Short Story

Short Story

Do you enjoy narrating your experiences to a friend or a party of friends?

You probably do. Telling stories is fun and entertaining. It is also a very old
tradition that everyone likes to do. During the early days, storytelling was
done orally. Today, stories may be written in books, newspapers,
magazines, and other such medium.

Have you observed why stories appear very appealing to you and to other
people? It is because stories concern people. You are curious about other
people and also about yourselves. Stories are very attractive to you
because of the suspense they create. A good and entertaining story
brings you to life. You often react when you see the actor tortured by his
opponent. You fight back with him, love with him and be inspired along
with him especially when he experiences good fortune in the story.

Objective

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Define a short story;

2. Discuss the elements of a short story;
3. Discuss the guidelines for reading a short story; and
4. Draw out values from the stories

What is a Short Story?

A short story is a short piece of fiction containing elements described in

the chart on these pages. It is a prose that has one unit of place, time and
action. It is a “bite size” version of a novel. You can finish reading it in just
one sitting. It is written by someone with serious artistic intentions who
hopes to broaden, deepen, and sharpen your awareness of life. It brings
you into the real world enabling you to understand the difficulties of life
and to empathize with others. The short story has eight elements to help
you understand and enjoy reading it. These elements are plot and
structure, character and characterization, theme, setting, point of view,
tone and style, symbol, allegory and fantasy, humor and irony.
Short Story Elements

Plot and Structure Plot - It is a reflection of motivation and causation. It is

the sequence of incidents or events through which an author constructs a
story. The plot is not merely the action itself, but the way the author
arranges the action toward a specific end (structure).

Structure – It defines the layout of the work. It presents how each event
causes or leads to the next.

The plot has the following elements: conflict, exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action and resolution.

Conflict – It is where plot is often created. It is a controlling impulse in a

connected pattern of causes and effects. It is a major element of plot
because it arouses curiosity, causes doubt, creates tension and produces
interest. Remember that if there is no tension there is no interest. Great
stories do have a conflict.

Conflict is classified into external and internal:

An external conflict is one between a character and an outside force,

such as another character, nature, society, or fate.
An internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character who is
torn between opposing feelings or between different courses of action.
This is also called dilemma, a conflict within or for one person.

Most plots develop in five stages:

1. Exposition introduces the story’s characters, setting, and conflict.

Short Story
2. Rising action occurs as complications, twists, or intensifications of
the conflict occur.

3. Climax is the emotional high point of the story. It is the most

exciting part of the story.

4. Falling action is the logical result of the climax.

5. Resolution presents the final outcome of the story. It may be

happy, unhappy or indeterminate.

Character and Characterization

Character is a verbal representation of a human being. Every story needs

characters: people, animals, or any other creatures. The character is
either a protagonist (“the good guy”) or antagonist (“the bad guy”). A
character is also classified as flat, round, stock, static or developing.

Types of Characters

Flat Character usually has one or two predominant traits. The character
can be summed up in just a few lines. Example: A father who is strict from
the beginning to the end of the story.

Round Character is complex, many faceted and has the qualities of real
people. Example: In the story, he is a father, a goon, an executive, etc.

Static Character is a character that remains essentially the same

throughout. Example: The daughter who remains a baby from start to
finish.

Developing Character is a character that undergoes a significant change

during the story. Example: A daughter, who suffers from the beginning,
strives hard to improve her life and become rich, helps her parents and
becomes happy at the end, or vice-versa.

There are three conditions that regulate change:

1. It must be consistent with the individual’s characterization as

dramatized in the story.

2. It must be sufficiently motivated by the circumstances in which the

character is placed.

3. The story must offer sufficient time for the change to take place and
still be believable.

Characterization is the quality of the character which is disclosed through

actions, descriptions, both personal and environmental, dramatic
statements and thoughts, statements by other characters and statements
by the author speaking as storyteller, or observer.

Example: Character: Sonia, the protagonist

Characterization – tall, with fair complexion, with long hair, happy,

humble, obedient, studious, etc.

Setting

The setting of a story is its overall context- where, when and in what
circumstances the action occurs.

Setting as Place - The physical environment where the story takes place.
The description of the environment often points towards its importance.

Setting as Time - includes time in all of its dimensions. To determine the

importance, ask, “What was going on at that time?”

Setting as Cultural Context (Condition) - Setting also involves the social

circumstances of the time and place. Consider historical events and social
and political issues of the time.

Effects of Setting - Creates atmosphere, gives insight to characters, and

provides connections to other aspects of the story.

Example: In this paragraph from a short narrative:

… For Cindy Mae, who is now a mother of two, the farm from when
she was still a child where she lived with her parents, is what makes the
terrible things that happened during the war – the things she, Leo, Homer,
Fae and the others had to do – all worthwhile. It is where she belongs.

