Elements of Prose

a.k.a.- The parts of a story

 The word “prose” comes from the Latin ex
pression prosa oratio, which means straigh
tforward
 Prose is written in the ordinary spoken or
written language
 Prose
 There are 2 types of writing:
 prose- anything that is NOT poetry or plays
 poetry

 Prose is divided into 2 categories:

 short story
 novel
A prose work may be fiction or no
n-fiction.
 Fiction; is an imaginary story created or i
nvented by a writer. E.g., short stories an
d novels.
 Non-fiction; a true-life story. autobiogra
phies, biographies, articles, memoirs, profi
les, reports, sports writing, and travel writi
ng.
 Short Story
 Definition: Fictional story that can be read in
one sitting. It is a narrative of event or man
y related events, which is less complex tha
n novel.
 Example: “A Rose for Emily,” “The Cask
of Amontillado,” or “The Most Dangerous
Game”
 Novel
 Definition: A long prose narrative that must b
e read in many sittings.
 Example: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scarlet Lett
er, or The Great Gatsby
 Types of Novel

1. Picaresque  6. Sociological

 7. Detective
2. Novel of
 8. Psychological
Manner  9. Novel of character

3. Sentimental  10. EPISTOLARY

 4. Gotic
5. Historical
 1. Picaresque Novel: It deals with a seq
uence of adventures of a rogue or outcast.
It was common between 17th and early 18t
h centuries. It is usually exciting and lusty.

Example: Tom Jones, The Adventures of H

uckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
 2. Novel of manners: It deals with prob
lems of personal resolution resulting from
the complex restrictions of highly formaliz
ed ‘codes’ of etiquette in good society.
 Example: the works of Jane Austen, which
deal with the domestic affairs of English c
ountry. novels of Balzac, in stories dealing
private life, public life, and military life.
 3. Sentimental Novel: A form of novel
which emphasizes the importance of buildi
ng and nurturing emotionality, and a senti
mental understanding of simple ways of lif
e; the beauties of nature and cordiality(fri
endship) between people of refined sensib
ilities”
 4. Gothic Novel: A kind of novel commo
n in the 18th centuries. It described roman
tic adventures in frightening or mysterious
environments.
 5. Historical Novel: It is a novel that de
als with past events. In historical novels, s
ome notable figures in the past are broug
ht to life fictionally and characters are inve
nted to help reader understand how past
events affected people.
 6. Sociological novel: It deals with the s
tate and the impact of social factors on th
e characters in a certain society. In this w
ay we get to understand the reason behin
d character’s behavior in the society. Socio
logical novel offer a thesis and supports it
as an answer to a social problem.
 “MOCKINGBIRDS DON’T DO ONE THING B
UT MAKE MUSIC FOR US TO ENJOY. THEY
DON’T EAT UP PEOPLE’S GARDENS, DON’
T NEST IN CORN CRIBS, THEY DON’T DO
ONE THING BUT SING THEIR HEARTS OU
T FOR US. THAT’S WHY IT’S A SIN TO KIL
L A MOCKINGBIRD.”
 7. Detective Novel: It is a form of novel
in which a crime, usually crime of murder,
is committed and the criminal or perpetrat
ors are unknown until a detective unravels
the mystery behind the crime. Most of Ja
mes Hardley Chase novels fall under this c
ategory.
 8. Psychological novel: It stresses the i
nner life of characters. A psychological nov
elist focuses on the inner life of the charac
ter, assesses his motives and explores suc
h psychological characteristics which led t
o external actions.
 9. Romantic Novel: This types of genr
e fiction place their primary focus on
the relationship and romantic love be
tween two people and must have an
emotionally satisfying and optimistic
ending.
 10. EPISTOLARY NOVEL: is a novel w
ritten as a series of documents such
as letters, diary, newspaper clipping
are sometimes used.
Mengisahkan pembantu cantik usi
a 15 tahun bernama Pamela Andre
ws. Setelah kematian ibunya, ia te
rlibat hubungan dengan tuan tana
h Mr. B. Setelah mencoba gagal u
ntuk merayu dan memperkosanya,
kebajikan sang tuan tanah akhirny
a dihargai ketika ia dengan tulus
mengusulkan menikahi Pamela
 It tells the story of a beautiful  Mengisahkan pembantu
15-year-old maidservant named
Pamela Andrews, whose
country landowner master, Mr.
B, makes unwanted and
inappropriate advances towards
her after the death of his
mother. After Mr. B attempts
unsuccessfully to seduce and
rape her multiple times, he
eventually rewards her virtue
when he sincerely proposes an
equitable marriage to her.
Pamela, who is emotionally
fragile and confused by Mr. B's
manipulation, accepts his
proposal.
Pamela
cantik usia 15 tahun
bernama Pamela
Andrews. Setelah
kematian ibunya, ia
terlibat hubungan
dengan tuan tanah Mr. B.
Setelah mencoba gagal
untuk merayu dan
memperkosanya,
kebajikan sang tuan
tanah akhirnya dihargai
ketika ia dengan tulus
mengusulkan menikahi
 Elements of Prose
 Plot
 Character
 Characterization
 Setting
 Point of View
 Theme
 Plot
 The “framework” or “skeleton” of the story;
 A series of related events that are linked tog
ether
 What Makes Up Plot?
1. Basic Situation (Ex
position)
- Tells the audience w
ho the characters are
and introduces the co
nflict
- Example: “Every Wh
o Down in Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot
...”
 What Makes Up Plot?
2. Rising Action “But the Grinch,
- Complications tha Who lived just North of
t arise when the Who-ville,
Did NOT!
characters take
The Grinch hated Christm
steps to resolve as! The whole Christmas s
their conflicts eason!
Now, please don't ask wh
y. No one quite knows the
reason.
 What Makes Up Plot?
3. Climax: Most exciting Example: “And the Grinch, with his grinch
or suspenseful moment -feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it
when something happens be so?
to determine the outcom It came without ribbons! It came without ta
e of the conflict. gs!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler
was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he h
adn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't co
me from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little
bit more!"
 What Makes Up Plot?
4. Falling Action:  Example:
The conflict is in the And what happened then...
process of being reso ?
lved or “unraveled Well...in Who-ville they sa
y
That the Grinch's small he
art
Grew three sizes that day!
 What Makes Up Plot?
 Resolution: (Denouement) or “Untying the k
not”
 When the story’s problem/conflict is resolved and t
he story ends
 Endings may be happy or tragic

