Fiction: Essential Plot and Character Elements
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F
ICTION
NOTES
AEII
*This information will be on both semester exams
so SAVE it in a safe place!
1
PLOT
Series of events (blueprints)
What happens in the story
Chronological order
EXAMPLE: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Goldilocks is hungry
She finds the bears’ house
She tastes the porridge
Etc.
picturethisgallery.com
2
P
LOT
TERMINOLOGY
Exposition
Exposes characters and setting
Background information is given
Inciting action
Beginning of the conflict
Rising action
Suspense/tension builds
3
P
LOT
TERMINOLOGY
(
CONTINUED
)
Climax
Highest point of action/tension
Turning point
Falling action
Conflict starts to be resolved
Resolution
All conflict is resolved
Loose ends are tied up
4
C
ONFLICT
–
STRUGGLE
OR
PROBLEM
EXTERNAL CONFLICT
Occurs outside of the character
1.
Man vs. man
•
physical/verbal fight or argument
with another individual
2.
Man vs. nature
•
form of nature such as
tornadoes, snowstorms, etc.
3.
Man vs. society
•
laws, social codes, etc.
guysalvidge.wordpress.com
celebritiessite.blogspot.com
vi.sualize.us
5
C
ONFLICT
(C
ONTINUED
)
INTERNAL CONFLICT
Occurs inside the character
Man vs. self
•
Feelings, thoughts,
decision making
plagueofthemullet.com
6
S
ETTING
–
WHEN
AND
WHERE
ACTION
TAKES
PLACE
(
A
STORY
CAN
HAVE
MORE
THAN
ONE
SETTING
)
Mood
Feelings created by the story
The reader’s emotions that are
a result of reading the story
(scared, happy, etc.)
Tone
Author’s attitude toward the topic he
or she is writing about (serious,
sarcastic, lighthearted)
vimalbhaskar.blogspot.com
cartoonstock.com
7
P
OINT
OF
VIEW
-
T
HE
EYES
THROUGH
WHICH
THE
READER
SEES
/
EXPERIENCES
THE
ACTION
OF
THE
STORY
First person
A participant in the story
I, me, we, us
Second person
An advisor (self-help books)
You
Third person
An observer; the fly on the wall that watches everything and
everyone and reports on it
They, he, she, it
limited-narrator knows one of the characters’ thoughts and feelings
Omniscient-narrator knows all of the characters’ thoughts and
feelings
8
C
HARACTERIZATION
-
METHODS
OF
REVEALING
CHARACTERS
(
HOW
WE
GET
TO
KNOW
A
CHARACTER
)
Methods
1.
Narrator’s description (appearance of characters)
2.
Character’s own words, thoughts, and feelings
3.
Character’s own actions (what he or she does)
4.
Other characters’ words, thoughts, and feelings
5.
Other characters’ actions or reactions to the character
9
T
YPES
OF
CHARACTERS
Flat (minor character usually)
We see only one trait (ex: Sally skiing; that’s all, nothing
else is revealed about her)
OR
Round (major character)
We see many traits (we see Sally skiing, scuba diving,
bike riding, happy, sad)
10
T
YPES
OF
CHARACTERS
(C
ONTINUED
)
Static
Stays the same throughout
OR
Dynamic
Different: Changes on the inside; personality,
behavior, or opinions change
11
T
YPES
OF
CHARACTERS
(C
ONTINUED
)
Protagonist
Good guy; hero; keeps the action going
OR
Antagonist
villain; tries to stop action
from progressing; anything
the main character struggles
with or against
keyposters.com
images116.bloguez.com
12
T
HEME
-
MAIN
IDEA
OF
THE
STORY
ABOUT
LIFE
OR
HUMAN
NATURE
(
WHAT
IS
LIFE
LIKE
? W
HAT
ARE
HUMAN
BEINGS
LIKE
?)
Literary techniques
used to illustrate theme
Figurative Language
Wording not meant literally (face value) Example: I hit the
books last night. (means I studied hard)
1.
Simile - comparison using like or as (She was like a
rose.)
2.
Metaphor – direct comparison; does not use like or
as (He is a bear!)
13
L
ITERARY
TECHNIQUES
(
CONTINUED
)
3.
Personification – giving human traits to
something that is not human (The wind
screamed.)
4.
Imagery – language that creates a mental
picture using the senses (sight, smell, hearing,
taste, touch)
5.
Symbol – object stands for/represents more
than it is (American flag=freedom)
6.
Flashback – relive past as if it were the
present (The movie
Scrooged
.)
14
L
ITERARY
TECHNIQUES
(
CONTINUED
)
7.
Foreshadowing – hints about what will
happen later in the story
8.
Allusion – reference to a famous person,
place, event, or work of literature (Harriet
Tubman was called the Moses of her time.)
9.
Onomatopoeia – word sounds like the sound
it represents (hiss, drip, buzz)
15
L
ITERARY
TECHNIQUES
(
CONTINUED
)
10.
Irony – opposite of the expected (A Shriner
on a motorcycle who works to save kids’ lives,
hits a child and injures him at the parade.)
