Intro to Short Stories
CP English 10Mr. Coleman
September 10, 2008
What is a short story?
Short Stories vs. Novels• Three key differences• Length
– meant to be read in one sitting• Complexity
– limits itself to one key event• Character Development
– only one or two main characters
Short Stories vs. Novels• Shorter length means maximum
impact with minimum words!• Writers rely on many techniques and
elements to tell their story as succinctly as possible.
• These elements are key in this unit!
How to Approach Reading• Three primary ways:• 1. Literal Reading
• 2. Inferential Reading
• 3. Critical Reading
Literal Reading• This is reading for details and facts.
• What are some examples of this type of reading?
Inferential Reading• What is an inference?
– a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence (facts)
– We will be talking about these all year.• Drawing inferences is key in active
reading.
Inferential Reading• What can you infer from…• a character who is “red-faced”?
• a poem that uses words like gloomy, tear-streaked, and heavy-hearted?
• a statistic that tells you that 85% of high school students use MySpace?
Critical Reading• This is reading beyond literal and
inferential in order to evaluate a piece.
• We are all critics when we read as soon as we give feedback.
• What do you think is key to quality critical reading?
Literary ElementsWhich do you know?
• Setting• Atmosphere• Plot line• Metaphor• Simile• Point of view• Internal conflict• External conflict• Tone
• Theme• Characterization• Foreshadowing• Symbol• Flashback• Suspense• Hyperbole• Irony• Satire
Setting• Setting is the time and place of the
story.
• Setting is key in developing a story’s atmosphere
Setting• What is the setting of Elf ?• North Pole / New York City• What is the setting of Family Guy?• Quahog, Rhode Island• What is the setting of Julius Caesar?• Rome
Atmosphere• Atmosphere is the general mood or
feeling of a story• What kind of settings and
atmospheres do you think of for…• horror movies?• Sci-fi novels?• Setting is the noun; atmosphere is
the adjective
Plot line• What are the five key parts of a plot
line?• 1. Exposition• 2. Rising action• 3. Climax• 4. Falling action• 5. Resolution
Exposition• Start of the story• Establishes setting and characters• Think: EXPosition = EXPlanation
Rising Action• Series of events that leads up to the
climax• Develops characters, conflicts, and
other key elements• Creates interest in the story• Builds tension
Climax• The moment of highest intensity in
the story
• The outcome of the conflict is made clear.
Falling Action• Any action that follows the climax
• This is usually quick-moving and makes up a small part of the overall story.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Resolution• The end of the story
• All loose ends are (usually) tied up.
Metaphor and Simile• Both are comparisons• Simply, a simile uses “like” or “as”; a
metaphor does not.• Similes:• The horse was as big as…• The student was as smart as…
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Metaphor and Simile• Metaphors:• The football player was a(n)…• His love for her was a(n)…
• But this is the basic definition of a metaphor. How will we refer to it?
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Metaphor and Simile• A metaphor a comparison between
two seemingly different things, with hopes of giving more meaning to one of them.
• The football player was a house.• His love for her was an ocean.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Point of View• Point of View is the view from which
a story is told.• There are three main points of view:• First-person• Third-person limited• Third-person omniscient QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.
Point of View• A first-person narration tells the story
from a character’s perspective.• It is the character speaking (I, me,
we).• We only know what he or she knows.• What must we remember in a first-
person narrative?• The events of the story may be
biased!
Point of View“I heard a noise from outside. As I got
up and walked boldly towards the entrance to the room, I knew that there may be someone lurking around the corner. I kept my composure and continued forward, knowing that I may soon have to take down an intruder.”
Point of View• A third-person limited narration is
told from the perspective of a character, but it is not the character who is telling the story.
• How is this different from first-person?
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Point of View• “John heard a noise from outside. He
wasn’t sure what it was, so he slowly walked towards the door. He was visibly shaking, and he knew that he could be attacked at any minute. With sweat dropping from his brow, he slowly peaked around the corner.”
