SS - Short Stories Module Overview

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Short Stories

Introduction

Although fiction writing is not real, it can provide us with much information and many lessons. Think about fables. "The Tortoise and the Hare" teaches us that "slow and steady wins the race." The "Boy Who Cried Wolf" teaches us not to trick others, because they might not believe us when we need real help. There are many stories that teach us lessons, morals, etc. In this module, we will read a selection of short stories that teach lessons through the use of irony, allegory, symbolism, and other literary elements. We will also compare and contrast short story themes.

Essential Questions

  1. What effect does point of view have on a story?
  2. Why is it important to identify literary elements of fiction?
  3. What lessons can we learn from fictional stories?

Key Terms

Your understanding of these terms will help you with the material in this module.

Story Story: a short, fictional narrative

Plot: The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story.

Suspense: A feeling of curiosity, uncertainty, or even dread about what is going to happen in a story

Theme: The main idea or message of a story, poem, novel, or play often expressed as a general statement of life

Irony: A contrast or discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens

Symbolism: Any person, animal, place, object, or event that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level. Something that stands for something else. Example the American flag symbolizes freedom

Antagonist: A character or force that goes against the main character (protagonist) and tries to stop him/her from achieving their goal

Protagonist: The hero or central character of a literary work

Rising Action: The part of a drama, which begins with the exposition and sets the stage for the climax

Falling Action: The falling action is the series of events that take place after the climax, showing the results of the conflict

Denouement: The unraveling and resolution of a problem in a story

Resolution: The part of a story or drama which occurs after the climax and which establishes a new norm, a new state of affairs-the way things are going to be from then on

Conflict: Conflict occurs when some person or force in the play opposes the protagonist

External Conflict: A character struggles against an outside force. Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society

Internal Conflict: A character struggles against himself Man vs. Himself

Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds

Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told

First Person Narrator: Point of view told from the first person

First Person Omniscient: Point of view in which the narrator knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reader information

Limited-Omniscient Narrator: Point of view in which the material is presented from the point of view of a character, in third person

Objective Narrator: Presents the action and the characters\' speech, without comment or emotion. The reader has to interpret them and uncover their meaning

Narrator: The character or person telling the story (see Point of View)

Tone: Expresses the author's attitude toward his or her subject

Compare: To determine similarities between two elements

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