Elements of a Story Flashcards
To practice learning elements of a short story (28 cards)
setting
where and when a story takes place
character
a person in a story or poem
flat
one-sided characters that don’t change
round
have many sides; grow and change in the story
protagonist
main character or hero in the story
antagonist
the character (or force) that opposes the protagonist
plot
the sequence of events in a story
conflict
the “problem” in the story which triggers the action
internal conflict
a struggle within a character
external conflict
a struggle between a character and some outside force
point of view
the vantage point from which a story is told
1st person
the narrator is a character in the story: uses I
2nd person
the narrator tells the story to another character using “you”
3rd person
the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of
one character
omniscient
the narrator tells what all of the characters are thinking and feeling, as well as what happens in other places
exposition
occurs at the beginning of the story: introduces the reader to characters, the conflict, and the setting.
rising action
all of the events leading up to the climax of the story
climax
the point of highest emotional intensity
falling action
the events that follow the climax and lead towards the resolution
denouement/resolution
the way a story ends
theme
the central idea or insight in a story
mood/atmosphere
the feeling created by the text tone: the attitude of the author toward his audience and characters
author’s purpose
the reason for writing (e.g. persuade, inform, entertain,
describe, summarize)
flashback
action that interrupts to show an event that happened at an earlier time which is necessary to better understanding
