Elements of A Short Story

ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY
A short story is a brief imaginative narrative, unfolding a single predominating

incident and a single or a few characters. It contains a plot, the details of which are so
compressed and the whole treatment so organized as to provide a single impression.
The following are the different elements of a short story:
1. Setting — refers to place, time, weather condition, social condition, and even mood or
atmosphere. To recognize the setting of the story, you may ask these questions:
2. Plot – It is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of
events having a beginning, middle and end. The short story usually has one plot, and it
could be read in one sitting. There are five essential parts of a plot:
a. Exposition/Introduction
In the introduction, the setting and the characters are revealed.
b. Rising Action
This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the
story is revealed. This is where events between introduction and climax take place.
c. Climax
It is the turning point of the story and the highest point of interest. It is where the
reader asks what will happen next. Will the conflict be resolved or not?
d. Falling Action
The problems and complications begin to be resolved.
e. Denouement
This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.
3. Conflict - It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the
plot move.
There are two types of conflict:
a. External – refers to outside forces that may cause conflict, like another human being,
circumstances, environment, etc.
b. Internal - refers a struggle within oneself. The character maybe debating inside himself
about what to do.
Here are the five kinds of conflict:
a. Human vs. human (physical) – the leading character struggles with his physical
strength against other men.
b. Human vs. society (social) – the leading character struggles against ideas,
practices, or customs of other people.
c. Human vs. nature – the leading character struggles the forces of nature.
d. Human vs. God or Supreme Being - the leading character struggles against
supernatural forces.
e. Human vs. self (psychological) – the leading character struggles with
himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations,
choices among others.
A story may have a single conflict or many conflicts, as well as major or minor conflicts.
4. Character – there are two meanings for the word character: the person in a work of fiction
and the characteristics of a person. He may be the protagonist, the good-natured
character, or the antagonist, the opponent of the main character.
The author may reveal a character in several ways: his physical appearance, what
he/she says, thinks feels and dreams; what he/she does or does not do; and what others
say about him/her.
In order for a story to seem real to the reader, its characters must seem real.
Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters
themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a. Direct characterization (expository) – this method allows the writer to present
the character ‘s physical traits and personality. The character traits are explicitly
brought out by the writer using descriptive words.
b. Indirect characterization (dramatic) – this method allows the readers to deduce
the traits of the characters through their thoughts, words, actions, and decisions.
They infer the characteristics of these characters from what they say and do.
Characters also have types:

a. Static or flat characters – they are characters who do not have flesh and blood
qualities. They normally do not undergo changes throughout the story
b. Dynamic (full or rounded) characters – they are characters who live lives of
sorrow and joy, sinking or swimming in the visible tides of life – very much like us.
They are capable of undergoing changes.
Characters can be said effective if they are consistent, motivated and lifelike (resemble
real people).
5. Point of View – the angle from which the story is told. There are several kinds of point of
view:
a. First Person – the story is told by the protagonist or another character that
interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters (using first person
pronouns ―I‖, ―me‖, ―we‖, for instance). The reader sees the story through
this person ‘s eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what he/she knows
or feels.
b. Innocent Eyes – the story is told through the eyes of a child (his/her judgment
being different from that of an adult).
c. Stream of Consciousness – the story is told so that the reader feels as if they
are inside the head of one character and knows all their thoughts and reactions.
d. Second Person – this is used rarely. The main character in the story is referred
to using the second person pronoun ―you‖. The second person is most often
used in training manuals and role-playing games.
e. Third Person – the story is told using a narrator who is located outside the action
of the story and uses third person pronouns such as ―he‖, ―she‖, ―his‖,
―her‖, ―they‖, for example. The third person point of view can be broken up into
three different types:
1. Omniscient – literally means ―all knowing‖. Using the third person

omniscient point of view, the narrator can move from character to character,
event to event, having free access to the thoughts, feelings and motivations
of any character and can introduce information where and when he or she
chooses.
2. Limited Omniscient – the story is told by a third person narrator but from
the viewpoint of a character in the story, usually the main character or
protagonist. The reader has access to the thoughts and feelings of only one
character.
3. Objective – the author tells the story in the third person. It appears as
though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording
only what is seen and heard. There is no comment on the characters or their
thoughts. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position
of spectator without the author there to explain. The reader has to interpret
events in his or her own.
6. Theme – it is the controlling idea or value in a piece of fiction. The theme maybe the
author’s idea about a topic or view of human nature.

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ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY

A short story is a brief imaginative narrative, unfolding a single predominating

The following are the different elements of a short story:

Characters also have types:

1. Omniscient – literally means ―all knowing‖. Using the third person

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