Plot Components“The Elevator”

By: Destiny BattleCarlos Smith

Learning Objective

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Exposition

• The setting is a small elevator in a small building. Martin, the main character, a “thin twelve- year old” is introduced to the readers as an imaginative and worrisome person.

• The main conflict in Sleator’s The Elevator is Martin facing his own internal fears, and insecurities. Martin experiences additional external conflicts between himself and another character, a large threatening woman, or is it an internal conflict with his mind.

Rising Action• A large woman gets on the

elevator and stares at Martin increasing his nervousness.

• To avoid the large lady, Martin begins taking the stairs, but falls down a flight of stairs and fractures his leg; and while he can temporarily avoid taking the elevator by himself, his father leaves him alone on the elevator to help a neighbor.

Climax

• Once Martin’s dad exits the elevator, Martin now even more vulnerable because of fractured leg, must go up by himself. At the next floor, the large lady gets on, the door closes, and she says “Hello Martin,” laughs, and pushes the ‘stop’ button.

Falling Action

• The elevator ends at the climax leaving the reader in suspense.

• Our prediction is that the Lady tries to kidnap Martin but he manages to escape from her control.

Resolution

• Martin reports the kidnapping to the police and the woman is arrested. Martin and his father moves out of the apartment building and lives happily ever after.