Elements of a Short

Story
● Characters
● Setting
● Theme
● Conflict
● Plot
Character
The characters answer the question ‘Who?’.
A character can be a person, an animal, or another
thing that is alive and takes part in the action of the
story.
Types of Characters
All stories require a central character or main character or protagonist. Most
short stories also include one or two secondary characters. The characters in a
short story can be classified as follows:
■ Main character or supporting character, also known as primary and
secondary characters
■ Flat or round characters
■ Static and dynamic characters
■ Protagonist and antagonist
■ Antihero
Primary and Secondary Characters

● The primary character can change perception,

experience epiphanies, sometimes narrate the story,
carry the meaning of the story.
● The writer builds the story around a primary
character.
● Often, the story also requires secondary characters
who are less developed, don’t experience change,
Flat or Round Characters
● Flat characters are stock characters, stereotypes, caricatures,
stand-ins for ideas, don’t experience emotion, don’t react, or
take action.
● Round characters act, react, have the possibility of expressing
emotions, are motivated to achieve a purpose or goal. The
writer explores in depth the background, appearance,
personality, motives, actions of the round character.
Static or Dynamic Characters.

● Dynamic character experiences a change in

perception, change in behavior, or experience an
epiphany by the time the story ends.
● Static character doesn’t change as the story
progresses.
Protagonist and Antagonist
● The main character is the protagonist, hero, even
antihero of the story.
● The protagonist is always in conflict with the
antagonist of the story.
● The antagonist is the villain or opposing force in the
story.
Antihero
● a main character who is not at all like the archetype
protagonist. The writer tells a story in which the protagonist is
tragically flawed or has imperfections of character.
● For instance, the character might be selfish, fearful, bigoted.
The protagonist might also have characteristics that are
normally associated with the villain of a story.
SETTING
Setting answers the questions ‘When?’ and ‘Where?’.
A short story’s setting is the place and time in which
the action takes place.
This can include scenery, buildings, landscape,
weather, seasons, or other time and environment
elements.
THEME
● Theme is central idea of the story.
● The theme of a short story is simply its meaning.
It is the main idea explored in the story by the
writer. It answers the question: What did you learn
about the human condition or human nature?
How Can You Identify the Theme of a Short Story?

● Sometimes a writer crafts a story with a central idea, in which

the theme is easy to identify and understand—such as love,
hatred, death.
● Often, though, writers craft stories in which the theme is
implied, not easily identified. And so, the theme can often be
understood in the plot of a story, through the characters of a
story, by understanding the conflict.
The reader must analyze the story to determine its theme. Here’s
are several suggestions:

● Understand the main conflict of the short story.

● Understand the epiphany. Usually, you can the theme of a
story once you understand the epiphany—what does the
protagonist learn, what is the revelation.
● Ask yourself: How does the character change from the
beginning of the story to the end of the story?
● Ask yourself: What does the story suggest about human
nature? Two common themes are good versus evil. Another
is that the human heart cannot endure the burden of guilt.
Another is that we have a dark side, alter ego, that can do
wicked things, commit evil acts.
● Ask yourself: What does the story suggest about the human
condition? The literature of short fiction includes several
themes that are often repeated.
● Sometimes the theme is suggested in the title.
● Look for key phrases or sentences. Sometimes the writer
reveals the theme by repeating symbols or motifs.
● A common way to understand the theme is by identify the
“big idea”, what the story is about—love, death, crime,
abortion, lust, human nature, divorce, abuse, and so forth.
● The theme of a story can sometimes be understood by its
setting. Where does the story take place? What historical
time frame? Did social change occur during this period?
Conflict
● Conflict brings an answer to the question ‘Why?’.
● Conflict is the struggle between two (or more) people or things
in the story.
● The conflict usually involves the main character as
representing one side of the conflict.
● On the other side of the conflict, is the other part of the
struggle. This can be another character, the forces of nature, a
character’s inner turmoil, or something else.
Conflict
● Struggles between opposing forces in a
story

● Two types of conflict:

○ External or Internal
Conflict
● External Conflict
○ Struggles take place between outside forces

○ Character vs. Character

○ Character vs. Nature
○ Character vs. Machine
○ Character vs. Society
Conflict
● Internal
● Struggle takes place within a character’s mind

● Character vs. Self

Plot
Plot answers the question ‘What?’. Plot is the series of events and
actions that move the central conflict along.
Plot Diagram
Exposition
● The exposition is the introduction to a story,
including the primary characters' names, setting,
mood, and time.
● At the beginning of the story, characters, setting,
and the main conflict are typically introduced.
Rising Action
● The rising action of the story is all of the events that lead to the
eventual climax, including character development and events
that create suspense.
● The main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing
the conflict begin to unfold. The story becomes complicated.
Climax
● The climax is the most exciting point of the story, and is a
turning point for the plot or goals of the main character.
● At the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the
main character faces a major enemy, fear, challenge, or other
source of conflict. The most action, drama, change, and
excitement occurs here.
Falling Action
● The falling action is everything that happens as a result of the
climax, including wrapping-up of plot points, questions being
answered, and character development.
● The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying
up loose ends.
Resolution/Denoument:
● the resolution is like a concluding paragraph that resolves any
remaining issues and ends the story.
● The resolution is not always happy, but it does complete the
story. It can leave a reader with questions, answers, frustration,
or satisfaction.
Types of Plot
a. Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—
usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and
comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world’s most
universal and compelling plot—the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker
Joseph Campbell.
Examples:
Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.
b. Rags to Riches:
This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at
some point, the protagonist will have everything, lose everything,
and then gain it all back by the end of the story, after experiencing
great personal growth.
Examples:
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.
c. The Quest:
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and
dangerous adventures in order to find treasure or solve a huge
problem. Usually, the protagonist is forced to begin the quest but
makes friends that help face the many tests and obstacles along the
way. This is also a version of Campbell’s monomyth.
Examples:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon
d. Voyage and Return:
The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place,
facing danger and adventures along the way, returning home with
experience and understanding. This is also a version of the
monomyth.
Examples:
Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard
of Oz
e. Comedy:
A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing
over difficulties and adversities.
Examples:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone
f. Tragedy:
The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad
ending, typically death.
Examples:
Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth
g. Rebirth:
The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through
the experience of the story’s conflict.
Examples:
The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch
 THAT’S IT!
READY TO READ A SHORT
STORY?