PROSE

ELEMENTS OF
FICTION
 1. Characters- are the representation
of a human
being; persons involved in a
conflict.
 Fictional characters are classified into:

1.Protagonist – the principal character in the

story. He usually an admirable character with
whom we usually sympathize or identify.
2.Antihero – an inept or otherwise ridiculous
character
3.Antagonist – the villain or a character in
conflict with the hero and is usually less
admirable than the hero; he creates the
conflict.
4.Fringe- one who is destroyed by his inner
Ways on how characters are portrayed :

1.Dynamic or round character – a fully developed

character that recognizes changes with or
adjust to the circumstances. He carries with
him the reality of human growth and decline.

 the protagonists and antagonists are

individuals who express a range of emotion and
change throughout the narrative, usually
toward greater maturity
2. Flat character – a character who does
not grow and
remains the same or a stereo type
character of
conventional traits. Because he
exhibits only one side
or aspect of him, he has no depth and
no changes.

Most supporting characters are portrayed

in this way: a strict teacher, a helpful
3. Foil character – a character
who points the qualities or
characteristics of another
character.

 For example, a foolish

character sets a wise
character’s wisdom in a stronger
light.
 2. Setting
The locale (place) or period(
time) in which the action of a
short story , play, novel or
the motion picture takes place
(also known as the background
of the story.
 3. Conflict

The struggle or complication

involving the characters, the
opposition of persons or forces
upon which the action depends
in drama or fiction.
 Types of Conflict
Internal Conflict
- occurs when the protagonist struggles
within himself or
herself.
- the protagonist is pulled by two courses
of action or by
different emotions

MAN VS. HIMSELF

Interpersonal Conflict
- pits the protagonist
against someone
else
- person-against-person

MAN VS.MAN
External Conflict
- happens when the
protagonist is in
conflict with the values of
his or her
society

MAN VS.FATE
MAN VS.SOCIETY
 4. Plot
 a casually related sequence of events which
involves the
character in conflict. ( Beginning,
Middle, Ending)
 the sequence of events is called narrative
order
- chronological order the most common
type of
narrative order
- flashback occurs when the author
narrates an event
Exposition (beginning) introduces the
time, place,
setting and the main characters
 Complication (rising action) unfolds the
problems
and struggles that would be
encountered by the
main characters leading to the crisis.
 Climax (result of the crisis) part where
the problem
or the conflict is the highest peak of
interest and
greatest emotion.
 Qualities of Plot
 Exciting – it should be more
exciting than the everyday reality
that surrounds us.

 Good structure – the episodes must

be arranged effectively, but the most
important element of plot structure is
tying all incidents together, so that
one leads naturally to another.
 PLOT DEVICES
 Flashback – something out of the chronological
order: to
reveal information to understand character’s
nature.
Foreshadowing – a device to give a sign of
something to come
its purpose is to create suspense, to keep
the readers guessing
what will happen when.
 Suspense- this is the feeling of excitement or
tension in the
reader’s experiences as the action of the
plot unfolds.
Surprise Ending- this is an ending that catches the
 5.Point of view

the writer’s feeling and

attitude toward his subject;
determines who tells the
story; it identifies the
narrator of the story (the
form of narration also affects
the story itself.)
 Classification (POINT OF VIEW)
First person is used when the main
character is telling the story. This is
the kind that uses the "I" narrator. As a
reader, you can only experience the story
through this person's eyes. So you won't
know anything about the people or events
that this character hasn't personally
experienced.

Second person point of view is generally

only used in instructional writing. It is
 Third person POV is used when your narrator is not a
character in the story. Third person uses the
"he/she/it" narrator and it is the most commonly used
POV in writing.

There are 3 main types of Third Person POV:

Third Person Limited: Limited means that the POV is

limited to only one character. Which means that the
narrator only knows what that character knows. With
third person limited you can choose to view the action
from right inside the character's head, or from further
away, where the narrator has more access to information
outside the protagonist's viewpoint.
 Third Person Multiple: This type is still in the
"he/she/it" category, but now the narrator can follow
multiple characters in the story. The challenge is
making sure that the reader knows when you are switching
from one character to another. Make the switch obvious
with chapter or section breaks.

Third Person Omniscient: This point of view still uses

the "he/she/it" narration but now the narrator knows
EVERYTHING. The narrator isn't limited by what one
character knows, sort of like the narrator is God. The
narrator can know things that others don't, can make
comments about what's happening, and can see inside the
minds of other characters.
 6. Mood

is the general feeling or

atmosphere that a piece of
writing creates within the
reader.
 7. Tone
in written composition, is an
attitude of a writer toward a subject
or an audience.

 is generally conveyed through the

choice of words, or the viewpoint of a
writer on a particular subject. Every
written piece comprises a central
 8.Symbolism

 can take many forms including: A

figure of speech where an object,
person, or situation has
another meaning other than its
literal meaning.

 the actions of a character, word,

action, or event that have a
 9. Sensory Images ( IMAGERY)

is a strategy readers use to

think more deeply about a text.
It is when a reader combines
their schema and the information
in the text to create
an image in their mind.
This image can represent all of
 10. Theme

 is the central topic a text

treats.

 It can be divided into two

categories: a work's thematic
concept is what readers "think the
work is about" and its thematic
statement being "what the work
 Activity

Think for a famous movie

or any fictional story,
then find the elements of
fiction.