This document defines and explains the key elements of a short story: plot, theme, setting, character, and conflict. It breaks down plot into the major parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It also defines and provides examples of other important literary elements like protagonist, antagonist, tone, mood, dynamic and static characters. The document aims to teach the basic building blocks for understanding and analyzing short stories.

1. Mrs. Sample
Language Arts
7th Grade

2. Elements of a Short Story
Plot
Theme
Setting
Character
Conflict

3. Plot: How Stories Happen
What is plot?
The structure
of a story

4. Parts of Plot
Climax
Rising Action Falling Action
Exposition Resolution

5. What is Exposition?
•Beginning of story
•Introduces
characters, setting,
and tone

6. What is Rising Action?
•Plot becomes
increasingly complicated
•Various problems arise

7. What is Climax?
The high point
of a story

8. What is Falling Action?
•Action following the
climax
•Leads to the end

9. What is Resolution?
•Problems are
solved
•Action comes
to an end

10. What is the high point
of action in a story?
A. Exposition
B. Resolution
C. Climax
D. Falling action

11. What is Theme?
•Message about life
•What the work is about
•What the main
character learns

12. What is Tone?
• Tells us what the author thinks
about his/her main character.
• The author’s attitude toward the
story and readers.

13. What is Mood?
• The effect of the writer’s
words on the reader.
• How the writer’s words make
us feel.

14. What is Setting?
• Place
• Time

15. The setting answers the question,
“What is the work about?”
True
False

16. What is a Character?
A person or animal
in a story

17. Character
What is a • Main character
protagonist? • Hero of the story

18. Character
• Opposes
What is an protagonist
antagonist? • Bad guy

19. Dynamic vs. Static
DYNAMIC STATIC
• Character • Character stays
changes the same through
throughout a the whole story.
story. They either This person does
do something not change. They
differently or are actually very
make a choice predictable
they would not through the whole
have normally story.
made.

20. Who is the hero or central
character of a story?
A. Protagonist
B. Climax
C. Exposition
D. Antagonist

21. What is Conflict?
A struggle
between
opposing forces
in a story

22. What is Conflict?
•Person against person
•Person against self
•Person against society
•Person against nature

23. Congratulations!
You know the Elements of a Short Story!!!
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Plot
Theme
Setting
Character
Conflict