Point of View• A third-person omniscient narration
tells the story from a “God-like” point of view.
• The narrator is all-knowing.• We see several events taking place
at the same time.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Point of View• “John heard a loud noise outside. He
wasn’t sure what it was, so he walked slowly towards the door. Little did he know that his anxiety was unnecessary. At the same time, around the corner sat Snuggles, his cat, who had just knocked a plate from the kitchen sink. With sweat dripping from John’s brow, he slowly peaked around the corner.”
Conflict• The conflict is the struggle between
two opposing forces.• EVERY STORY has some sort of
conflict.• What’s your favorite movie? What’s
its conflict?
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Conflict• Furthermore, there are two types of
conflicts to know:• 1. Internal conflict• 2. External conflict
Conflict• Internal Conflict: a struggle within a
character’s own mind• We experience these every day.• Think of the angel versus the devil
on your shoulder; this is internal conflict.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Conflict• External conflict has three types:• 1. Man vs. man• e.g. stories of good guy vs. bad guy• 2. Man vs. nature• e.g. stories of travel and adventure• 3. Man vs. society• e.g. stories of defying odds
Tone• Tone is the attitude the writer takes
towards the subject or the reader.• This is closely related to atmosphere
(feeling).
Theme• The theme is the underlying idea
about life.• It is an exploration of important
questions and issues.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Theme• Remember Romeo and Juliet?• The Power of Love• How?• The Individual vs. Society• How?
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
HALFWAY QUIZ!TAKE OUT A PIECE OF PAPER!
1. What is the difference between third-person limited and third-person omniscient (points of view)?
2. What is the difference between setting and atmosphere?
3. What is the difference between internal and external conflict?
Characterization• The way characters’ personalities are
developed.• There are two types of
characterization:• 1. Direct characterization• 2. Indirect characterization
Characterization• Direct characterization is when the
writer tells us what kind of person the character is.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Characterization• Indirect characterization makes us
figure out what kind of person the character is on our own.
• How?
• Through the character’s words, actions, and interactions with others.
Foreshadowing• Foreshadowing is clues or details
that hint at upcoming events in a story.
• It is often accomplished through symbols and omens.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Symbol• A symbol is something that stands
for something else.• What are some of the common
symbols for…• peace?• love?• life?
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Flashback• A flashback is a scene that interrupts
the current action in order to give some sort of background information.
• It tells of earlier events that are probably still important to the story.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Suspense• Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty
or anxiety in a story.• Suspense is what keeps us reading.
Without suspense, we are usually disappointed with the story.
• It can occur in all genres.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Hyperbole• Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect.• We often use hyperbole in everyday
discussions.• When have you used it?• “It must have snowed eight feet last
night!”• “LeBron James scored about 600
points in that game.”
Irony• Irony is a contrast between what is
said and what is meant.• It is also a contrast between what is
expected and what happens.• It is a hard term to understand, so
let’s study some examples from pop music…
IronyFrom the song “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette,
tell me which ones are actual irony.• “An old man turned 98. He won the lottery
and died the next day.”• “It’s like rain on your wedding day.”• “It’s a traffic jam when you’re already
late.”• “And as the plane crashed down, he
thought, ‘Well, isn’t this nice?’”
Irony• What is the difference between irony
and sarcasm?• Sarcasm is meant to be insulting• So, sarcasm is ALWAYS ironic, but
irony is NOT ALWAYS sarcastic
Satire• Satire is when art (literature) mocks
or ridicules individuals or society.• It is often done in a humorous
manner.• What are some common examples?• The Simpsons• South Park• Saturday Night Live
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.
FINAL QUIZ!TAKE OUT A PIECE OF PAPER
1. What is direct characterization?2. Why do people use hyperbole when
they tell stories?3. What is the difference between
sarcasm and irony?
Top Related