat

NOTES ON SHORT STORY

AUTHOR TRANSFORMS LIFE INTO LANGUAGE
• NON-FICTION RECREATES REAL PERSONS AND EVENTS AND SHOWS DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS
• STORYTELLING IS THE OLDEST FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT.
• EARLY CIVILIZATIONS TOLD STORIES THROUGH SONG.


THE PRINTING PRESS ALLOWED STORIES TO APPEAR IN BOOKS AND MAGAZINES.


IN THE 20TH CENTURY STORIES WERE
PRESENTED ON TELEVISION OR IN THE MOVIES.


A GOOD SHORT STORY IS SHORT


A SHORT STORY AIMS FOR A SINGLE EFFECT.


LIVING IN THE 19TH CENTURY, POE WAS CONSIDERED THE ORIGINATOR OF THE SHORT STORY.
THE OPENING LINES SET THE TONE.
• THE FIRST LINES SHOULD TEMPT THE READER TO GO ONTO THE PLOT.
• THE PLOT IS THE STORY LINE THAT IS MADE UP OF EVENTS.
• THE EXPOSITION IS THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THE PLOT.
• THE COMPLICATION SHOWS THE PROBLEMS PRESENTED IN THE EXPOSITION.



*THE CLIMAX SHOWS THE MOMENT OF GREATEST INTENSITY.

*THE DENOUEMENT IS THE OUTCOME, THE FINAL WORKING OUT OF THE DETAILS OF THE CLIMAX.


*THE FOCUS OF A SHORT STORY IS ON A SPECIAL EVENT OR A SLICE OF LIFE.

ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT STORY
NOTES

PLOT-A SERIES OF RELATED EVENTS THAT MAKE UP A STORY
 CONFLICT-STRUGGLE BETWEEN OPPOSING FORCES
 MAN VS. MAN-EXTERNAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN TWO OR MORE INDIVIDUALS
 MAN VS. HIMSELF-INTERNAL STRUGGLE CONCERNING EMOTION AND DECISION
 MAN VS. NATURE-EXTERNAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN MAN AND AN ELEMENT OF NATURE.

COMPLICATION

 MINI-CONFLICTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE RISE IN ACTION

CLIMAX
 TURNING POINT OF THE STORY; EMOTIONAL HIGH POINT FOR THE CHARACTER, NOT THE READER.

FALLING ACTION
 EVENTS THAT LEAD TO RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION
 OUTCOME OF THE CONFLICT

FOUR TYPES OF CHARACTERIZATION-TECHNIQUES THE WRITER USES TO DEVELOP CHARACTER
 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
 SPEECH AND ACTIONS OF THE CHARACTER
 DIRECT COMMENT FROM THE NARRATOR
 SPEECH AND ACTIONS OF OTHER CHARACTERS

THEMES OF LITERATURE OR ANALYZING CHARACTERS
 MOTIVATION-CAUSE OF ACTIONS
 BEHAVIOR-ACTIONS OF THE CHARACTER
 CONSEQUENCES-RESULTS OF ACTIONS
 RESPONSIBILITY-MORAL, LEGAL, OR MENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY
 EXPECTATIONS

SETTING AND DESCRIPTION
 SENSORY DETAILS-WORDS THAT APPEAL TO THE SENSES.
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
 SIMILE- COMPARISON USING LIKE OR AS
 METAPHORE-CONPARISON USING IS OR A FORM OF IS
 IMPLIED METAPHOR
 EXPENDED METAPHOR
 PERSONIFICATION


SHORT STORY—NOTES

50 GREAT SHORT STORIES
Introduction

 A GOOD SHORT STORY MAKES US CURIOUS TO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
 EACH STORY WORKS IN A MAIN FRAMEWORK WHICH INCLUDES—
 CHARACTERS, PLOT, SETTING AND THEME.


HOW IS INTEREST ABOUT THE MAIN CHARACTER DEVELOPED?

THE AUTHOR DEVELOPS A CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO CHARACTERS OR WITHIN THE CHARACTER.

THE CONFLICT IS THEN WORKED OUT IN THE PLOT.
WHAT DOES THE AUTHOR USE TO TELL US THE STORY?

 POINT OF VIEW
 1ST PERSON-LIMITED CHARACTER IN THE STORY.
 3RD PERSON-LIMITED
 3RD PERSON-OMNISCENT-KNOWS ALL AND SEES ALL.

SUSPENSE

FLASHBACKS

FORESHADOWING

IRONY

ATMOSPHERE

TECHNIQUE-THE WAY THE STORY IS TOLD

THE WRITER DEVELOPS A THEME OR CENTRAL IDEA.

LINE OF ACTION
 EXPOSITION IS THE INTRODUCTORY PART OF THE STORY. CHARACTERS AND CONFLICTS ARE IDENTIFIED. SETTING AND TONE IS ESTABLISHED.


 COMPLICATION PRESENTSN THE EVENTS THAT STAND IN THE WAY OF RESOLVING THE CONFLICT.

LINE OF ACTION
 CLIMAX IS THE POINT OF HIGHEST TENSION IN THE ACTION OF THE STORY. THE MOVEMENT WHEN THE CONFLICT OR PROBLEM IS ABOUT TO BE RESOLVED.


 DENOUEMENT IS THE PART OF THE ACTION THAT FOLLOWS THE CLIMAX.

 CONCLUSION IS THE ENDING OF THE STORY.


THE TWO BASIC AREAS OF LITERATURE ARE…
 PROSE
 NON-FICTION
 FACTS, OPINONS, OBSERVATION, ACTUAL EXPERIENCE, OBJECTIVE, EXPOSITORY EXPLANATION, STORY FORM, ARGUMENT



FICTION
 FICTION IS IMAGINATION, SUBJECTIVE, NARRATIVE
 TWO TYPES OF FICTION ARE… *NARRATIVE-NOVELS, READING, AUDIENCE
 DRAMATIC-TRAGEDY, MAINLY VIEWED BY AN AUDIENCE
2ND TYPE OF FICTION--POETRY
 POETRY IS RHYMED OR NOT RHYMED (FREE-VERSE)
 TWO TYPES OF POETRY
 NARRATIVE CAN INCLUDE EPIC AND BALLAD
 LYRIC IS GENERAL, DRAMATIC REVEALING THE POET’S FEELINGS.