Short Story Literary Elements

people or animals who take part in a story's action

• characters

• motivation

• theme

• plot

the writer describes the character

• theme

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

• plot

the writer reveals the character through speech and actions and what they look like

• indirect characterization

• direct characterization

• plot

• theme

the central message expressed in a story (think of it as a lesson learned)

• theme

• plot

• literary device

• characters

the sequence of events in a short story

• plot

• theme

• climax

• resolution

introduces the setting, characters, and basic situation

• rising action

• exposition

• climax

• resolution

the turning point of a story

• expostion

• resolution

• falling action

• climax

the conclusion

• resolution

• theme

• climax

• falling action

the use of clues early in a story to hint at events that may occur later

• flashback

• irony

• foreshadowing

• dialect

What is the difference between a theme and a topic?

• A topic is a recurring message while a theme if a one word answer

• A theme is a recurring message in the story while a topic is a recurring, typically one word idea seen throughout the story.

• A topic is an idea that is rarely seen in a story, while a theme is an idea that is seen throughout the story.

• A theme is an idea that is rarely seen in a story, while a topic is an idea that is seen sometimes in the story.