Literary Elements

Literary Elements

by Logan Stephens

​Characters

​any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work. 

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​Characters can have many traits that change and grow over time just like people in real life.

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Traits:

Impatient, proud, selfish, mature, creative, loving, funny, clever, etc.​

​Characters can be:

• ​The Protagonist

  • ​​the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

• ​The Antagonist

  • ​A character in a story who opposes, or goes against the protagonist.

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of a character? 

• Esperanza Rising

• Miguel 

• The lesson of the story

• El Rancho de Las Rosas

Multiple Choice

If Esperanza and her mama are the protagonists in Esperanza Rising, who might be the antagonist?

• Tio Luis

• Abuelita

• Papa

• Miguel

​Theme

​The lesson, moral, or message of a story.

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​The lesson a main character learns, that we can all learn from in our lives.

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​Example: Never be afraid to start over

Open Ended

What is a theme for Esperanza Rising?

​Setting

​Where and when a story take place

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​Where and when the story takes place can impact the whole story!

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​Winter vs. Summer

​Future vs. Past

​Earth vs. Mars

​2020 vs. 2018

​Day vs. Night

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of a setting?

• Esperanza left her home

• 1945, Mexico 

• There is no rose without thorns

• Mama recovers from valley fever

​Plot

​The series of events in a story.

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​Exposition

​Conflict & Rising Action

​Climax

​Falling action

​Resoloution

​Exposition

​The exposition is the beginning of the story (setting and characters introduced).

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​In the first few chapters

​Conflict & Rising Action

Conflict & Rising action is what happens in a story leading up to the most exciting part of a story. Often includes problems that the characters have to face and solve

Climax

Climax the most exciting part, or major turning point of the plot 

​Falling Action

Falling action is every action in the story after the climax and before the very end.​

​Resoloution

​Resolution: the way in which the problem in the story is solved. How things end up in the story.