THE

SHORT STORY

GENRE
 What is a Short Story ?
O Prose Fiction
O 7,000 10, 000 words
O It can be read in one sitting.
O It is a distinct art form, a genre.
O Every word counts. The author carefully
selects every word and action.
 Differences Between
SHORT STORY NOVEL
Simple Plot Complex Plot
Single Emotion Many Emotions
Covers Short Timespan Covers Many Years
Focuses on few Focuses on many
characters characters
 Short Story Skeleton
O Title
O Setting
O Characters
O Plot
O Conflict
O Theme
O Foreshadowing and irony
 Purpose of the Title
O Sets the mood (The Most Dangerous Game)
O Arouses interest
O Suggests the setting
O Names the main character
O Names an important object (The Necklace)
O Suggests the type of story
(use of words such as mystery or adventure)
 Story line

Turning
Point
O Introduction:
The start of the story, the situation before the action starts

O Turning Point:
The start of the main conflict that propels the story.

O Rising Action:
The series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax

O Climax :
The most intense moment either mentally or in action the
reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved
or not? It is a turning point from which there is no going back. The
climax is the point of highest tension in a narrative.

O Falling Action:
The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. (The
events between the climax and the resolution)

O Resolution:
The conclusion, the untangling of events in the story
 Setting
The setting is the place where the story takes place.
Setting includes the following:
O The geographical location
For example: London, Cairo, Halifax, Vancouver

O The time period

For example: 1865, during WWII, today

O The socio-economic characteristics of the location

For example: wealthy suburbs

O The specific building, room etc.

For example: a prep school, a log cabin, a bus, a military
base
 Setting
Can be used to set the atmosphere for the story:

During the whole of a dull, dark, and

soundless day in the autumn of the year, when
the clouds hung oppressively low in the
heavens, I had been passing alone, on
horseback, though a singularly dreary tract of
country.

The Fall of the House of Usher

by Edgar Allan Poe
Methods of Characterization
O DIRECT:
The author develops the personality of a
character by direct statements.

O INDIRECT:
The author develops the personality of a
character through:

1) The characters thoughts, words, and actions

2) The comments of other characters
3)The characters physical appearance
 Conflict
Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces
Every story must contain some kind of conflict
Stories can have more than one conflict
Conflicts can be external or internal

External conflict:
outside force may be person, group,
animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle

Internal conflict:
takes place in a characters mind
Internal Person vs. Self
Conflict

A character has a
problem deciding
what to do in a
particular situation.
(Feelings & emotions)

Character finds inner

strength despite poor
odds.

Character must
develop moral
compass.

Character must
discover self-worth.
 External
Conflict Person vs. Person

One character has a

problem with one or more
of the other characters.

One character must battle

another character to gain
power, true love, freedom,
justice or acceptance.

One group of characters

must free themselves
from another.

One character must

confront another to
survive.
External
Person vs. Society
Conflict

A character has a
problem with some
element of society:
the school, the law,
the accepted way of
doing things, etc.

Character falsely
accused by society.
Character feels apart
from society and
discovers own
values.
External
Person vs. Nature
Conflict

A character has a
problem with some
natural occurrence:
a snowstorm, an
avalanche, the
bitter cold, or any
other element of
nature.

A person trying to
survive in hostile
natural conditions
External
Person vs. Fate
Conflict

A character has
to battle what
seems to be an
uncontrollable
problem.
Whenever the
problem seems
to be a strange
or unbelievable
coincidence,
fate can be
considered the
cause of the
conflict.
External
Person vs. Machine
Conflict

A character
has to
confront
technology or
other
elements of
human
creation (as
opposed to
natural
creation.)
 Theme
O Themethe central idea, message or
insight, about life or human behavior that a
story reveals.
 Theme
O In most stories, the theme is not stated directly. Instead,
it is revealed to us through the characters experiences.

O The theme is usually a message, idea or trait that is

brought forth in a story.

TOPIC: STRENGTH
THEME: WHAT DOESN`T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

TOPIC: LOVE
THEME: LOVE IS A TWO WAY STREET.
Four Ways To Find The Theme:

O 1) THROUGH CHARACTER`S EXPERIENCE

O 2) THROUGH THE EMOTIONS EVOKED

O 3) THROUGH THE MAIN CONFLICT

O 4) THE MAIN MESSAGE

 FORESHADOWING
O This is a writers technique in which the author provides
clues or hints as to what is going to happen later in the
story. Its like the music in a scary movie when we know that
something bad is about to happen.
 IRONY
Verbal Irony:
This is the contrast between what is said and what is meant.
In other words: sarcasm.

Dramatic Irony:
This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true
and what we (the reader) know to be true. Because we know
something the character does not, we read to discover how the
character will react when he or she learns the truth of the
situation.

Situational Irony:
This is the most common in literature. It is the contrast between
what happens and what was expected (or what would seem
appropriate).
Situational Irony