A good introduction for literary elements.

1. Literary Elements
What parts make up literary piece?

2. Story Grammar
Setting
Characters
Plot
Climax
Theme
Resolution
Denouement

3. Setting
Details that describe:
Furniture
Scenery
Customs
Transportation
Clothing
Dialects
Weather
Time of day
Time of year
Time and place are where the action occurs

4. Elements of a Setting
Setting
Place
Atmosphere
Time
History
Era
Life
Mood
Weather
Feelings
Word
Choice
Location
Physical
Day
Use as activator to activate prior knowledge. Write
the web on the board or overhead and students
create one at their seats. Then as class share and fill
in.

5. Types of Characters
People or animals
Major characters
Minor characters
Round characters
Flat characters

6. Factors in Analyzing Characters
Physical appearance of character
Personality
Background/personal history
Motivation
Relationships
Conflict
Does character change?

7. Characterization
Two methods of characterization:
Direct- writer tells what the character is like.
Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by describing what
the character looks like, by telling what the character says and does,
and by what other characters say about and do in response to the
character.

8. Elements of Character
Character
Main
Flat
Minor
Not Fully
Developed
Friends
Relatives
Fully
Developed
Protagonist
Antagonist
Co-Main
Enemy

9. Plot
Plot is what happens and how it happens in a
narrative. A narrative is any work that tells a
story, such as a short story, a novel, a drama,
or a narrative poem.

10. Parts of a Plot
Inciting incident – event that gives rise to conflict (opening situation)
Development- events that occur as result of central conflict (rising
action)
Climax- highest point of interest or suspense of story
Resolution- when conflict ends
Denouement- when characters go back to their life before the conflict

11. Diagram of Plot
Inciting incident/
Opening situation
Climax
Denouement

12. Special Techniques of Plot
Suspense- excitement or tension
Foreshadowing- hint or clue about what will happen in story
Flashback- interrupts the normal sequence of events to tell about
something that happened in the past
Surprise Ending- conclusion that reader does not expect

13. Conflict
Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces
Every plot must contain some kind of conflict
Stories can have more than one conflict
Conflicts can be external or internal
External conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman
obstacle
Internal conflict- takes place in a character’s mind

14. Theme
A central topic
Can be expressed by one or two words (NP)
May be stated directly or implied
Multiple themes appear in most pieces of literature