FNS - Literary Basics Lesson

Literary Basics

Plot Structure

Before starting a novel or short story, you want to make sure you understand the setting and how authors structure, or create, the events of the book or story. The setting is the time and place of a story, and the plot is the series of events that occur in a work of literature. There are five stages in the plot pyramid:

  1. Introduction/Exposition
  2. Rising Action
  3. Climax
  4. Falling Action
  5. Resolution/Denouement

The plot pyramid details how the plot develops or changes throughout the story.

Plot Diagram: 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 3. Climax 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution

View the video below that uses Aladdin for a review of Plot Structure:

Plot Structure Self-Assessment

Take a minute to test your knowledge over plot below:

Literary Devices: Irony and Suspense

Authors use irony and suspense to add tension and emotional impact to foster a more interesting plot. Review the different types of irony below:

Situational Irony: When the opposite of what is expected to happen happens. This type of irony is commonly mistaken for something that is simply funny. To be truly ironic, something must be the complete opposite of what was expected to happen. Verbal Irony: When a character says the opposite of what he/she means. Dramatic Irony: When the reader knows something the character does not know. This can add suspense to the story.

Irony Self-Assessment

Now that you have reviewed irony, practice understanding here:

As you read your novel and the short stories in this module, try to note how the author develops the plot, and try to look for various instances of irony.

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