21st Q3W5

Basic Elements of a Short
Story
Introduction
A short story has six basic elements that you as
a reader should look for when analyzing one.
Every story begins with a seed of an idea. Hence,
the author should think of these basic elements
when writing a story. Although not all stories
put equal importance on every aspect, each of
these elements must be expected in the story. At
the end of this lesson, you are expected to do a
self- and/or peer assessment of the creative
adaptation of a literary text based on
rationalized criteria.
20XX 2
BASIC ELEMENTS OF A SHORT
STORY
 1. Character– A character in a short
story is a person, in some stories an
animal, who takes part in the action of
the story or other literary work. The
way an author develops the character
in a story is very important in making
the story appeal to the readers. It is
said that the heart of the story are the
characters. The two most important
characters in a short story are the
protagonist and the antagonist.
STORY
 1. Character
 b. The antagonist is the character that
challenges the main character. It has
no concern for the well-being of the
main character. The antagonist may be
a person, the nature, the society, or any
intangible matter that contends with or
creates a problem for the protagonist.
STORY
 2. Setting– The place (locale) and time
(period )when the story happens is called the
setting. The setting may be based on real
place and real time or it may also be based on
the author’s imagination. When analyzing the
setting of the story, consider where the action
is taking place. Most authors use descriptive
words to describe the landscape, scenery,
buildings, season, or weather to provide a
strong sense of setting which will help the
reader visualize the story and connect to the
story’s plot.
STORY
 3. Plot– A plot is the actual story. It is
what the story is all about. It is also the
series of events and characters’ actions
that lead to the highest point of interest
in a short story. The following are the
different parts of a story’s structure:
STORY
 3. Plot
 a. Exposition –This is the beginning of
the story. This is where the author
introduces the characters, identifies
where the story is happening, and
establishes the main conflict.
 b. Rising Action–This event occurs as
you begin to move throughout the
story. This is where conflicts start to
build.
STORY
 3. Plot
 e. Resolution– This is the solution to
the problem in a story. The solution
may not be what you hoped for but as
long as it fits the story in tone and
theme, the conflict has been resolved.
STORY
 4. Conflict– Every story needs to have a
problem and this problem is called
conflict. The main character, also called
the protagonist, needs to have someone
or something to challenge him. Without
conflict, the story will not go anywhere
and will not be very interesting to the
readers. The main character may be
faced with one of the four different
types of conflict.
STORY
 4. Conflict
 These four types of conflict are:
 • man versus man;
• man versus nature;
• man versus himself; and
• man versus society.
STORY
 5. Theme- This is the central idea in a
short story and a general truth. This is
considered as the author’s message to
the readers.
 6. Point of View – This is the way the
story is told or narrated. It is also
known as the vantage point that a
writer uses to narrate the story. The
following are the types of point of view
in a short story:
STORY
 6. Point of View
 a. First Person – the narrator
participates in and tells the story using
the pronoun ‘I’.
 b. Limited Third Person – the narrator
is not in the story and narrates using
the pronouns ‘she’ or ‘he’. Also, the
narrator is unable to see into the minds
of the characters.
STORY
 6. Point of View
 c. Omniscient Third Person – the
narrator is not in the story and tells the
story using the pronouns ‘she’ or ‘he’.
In this point of view, the narrator can
tell the thoughts of the characters as he
can see into their minds.
DIRECTIONS: Study the following
questions carefully and write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Where did the story happen?
2. Who were the characters in the story?
3. What do you think led to the emotional
separation of Liza from her father?
4. What was the most interesting part of
the story?
5. What was the story about?
6. Who narrated the story?
20XX 14

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Basic Elements of a Short

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