Situational irony – event that happens that is an
unexpected twist at the end of the story
Dramatic irony – audience knows something a
character doesn’t know (
Friday the 13
th
“ch ch ch”)
Verbal irony – spoken words are the opposite of what
is actually meant, felt, or true (“I love kids,” said the
mom as she locked them out of the house all day.)
16
Dive into the world of fiction with this comprehensive guide that covers essential elements such as plot structure, character development, conflict types, setting descriptions, and narrative perspectives. Learn about the key components of storytelling and how they shape engaging narratives. Save this valuable information for your exams and enhance your understanding of literary works.
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Presentation Transcript
FICTION NOTES AEII 1 *This information will be on both semester exams so SAVE it in a safe place!
PLOT Series of events (blueprints) What happens in the story Chronological order EXAMPLE: Goldilocks and the Three Bears Goldilocks is hungry She finds the bears house She tastes the porridge Etc. 2 picturethisgallery.com
PLOTTERMINOLOGY Exposition Exposes characters and setting Background information is given Inciting action Beginning of the conflict Rising action Suspense/tension builds 3
PLOTTERMINOLOGY(CONTINUED) Climax Highest point of action/tension Turning point Falling action Conflict starts to be resolved Resolution All conflict is resolved Loose ends are tied up 4
CONFLICTSTRUGGLEORPROBLEM EXTERNAL CONFLICT Occurs outside of the character Man vs. man physical/verbal fight or argument with another individual 1. celebritiessite.blogspot.com Man vs. nature form of nature such as tornadoes, snowstorms, etc. 2. Man vs. society laws, social codes, etc. vi.sualize.us 3. 5 guysalvidge.wordpress.com
CONFLICT(CONTINUED) INTERNAL CONFLICT Occurs inside the character Man vs. self Feelings, thoughts, decision making 6 plagueofthemullet.com
SETTINGWHENANDWHEREACTIONTAKESPLACE (ASTORY CANHAVEMORETHANONESETTING) Mood Feelings created by the story The reader s emotions that are a result of reading the story (scared, happy, etc.) vimalbhaskar.blogspot.com Tone Author s attitude toward the topic he or she is writing about (serious, sarcastic, lighthearted) 7 cartoonstock.com
POINTOFVIEW - THEEYESTHROUGHWHICHTHEREADER SEES/EXPERIENCESTHEACTIONOFTHESTORY First person A participant in the story I, me, we, us Second person An advisor (self-help books) You Third person An observer; the fly on the wall that watches everything and everyone and reports on it They, he, she, it limited-narrator knows one of the characters thoughts and feelings Omniscient-narrator knows all of the characters thoughts and feelings 8
CHARACTERIZATION - METHODSOFREVEALING CHARACTERS (HOWWEGETTOKNOWACHARACTER) Methods Narrator s description (appearance of characters) 1. Character s own words, thoughts, and feelings 2. Character s own actions (what he or she does) 3. Other characters words, thoughts, and feelings 4. Other characters actions or reactions to the character 5. 9
TYPESOFCHARACTERS Flat (minor character usually) We see only one trait (ex: Sally skiing; that s all, nothing else is revealed about her) OR Round (major character) We see many traits (we see Sally skiing, scuba diving, bike riding, happy, sad) 10
TYPESOFCHARACTERS(CONTINUED) Static Stays the same throughout OR Dynamic Different: Changes on the inside; personality, behavior, or opinions change 11
TYPESOFCHARACTERS(CONTINUED) Protagonist Good guy; hero; keeps the action going OR keyposters.com Antagonist villain; tries to stop action from progressing; anything the main character struggles with or against 12 images116.bloguez.com
THEME- MAINIDEAOFTHESTORYABOUTLIFEORHUMAN NATURE (WHATISLIFELIKE? WHATAREHUMANBEINGSLIKE?) Literary techniques used to illustrate theme Figurative Language Wording not meant literally (face value) Example: I hit the books last night. (means I studied hard) 1. Simile - comparison using like or as (She was like a rose.) 13 2. Metaphor direct comparison; does not use like or as (He is a bear!)
LITERARYTECHNIQUES(CONTINUED) 3. Personification giving human traits to something that is not human (The wind screamed.) 4. Imagery language that creates a mental picture using the senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch) 5. Symbol object stands for/represents more than it is (American flag=freedom) 6. Flashback relive past as if it were the present (The movie Scrooged.) 14
LITERARYTECHNIQUES(CONTINUED) 7. Foreshadowing hints about what will happen later in the story 8. Allusion reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature (Harriet Tubman was called the Moses of her time.) 9. Onomatopoeia word sounds like the sound it represents (hiss, drip, buzz) 15
LITERARYTECHNIQUES(CONTINUED) 10. Irony opposite of the expected (A Shriner on a motorcycle who works to save kids lives, hits a child and injures him at the parade.) Situational irony event that happens that is an unexpected twist at the end of the story Dramatic irony audience knows something a character doesn t know (Friday the 13th ch ch ch ) Verbal irony spoken words are the opposite of what is actually meant, felt, or true ( I love kids, said the mom as she locked them out of the house all day.) 16
