Narratives

Novel & Short Stories: an overview

Short Story• Tells about a single event or experience

• Usually 500 to 15,000 words in length

• It has a beginning, middle, and end

• Creates an impression on the reader

• Can be read in one sitting.

Why the introduction?

• Short stories often contain structural and character elements that should be familiar to you.

• These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the actions, themes, and contexts of the story. to analyze critically.

Elements of short stories/novels

Setting

• Tells the reader where and when the story takes place.

• It also includes ideas, customs, values, and beliefs.

• What is the setting for “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant?

Paris, 1880, Mdm. Loisel’s house, Minister’s house

• What is the setting for “Looking for a Rain God” by Bessie Head?

Village of Kgotla, Surrounding villages in Botswana, between 1958

Plot

A. ExpositionB. Rising ActionC. ClimaxD. Falling ActionE. Resolution

Freytag’s Pyramid

What is a plot?

• the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story.

• Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

1. Exposition• This usually occurs at the beginning of a short story. • The characters are introduced. • We also learn about the setting of the story and the

main conflict (main problem).

2. Rising Action

• This part of the story begins to develop the conflict(s). A building of interest or suspense occurs.

3. Climax• This is the turning point of the story. • Usually the main character comes face to face

with a conflict. The main character will change in some way.

4. Falling Action• All loose ends of the

plot are tied up.

• The conflict(s) and climax are taken care of.

5. Resolution

• The story comes to a reasonable ending.

Putting It All Together1. Exposition

2. Rising Action

3. Climax

4. Falling Action

5. Resolution

Beginning of Story

Middle of Story

End of Story

Point of View

• The perspective through which the story is told.

• The position of the narrator of the story and what the writer sees from that vantage point.

The voice or consciousness through which we understand the story and that shapes what we think and how we feel about everything in the story.

First-person point of view:

• The narrator is a character in the story, referred to as “I”.

• The narrator does participate in the action of the story.

• We know only what the narrator wants us to know.

• Is the narrator reliable?

Types of Point of View

Third person point of view:

• The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel.

• We learn about the characters through this outside voice.

• Each and every character is referred to by the narrator as “he”, “she”, “it”, or “they”.

Objective Point of View

• The writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue.

• The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.

• Reader doesn’t see any character’s inner thoughts and feelings, not even those of the point of view character. Instead, the reader is only witness to outer actions and dialogue.

Little Red Riding Hood opened the door to Grandma’s room and stepped inside. She sniffed lightly. She squinted at Grandma.“Hello, my dear. Come closer.” Grandma patted the bedspread beside her.Little Red moved closer to the bed. “What big eyes you have today, Grandma.”“All the better to see you with, my dear.”

• We can only see what physically happens and hear what is actually said.

Subjective point of view

• The reader is told what the characters are thinking and feeling.

• The narrator always discloses things about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.

Omniscient point if view

• A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing.

• The reader knows everything about the story. Everything is revealed to the reader except to the characters.

Little Red Riding Hood opened the door to Grandma’s room and stepped inside. She sniffed lightly. There was a strange smell in the room that she didn’t like. She squinted at Grandma. Why was the room so dark?“Hello, my dear. Come closer.” The Wolf patted the bedspread beside him. The girl needed to be closer so she couldn’t avoid the attack. The wolf’s mouth watered in anticipation of this juicy snack.Grandma’s voice was huskier than normal. Well, she was sick, after all.Little Red moved closer to the bed until she could see Grandma. What was wrong with Grandma’s eyes?“What big eyes you have today, Grandma.”Drat, the girl sounded suspicious. He would have to quickly reassure her so she didn’t leave. “All the better to see you with, my dear.”

• In addition to Red’s uneasiness about the smell and the darkness, the reader learns about the wolf’s anticipation of the attack and his desire to calm the fears of Little Red so he can attack and eat her.

Limited Omniscient point of view

• A narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor.

• Narrator may know absolutely everything about a single character and every piece of knowledge in that character's mind, but it is “limited” to that character

Little Red Riding Hood opened the door to Grandma’s room and stepped inside. She sniffed lightly. There was a strange smell in the room that she didn’t like. She squinted at Grandma. Why was the room so dark?“Hello, my dear. Come closer.” Grandma patted the bedspread beside her.Grandma’s voice was huskier than normal. Well, she was sick, after all.Little Red moved closer to the bed until she could see Grandma. What was wrong with Grandma’s eyes?“What big eyes you have today, Grandma.”“All the better to see you with, my dear.”

• Reader gets several inner thoughts from Red Riding Hood – she doesn’t like the smell in the room, she wonders why it is dark and she thinks there is something wrong with Grandma’s eyes.

• In contrast, you don’t get any of Grandma’s/The Wolf’s thoughts; all you see and hear from Grandma Wolf are the things that he says or does.

• In Limited Omniscient Point of View you only see one character’s thoughts and emotions. For all other characters, you only observe their outer actions and words.

Alternating person view

• General rule is for novels to adopt a single approach to point of view throughout but there are exceptions.

• Many stories, especially in literature, alternate between the first and third person.

• In this case, an author will move back and forth between a more omniscient third-person narrator to a more personal first-person narrator.

• Often, a narrator using the first person will try to be more objective by also employing the third person for important action scenes, especially those in which he/she is not directly involved or in scenes where he/she is not present to have viewed the events in first person.

• So, why do you think narrator use the First Person point of view?

Questions to ask• How does the point of view affect our responses

to the characters?

• How does the point of view shape our understanding and interpretations?

• How is our response influenced by how much the narrator knows and how objective and reliable s/he is?

• What might happen if another point of view took charge and told the story his/her way?

Conflict

EXTERNAL• Physical (human vs.

nature)

• Classical (human vs. human)

• Social (human vs. society)

INTERNAL• Psychological (human

vs. self)

What are some of the conflicts you’ve read about lately?