•Example: “He whizzed with his load thr

ough the bright morning light. And he br
ought back the toys! And the food for the
feast!
And he......HE HIMSELF...!
The Grinch carved the roast beast!
”
 Freytag’s Pyramid
 Gustav Freytag was a Nineteenth Century German novelist
who saw common patterns in the plots of stories and novels
and developed a diagram to analyze them. He diagrammed a
story's plot using a pyramid like the one shown here:
Character: Revealing Human Natur
e
 Character- A person or
being in a story that perf
orms the action of the pl
ot.

 Characterization: The
process of revealing the
personality of a characte
r in a story.
 Characters
 The protagonist is the main character in a story. He, she
, it, or they struggle to overcome the main conflict or pro
blem in the story.
 The protagonist does not have to be the “good guy.”
 The antagonist is the opponent to the protagonist. This
person or thing stands in the way of the protagonist and
his/her goal.
 A convincing main character will be
1. Consistent – actions are in line with personality
2. Motivated – there is a reason for his/her actions
3. Plausible – believable within the world of the story
 Types of Characters
 Flat – A flat character is one-dimensional.
 Round – A round character is complex and multi-dimensional.
 Stock – A stock character is a recognizable stereotype established th
rough repeated use in literature. This type of character saves the w
riter time and effort since the reader already knows the character’s t
raits.
 Static – A static character does not change, evolve or grow during t
he story.
 Dynamic – A dynamic character will evolve during the story and und
ergo a permanent, significant change. This change can be for the b
etter or for the worse.
 Setting
 Defintion: The time and location in which t
he story takes place
 Setting
 Purpose of Setting
1. Gives background information
2. Provides conflict
- Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society
3. Can reveal a lot about someone’s character
4. Provides mood or atmosphere
- Mood- the feeling WE get when we read a stor
y
5. Can paint images for the reader
- Images – words that call forth the 5 senses
 Theme
 Definition: The insight about human life that i
s revealed in a literary work. The “golden thre
ad” woven throughout the story.

-The theme is what the author is saying through the s

tory (it’s a deeper truth about reality)
- The plot how he says it : it is the story he uses to ge
t this point across
 Point of View
 Definition: The direction from which the
writer has chosen to tell the story
 There are 3 Points of View
1. First Person: One of the characters tells the
story; talks directly to the reader
- Uses the pronoun “I,” “me,” “we,” or “us”
2. Third Person Limited: The narrator will fo
cus on the thoughts & feelings of just one ch
aracter
- Reader experiences the events of the story through t
he memory and senses of only one character
 There are 3 Points of View
3. Third-Person Omniscient- “All-knowing”
- An all-knowing narrator who refers to all th
e characters as “he” and “she.” Knows the th
oughts and feelings of ALL of the characters.
*The narrator is not necessarily the story’s autho
r*
 Conflict
 Definition- It exists when a character is struggling
with something or someone
- Could be a number of things:
- Another person, an animal,
- an inanimate object- a rock, the weather
- The character’s own personality
 Types of Conflicts
 Man vs. Man – a conflict between people or animals
 Man vs. Himself – a psychological battle within a charact
er’s own mind
 Man vs. Nature – a struggle against the elements for sur
vival
 Man vs. Society – a fight for justice often against the gov
ernment
 Man vs. The Supernatural – a battle with a non-physical
entity or god-like figure
 Man vs. Technology – a relatively new conflict that explo
res the ways in which technology may “turn against us”
 External Conflict
External Conflict- Caused by something OUTSIDE
the character
- Example: an another character, a river, weath
er, society
- Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Societ
y
 Internal Conflict
Internal Conflict- Character struggles with some pe
rsonal quality that is causing trouble
- Example: vanity, pride, selfishness, grief
- Man vs. Self
 Literary Devices
 Literary devices refers to typical structure used
by writers in their works to convey his or her
message in a simple manner to the readers and
help the readers to appreciate, interpret and ana
lyze a literary work
 Foreshadowing
 Definition:Clues about what is going to
happen as the story unfolds
 Suspense
 Definition: Anxiety WE feel about what
is going to happen next in the story