Setting:
Place - home in the farm
Time – during her childhood
Cultural Context (Condition) – war

Point of View (POV)

Point of view refers to whoever is telling the story. It is the speaker,

narrator, persona or voice created by the author to tell the story. To
determine the POV, ask “who is telling the story”, and “how much do they
know?”

The point of view relies on two factors namely the physical situation of the
narrator as an observer and the speaker’s intellectual and emotional
position

• First person = I, we
• Second person = you (uncommon)
Short Story
• Third person = He, she, they (most common)
• Point of view may be:
– Dramatic/objective = strictly reporting
– Omniscient = all-knowing
– Limited omniscient = some insight

Example: In this paragraph from a short narrative:

… For Cindy Mae, who is now a mother of two, the farm from when
she was still a child where she lived with her parents, is what makes the
terrible things that happened during the war – the things she, Leo, Homer,
Fae and the others had to do – all worthwhile. It is where she belongs.

Point of View: Omniscient

Theme

Theme is the central idea or message of a story, often a perception about

life or human nature.

Stated themes are directly presented in a story.

Implied themes must be inferred by considering all the elements of a story

and asking what message about life is conveyed.

Theme: life experience of a child during a calamity like the war

Tone and Style

Tone is the method by which writers and speakers reveal attitudes or

feelings.

Example:

… For Cindy Mae, who is now a mother of two, the farm from when she
was still a child, where she lived with her parents, is what makes the
terrible things that happened during the war – the things she, Leo, Homer,
Fae and the others had to do – all worthwhile. It is where she belongs.

Tone: nostalgic, misses her childhood days

Style is the manner in which an author uses words, constructs sentences,

incorporates non-literal expressions, and handles rhythm, timing, and
tone.

When you are asked to discuss style, you are being asked to describe how
or explain why the words, sentences, and imaginative comparisons are
effective in terms of what is being created.
Diction is central to an author’s style. It includes vocabulary or the choice
of words and syntax.

1. Vocabulary - Choice of words

a. Simple words - Everyday word choice. (“She was sick for a long
time.)
b. Complex words - Flexing intellectual muscle (“Garages and
cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august
names of that neighborhood.)
c. Concrete words - Things we can touch, see, etc. (Jeans,
book, flowers, car, telephone...)
d. Abstract words - Words that express intangible ideas
(freedom, heritage, marriage, something)

2. Syntax – this refers to the arrangement of words, their ordering,

grouping and placement within phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Back to the example episode, the style used by the author is the
use of simple words in straight sentences.

Symbolism, Allegory and Fantasy

Symbolism and allegory are modes that expand meaning.

Symbol creates a direct, meaningful equation between a specific object,

scene, character, or action and ideas, values, persons or ways of life.

Symbols may be:

Cultural (universal) when they are known by most literate people:

Examples: white dove, color black, etc.

Contextual (authorial) when they are created by the author and are
private.

Allegory is a symbol that is complete and self-sufficient. Example is:

“Young Goodman Brown” “Juan dela Cruz” Uncle Sam”

More examples of allegory:

 Fable – It is a story about animals that posses human traits.

 Parable – It is an allegory with moral or religious bent.
Example: Biblical stories.
 Allusion is the use of other culturally well-known works from the
Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, famous art, etc.
 Fantasy - A nonrealistic story that transcends the bounds of known
reality.
Short Story

Humor and Irony

Humor and irony, like many other elements, are intended to create an
emotional impact on the reader. We must FEEL the truth of a story not
just understand it.

Irony is when things work out the opposite of what they're supposed to, or
expected to

Example:

… Brother learns that one brother is supposed to love and protect another
brother, especially when that other brother needs protection. The irony is
that he learns this only after he loses his brother...

Humor is difficult to define but because some humor theorists say that
humor is a literary element of surprise, humor can be safely defined as a
literary element of surprise or be surprised without threat or promise. In
humor, you must have an expectation of how the world works. When
something happens contrary to that expectation, you are surprised.

Example:

Why didn't the chicken cross the road? Because there was a KFC on the
other side!

Guidelines in reading a short story

You read a short story for enjoyment and understanding. You appreciate a
short story if you are equipped with the necessary skills and techniques in
reading it. Below is a simple guideline for you to read this kind of prose.

First Reading

o Determine what is happening; where, what, who is involved, or the

major characters of the story
- Make a record of your reactions and responses
- Describe characterizations, events, techniques and ideas

Second Reading

o Trace developing patterns

- Write expanded notes about characters, situations, actions

- Write paragraph describing your reactions and thoughts
- Write down questions that arise as you read (in the margins)
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