This document provides an overview of the key elements of a short story, including setting, conflict, characters, plot, theme, and point of view. It explains that setting establishes the time and place of the story. Conflict drives the narrative and can involve man against man, nature, himself, or society. Characters can be protagonists, antagonists, flat/static, or round/dynamic. The plot follows a sequence from exposition to rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Theme conveys the author's perspective. Point of view determines if the story is told in first, third, or limited third-person perspective.

1. DISCUSSANT: Sr. Marie Camelle S. Fernando IV- BEED

2. A short story is one of the forms of fiction
writing. Fiction is a series of events made from the
imagination of the author. It is a prose writing
which does not depend on verses, rhymes or
meters for the organization and presentation of
the narrative.
SHORT STORY

3. Setting
This element refers to
the place and time of
the story. When
evaluating the setting,
look for where the
action takes place. In
addition, the
historical period may
be important.

4. Conflict
In every story, there has to be
a problem. The main
character has to be
challenged in some way or
the story will go nowhere.
There are four basic conflicts
to look for that may face the
main character:
● Man versus man
● Man versus nature
● Man versus himself
● Man versus society
Man vs himself

5. Man vs nature
Man vs man
Man vs society

6. Character
The characters
are the heart of
the story. The
two primary
characters are
called the
protagonist and
the antagonist.

7. The protagonist is
the main character.
It is not safe to call
him the hero
because the main
character is not
always heroic.
He/she is the person
with which the story
is most concerned.

8. The antagonist
does not have to
be a human being.
If he is a person,
he may be the
villain. This
character does not
have the main
character’s best
interest at heart.

9. Some characters do not
change in a story: these
characters are called FLAT.
The characters that change or
grow are called ROUND.
A character is considered flat
(or static) when he or she
does not experience change
of any kind, does not grow
from beginning to end.
Shakespeare often uses comic
villains as flat characters, like
Don Jon in Much Ado About
Nothing..

10. Gertrude from “Hamlet”
(William Shakespeare)
Flat Character
Round Character
Severus Snape from
“Harry Potter Series”

11. Sydney Carton,
A Tale of Two Cities
(by Charles Dickens)
Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person
who changes over time, usually as a result of
resolving a central conflict or facing a major
crisis. Most dynamic characters tend to be
central rather than peripheral characters,
because resolving the conflict is the major
role of central characters.
Static - A static character is
someone who does not change
over time; his or her personality
does not transform or evolve. Scar,
The Lion King
(by Don Ferguson)

12. Plot
The plot is the arrangement
of the events in the story.
The plot should follow some
logical sequence of events.
There are five elements to
look in the plot.
The Exposition-The initial
events, the introduction of
characters, and beginning of
the story.

13. The Rising Action- The
beginning of the conflict.
Complications arise.
The Climax-This is the highest
point of interest in the story. It is
the turning point that aims toward
the conclusion of the story.
The Falling Action- The events
that occur which begin to resolve
the conflict.
Denouement-This is the final
outcome of the story.

14. Theme
This is the controlling
idea or the insight
that the author wants
the reader to
understand at the
end of the story. The
theme is often the
author’s thoughts or
view of a subject.
Romance, Family
Feud and Tragedy

15. Point of view
This element of the story
is how the story is told . It
also determines who will
be the narrator of the
story.
First Person-One of the
characters tells the story
and interacts in the story
as well.

16. Third Person-the
author can narrate the
story using a “god-like”
position in which he can
see into the minds of the
characters.
Limited Omniscient-
Still in third person, the
narrator will only know
what the character
knows or what the
author tells the narrator.

17. THE END