The Short Story

The Short Story

A Form of Fiction
• A short story is a fictional written work or prose that is shorter
than a novel and mostly focused on one plot and one central
theme, set in a single setting, with a main character, and just a
few secondary characters. It is meant to be read in a
reasonably short period of time, mostly under two hours.

• Fiction
– Refers to a kind of narrative or literature that is not based
on facts or reality, but rather on the imagination and
creativity of the author, although it can be based or
partially based on true events.
The Short Story

It has six key elements:

Setting Characters Plot

Conflict Themes Point of View

Setting

The action happens inside a framework composed of:

1. time
2. historical period
3. parts of the day
4. geographical location
5. weather conditions
6. social conditions
7. mood or atmosphere
Characters
Since short stories have few characters, it is important
to identify the main character and the secondary
characters.

• Protagonist - central character, major events are

connected to it.

• Antagonist - the opposer of the main character.

• Character traits - attitudes, talents, physical

descriptions, and characteristics.
Plot
• The plot is the actual series of events in the story,
which include a beginning, a middle, and an end. It
is how the central idea is developed.

• It is the sequence of events that make up the story.

The plot structure is composed of:

Climax Falling
Introduction Rising Action (or turning Resolution
point)
Action
Plot
• Introduction - beginning of the story where the
characters and the setting are revealed.
• Rising Action - events become complicated, the
conflict is revealed.
• Climax - the highest point of interest, where the
conflict is at the most critical point. Also known as
the turning point.
• Falling Action - events and complications begin to
resolve themselves.
• Resolution - final outcome, the conflict is solved.
Conflict
The opposing of forces that ties one incident to the
other and makes the plot advance.
The main character faces this opposing force:
• Man vs. man – between the main character and
another character (external)
• Man vs. nature – between the main character and
forces of nature (external)
• Man vs. society – between the main character and
ideas, practices, social customs (external)
• Man vs. himself – between the main character and
his own ideas, limitations, internal conflicts, choices
(internal)
Themes
• Controlling ideas or central thoughts.

• Main idea the author tries to convey, to present.

• Common short story themes:

• Social injustice
• Believing in oneself
• Changing times
• Don’t judge others
Point of View
• The angle from which a story is told.
• The point of view tells us who is speaking. If the
narrative says “I,” it is the first person point of view,
and the author’s purpose is to narrate a personal
experience or voice an opinion.
• If the speaker is a character in the story, it is written
from the third person point of view.
• If the author is not included in the story, he is a third
person narrator.