The document discusses the key elements of a short story, including that it is a fictional narrative that can be read in one sitting. It presents two levels of human life and defines the main elements of a short story as the plot, conflict, point of view, setting, characters, theme, and symbols. The plot involves an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and can take different forms like "man in a hole" or "man on a road." Conflicts can be between a person and themselves, others, or society.

1. SHORT
STORY
SHORT
STORY
Understanding Short Story

2. Short Story
It is a fictional narrative prose that can be read in one
sitting.
It is also re-creation and reconstruction of life.

3. Short Story
It also presents human life in two levels:
1. The world of objective reality made up of human
actions and experiences
2. The world of subjective reality dealing with
human apprehensions and comprehensions.

4.  The plot is the sequence of the
actions and events in a story to
convey a theme. It is the skeleton or
the blueprint of a story. The
following terms explain what
happens in a plot.
Elements of a Short Story
1. Plot

5. a) Exposition (Introduction)-This comes at the beginning
of the story.
b.) Rising Action (Complication) – The struggle grows
strong.
c.) Climax- The most exciting part in the story.

6. d.) Falling Action - Events moves towards the end of the
story.
e.) Resolution- (Denouement)- The study is brought to
an end.

7. Kinds of plot
a.) Man in Hole
b.) Man on a Road
c. Man in a Tub

8. Man in the tub involves two steps:
First a straightforward, constructed, usually
commonplace event; and
Then a flash of realization form the skeleton of
a plot.

9. Devices in Plot
a.) Chronological Arrangement - It starts from the
beginning of the events.
c.) Flashback - Past events are shown to justify
the conflict at present.
b.) In Medias Res - This starts at the
middle of the story.

10. Devices in Plot
d.) Foreshadowing - The author present in significant events
and details of the presents to take on value by being
indicators of future events.
e.) Stream of Consciousness. A continuous and random flow of
ideas, feelings, sensations, associations and perceptions as
they registered on the protagonist’s consciousness

11. 2. Conflict - The struggle or complication involving the characters.
Types of Conflict
 Man vs. Self
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Society

12. 3. Point of View - This refers to the angle of narration or form whose
viewpoint the incidents in the story are told.
a.) First Person Point of View
b.) The Person Limited Point of View
c.) Third Person Central Point of View
d.) Omniscient Point of View

13. 4. Setting
 This is the locale and the period in which the
event occur.

14. 5. Character
 This refers to any of the make-
believe person that are
encountered in fiction.

15. Kinds of Characters
a.) Protagonist
b.) Antagonist
c.) Static or Flat
d.) Dynamic (full or round)

16. 6. Theme
 The theme is the writer’s message.

17. 7. Symbol
 A symbol is a word or phrase, or
scene, or an episode that refers
directly to one thing but suggests
another thing as well.