21st century literature reviewer

Elements of a short story

Plot and structure plot
-It is a reflection of motivation and causation. It is the sequence of incidents or events through
which an author constructs a story. The plot is not merely the action itself, but the way the
author arranges the action toward a specific end.

Structure
- It defines the layout of the work. It presents how each event causes or leads to the next. I
t

Conflict
- It is where plot is often created. It is a controlling impulse in a connected pattern of causes and
effects. It is a major element of plot because it arouses curiosity, causes doubt, creates tension
and produces interest. Remember that if there is no tension there is no interest. Great stories
do have a conflict.

-conflict id classified into external and internal .

-An external conflict is one between a character and an outside force, such as another character,
nature, society, or fate.

-An internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or
between different courses of action. This is also called dilemma, a conflict within or for one person.

Most plots develop in five stages:

1. Exposition - introduces the story's characters, setting, and conflict.
2. Rising action - occurs as complications, twists, or intensifications of the conflict occur.
3. Climax -is the emotional high point of the story. It is the most exciting part of the story.
4. Falling action is the logical result of the climax.
5. Resolution - presents the final outcome of the story. It may be happy, unhappy or
indeterminate.

Character and Characterization

Character is a verbal representation of a human being. Every story needs characters: people,
animals, or any other creatures. The character is either a protagonist ("the good guy") or
 antagonist ("the bad guy'"). A character is also classified as flat, round, stock, static or
developing.

Types of Characters
1. Flat Character - usually has one or two predominant traits. The character can be
summed up in just a few lines. Example: A father who is strict from the beginning to
the end of the story.
2. Round Character - is complex, many faceted and has the qualities of real people.
Example: In the story, he is a father, a goon, an executive, etc.
3. Static Character is a character that remains essentially the same throughout. Example:
The daughter who remains a baby from start to finish.
4. Developing Character - is a character that undergoes a significant change during the
story. Example: A daughter, who suffers from the beginning, strives hard to improve
her life and become rich, helps her parents and becomes happy at the end, or vice-
versa.

Settings
The setting of a story is its overall context-where, when and in what circumstances the
action occurs

Setting as Place - The physical environment where the story takes place. The
description of the environment often points towards its importance.

Setting as Time - includes time in all of its dimensions. To determine the importance,
ask, "What was going on at that time?"

Setting as Cultural Context (Condition) - Setting also involves the social circumstances
of the time and place. Consider historical events and social and political issues of the
time.

Point of View (POV)

-Point of view refers to whoever is telling the story. It is the speaker, narrator, persona
or voice created by the author to tell the story. To determine the POV, ask "who is
telling the story", and "how much do they know?" The point of view relies on two
factors namely the physical situation of the narrator as an observer and the speaker's
intellectual and emotional position.
• First person = I, we
• Second person = you (uncommon)
• Third person = He, she, they (most common)
• Point of view may be: Dramatic/objective = strictly reporting - Omniscient = all-
knowing - Limited omniscient = some insight
Theme

-Theme is the central idea or message of a story, often a perception about life or human
nature. Stated themes are directly presented in a story. Implied themes must be
inferred by considering all the elements of a story and asking what message about life is
conveyed.
Theme: life experience of a child during a calamity like the war.
Tone and Style
-Tone is the method by which writers and speakers reveal attitudes or feelings
. Example:
For Cindy Mae, who is now a mother of two, the farm from when she was still a child,
where she lived with her parents, is what makes the terrible things that happened
during the war - the things she, Leo, Homer, Fae and the others had to do - all
worthwhile. It is where she belongs.
Tone: nostalgic, misses her childhood days

Sound devices
Onomatopoeia
-Is a words that imitates the natural sound of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the
thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting.

Example:
*The gushing stream flows in the forest.
* The buzzing bee flaw away.
*The sack fell into the river with a plash.

Alliteration
-It is a sound device that reflects repetition in two or more nearby words of initial or beginning
consonant sounds.

Example:
* Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
* Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter’s bitter
Assonance
-It is a sound device that reflects repetition of vowel sounds in a word within a line.

Example:

* Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite

* Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Consonance
-It is a sound device that reflects repetition of consonance sounds anywhere within a word of
atleast two words in a line of poetry.

Example:

* I`ll swing by my ankles.

She`ll cling to your knees
* fuddy duddy

Period/ Era of the Philippine Literature