21st Century Literature Week 8 Day 3

ELEMENTS OF
SHORT STORY
(Basic Elements)
Basic
Elements
of Short
Story
1, CHARACTER
• A character in a short story is a person, in some stories an

animal, who takes part in the action of the story or other
literary work. The way an author develops the character in a
story is very important in making the story appeal to the
readers. It is said that the heart of the story are the characters.
The two most important characters in a short story are the
protagonist and the antagonist
1, CHARACTER
a. The protagonist is considered as the main character or most important

of all the characters. It is the character who learns something or
undergoes some changes throughout the course of the story. Some stories
depict the protagonist as the hero of the story, while in other stories the
protagonist is not considered a hero as he has done nothing heroic. In
any case, the story always revolves around the protagonist.
1, CHARACTER
b. The antagonist is the character that challenges the

main character. It has no concern for the well-being of
the main character. The antagonist may be a person,
the nature, the society, or any intangible matter that
contends with or creates a problem for the protagonist.
2. SETTING
• The place (locale) and time (period) when the story happens is called
the setting. The setting may be based on real place and real time or it
may also be based on the author’s imagination. When analyzing the
setting of the story, consider where the action is taking place. Most
authors use descriptive words to describe the landscape, scenery,
buildings, season, or weather to provide a strong sense of setting which
will help the reader visualize the story and connect to the story’s plot.
3. PLOT
• is the actual story. It is what the story is all about. It

is also the series of events and characters’ actions
that lead to the highest point of interest in a short
story. The following are the different parts of a
story’s structure:
3. PLOT
a. Exposition –This is the beginning of the

story. This is where the author introduces the
characters, identifies where the story is
happening, and establishes the main conflict.
3. PLOT
b. Rising Action – This event occurs

as you begin to move throughout the
story. This is where conflicts start to
build.
3. PLOT
c. Climax– It is the most exciting part of a

short story. This is the part in the story when
important decisions are made or important
things are discovered.
3. PLOT
d. Falling Action– This point occurs after the

climax as the problems in the story start to
work themselves out. The excitement becomes
less and less as the conflict is resolved.
3. PLOT
e. Resolution– This is the solution to the

problem in a story. The solution may not be
what you hoped for but as long as it fits the
story in tone and theme, the conflict has been
resolved
4. CONFLICT
• Every story needs to have a problem and this problem is

called conflict. The main character, also called the protagonist,
needs to have someone or something to challenge him.
Without conflict, the story will not go anywhere and will not
be very interesting to the readers. The main character may be
faced with one of the four different types of conflict.
4. CONFLICT
These four types of conflict are:

• man versus man;
• man versus nature;
• man versus himself; and
• man versus society.
5. THEME
• This is the central idea in a short

story and a general truth. This is
considered as the author’s message to
the readers.
6. POINT OF VIEW
• This is the way the story is told or

narrated. It is also known as the vantage
point that a writer uses to narrate the
story. The following are the types of point
of view in a short story:
6. POINT OF VIEW
a. First Person – the narrator

participates in and tells the story
using the pronoun ‘I’.
6. POINT OF VIEW
b. Limited Third Person – the narrator is not

in the story and narrates using the pronouns
‘she’ or ‘he’. Also, the narrator is unable to see
into the minds of the characters.
6. POINT OF VIEW
c. Omniscient Third Person – the narrator is not in the

story and tells the story using the pronouns ‘she’ or
‘he’. In this point of view, the narrator can tell the
thoughts of the characters as he can see into their
minds.

21st Century Literature Week 8 Day 3

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ELEMENTS OF

• A character in a short story is a person, in some stories an

a. The protagonist is considered as the main character or most important

b. The antagonist is the character that challenges the

• is the actual story. It is what the story is all about. It

a. Exposition –This is the beginning of the

b. Rising Action – This event occurs

c. Climax– It is the most exciting part of a

d. Falling Action– This point occurs after the

e. Resolution– This is the solution to the

• Every story needs to have a problem and this problem is

These four types of conflict are:

• This is the central idea in a short

• This is the way the story is told or

a. First Person – the narrator

b. Limited Third Person – the narrator is not

c. Omniscient Third Person – the narrator is not in the

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