Plot Structure

Mapping a Story on the Plot

Pyramid
 Parts of a Story
• Plot
• Character—a person in the story we learn about through
their words, thoughts and actions
• Setting—the place where the story is set
• Problem or Conflict—the struggle in the story
• Events—the things that take place in the story that are
important and lead to the climax and the resolution (also
known as Rising Action and Falling Action)
• Climax—the most intense part of the story, physically or
emotionally
• Resolution—the conclusion, tying up all the loose ends,
telling how it all ended up
 What is plot?
• Plot concerns the organization of the main
events of a work of fiction.  Most plots will
trace some process of change in which
characters are caught up in a conflict that
is eventually resolved. 
 Plot Diagram
Climax

Rising Action Falling Action

4
Exposition 2
Resolution
1
5
 1. Exposition
• This usually occurs at the beginning of a short
story. Here the characters are introduced. We also
learn about the setting of the story. This section
also presents other facts necessary to
understanding the story
 Important Parts of the Exposition
• Setting • Characters
– Time – Protagonist: The
– Place main character; the
hero
– Antagonist: The
character who is in
conflict with the
protagonist in some
way; the “bad guy”
 2. Rising Action
• The rising action includes all the
events that lead to the climax. It
also presents some type of conflict
 3. Climax
• The “high point”. 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.
 Beginning, Middle and End
• Every story can be Beginning Middle End

broken up into three Characters Events in Resolution

parts: the beginning, the Rising or
Action Conclusion
the middle and the Setting
end. Climax
Problem or
Conflict
Event(s) in
the Falling
Action
The Princess and the Pea
   
Once upon a time there
was a prince who wanted to
marry a princess; but she
would have to be a real
princess. He travelled all over
the world to find one, but
nowhere could he get what he
wanted. There were
princesses enough, but it was
difficult to find out whether
they were real ones. There
was always something about
them that was not as it should
be. So he came home again
and was sad, for he would
have liked very much to have
a real princess.
 
  
  One evening a terrible storm
came on; there was thunder
and lightning, and the rain
poured down in torrents.
Suddenly a knocking was
heard at the city gate, and the
old king went to open it.
 
    It was a princess standing
out there in front of the gate.
But, good gracious! what a
sight the rain and the wind had
made her look. The water ran
down from her hair and
clothes; it ran down into the
toes of her shoes and out
again at the heels. And yet she
said that she was a real
princess.
 
   
"Well, we'll soon find that
out," thought the old
queen. But she said
nothing, went into the
bed-room, took all the
bedding off the bedstead,
and laid a pea on the
bottom; then she took
twenty mattresses and
laid them on the pea, and
then twenty eider-down
beds on top of the
mattresses.
 
  
  On this the princess had
to lie all night. In the
morning she was asked
how she had slept.
 
    "Oh, very badly!" said
she. "I have scarcely
closed my eyes all night.
Heaven only knows what
was in the bed, but I was
lying on something hard,
so that I am black and
blue all over my body. It's
horrible!"
 
   
 Now they knew that she
was a real princess because
she had felt the pea right
through the twenty mattresses
and the twenty eider-down
beds.
 
    Nobody but a real princess
could be as sensitive as that.
 
    So the prince took her for
his wife, for now he knew that
he had a real princess; and the
pea was put in the museum,
where it may still be seen, if no
one has stolen it.
 
   
 Climax-Middle
Princess couldn’t sleep because of the
pea-they knew she was a real princess

The Queen invited the

princess to sleep on 20
Rising Action mattresses with a pea Falling Action
under the bottom one

A “princess” knocked The prince and princess marry

on the door in a storm
Prince searched
for a princess, but
couldn’t find one
Beginning- End-Resolution
Exposition
The princess is a real
A prince in a kingdom princess-She and the
who can’t find a real prince marry and live
princess to become happily ever after
his wife
 Test your plot knowledge!
• The 3 Little Pigs
– We will now watch a short version of the story
to refresh your memory. After you will need to
answer questions about the plot, characters,
and setting.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5hI9U
19-m0
 Check It CLIMAX: Wolf decides to
sneak down the chimney to get
the pigs.

Event #5

The Big Bad Wolf tires

several times, but he can’t Wolf falls into boiling
blow down brick house. pot of soup.
Event #4

Big Bad Wolf blows the stick

house down and Pig #1 and #2
escape to Pig # 3’s house.
RESOLUTION: The Big
Bad Wolf is so scared of the 3
Pigs that he runs off in the
Event #3 woods never to be seen again.
The 3 little pigs live happily
Big Bad Wolf blows ever after.
the straw house down
and pig #1 escapes to
Event #2 Pig #2’s house.
Pig #1 builds a house of straw,
Pig #2 builds a house of sticks,
and Pig # 3 builds a house of
bricks.
Event #1

The pigs come across a

beautiful clearing they think will
be a perfect spot to build their
homes.

EXPOSITION: Three
little pigs leave home to
find adventure in the big
world.
• What is the setting?
– The beautiful clearing where the 3 Little Pigs build their homes
– Time: Not exactly known. The time their mother thought it was
appropriate they leave the home
• Who is the Protagonist?
– Pig # 3
• Who is the Antagonist?
– The Big Bad Wolf
• What is the point of view?
– 3rd person omniscient

• What is the type of conflict?

– Character vs. Character
 Describing Plot
In a story or play, the plot is the series of
episodes, or events, that make up the story.
Like a trail of footprints, they lead to the
resolution. In other words, the plot is what
happens from beginning of the story to the
end. These episodes are moments in the
story that are driven by conflict, or struggle,
that the main character tries to overcome.
Create a plot diagram for the
following images:
Compare your plot diagram to
the one below:
 Read the first two paragraphs of this short
story, then we will work together to complete
the plot diagram.
Now, let’s complete the plot
diagram…