Notes on Elements of Fiction:
Plot, Character, Setting, Point of View, Theme, Mood
I. Plot – the sequence of events in a literary work
Stages of a Plot
1) Exposition – introduction of the setting, characters, and basic situation
2) Inciting Incident – introduction of the central conflict
3) Development (rising action) – series of plot events after the inciting incident gradually increasing the central conflict
4) Climax – high point of suspense or conflict
5) Falling action – events following the climax where conflicts resolve
6) Resolution (denouement) – point following the falling action where general insight or change is conveyed.
Conflict – a struggle between opposing forces
Internal and External Conflicts:
Internal Conflict – involves a character having conflict within themselves
External Conflict – a character struggling against an outside force
Types of Conflicts:
Person vs. Self – internal conflict
Person vs. Person – external conflict with another person
Person vs. Society – external conflict with the standards or expectations of a group.
Person vs. Nature – external conflict with elements of nature.
Flashback – an earlier series of events told within the plot sequence to clarify a character or conflict.
Foreshadowing – use of clues that suggest plot events that are yet to occur.
II. Character – a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work.
Types of Characters
Round Characters vs. Flat Characters
- A round character shows many different traits – faults as well as virtues.
- A flat character shows only one trait.
Dynamic Characters vs. Static Characters
- A dynamic character develops and grows during the course of a story.
- A static character does not change.
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
- The protagonist is the central character in a literary work
- The antagonist is the major character (or force) in conflict with the protagonist.
Characterization – the act of creating or developing a character
Types of Characterization
1) Direct characterization – the author directly states the character’s traits.
2) Indirect characterization – the author shows the characters traits without directly telling the reader. The author can do this through:
a. Actions
b. Dialogue
c. Character’s appearance
d. Other characters’ reactions to the character
III. Setting – time and place in a story
Time –past, present, future; year, season, type of day
Place – region, country, state, town; social, economic, cultural environment
IV. Point of View – amount and type of information the writer reveals; the type of narrator telling the story
Narrator – a speaker or character who tells the story
1) First Person Narrator : when a character in the story tells the story
2) Third Person Narrator: when a voice outside the story tells the story
Types of Third Person Narrators:
a. Omniscient – an all-knowing narrator who knows how every character thinks and feels.
b. Limited – sees the world through only one characters eyes.
c. Objective – tells the story from outside the action without direct knowledge of any of the characters thoughts or feelings.
V. Theme – a central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work: the moral of the story
The theme of a literary work may be stated directly or implied. When the theme of a work
is implied, readers think about what the work suggest about people or life.
VI. Tone and Mood– (these two ideas overlap a bit)
Tone - the writers attitude toward the subject and audience – the tone can often be described by a single adjective: formal or informal, serious or playful, bitter or ironic, etc.
Mood – the feeling or atmosphere – the mood is often described by an emotion: dark, depressed, jolly, angry, tense, light, etc.
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