ELEMENTS OF FICTION

Character Plot
Setting Symbol
Conflict Point of View
Theme
 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Define fiction in their own words;

2. Identify the elements of fiction;
3. Differentiate the elements of fiction;
4. use the elements to summarize short stories, novels, and other kinds of
fictions; and,
5. Write a meaningful story integrating all the elements studied.
 SETTING
The setting is both the time
and geographic location
within a narrative or within a
work of fiction.

A literary element, the setting

helps initiate the main
backdrop and mood for a
story.
 CHARACTER
• Character can be
defined as any
person, animal, or
figure represented
in a literary work.
There are many
types of characters
that exist in
literature, each
with its own
development and
function.
 CONFLICT
• Conflict is the primary problem that
the characters in a story face. It is the
driving force in any story, as it
influences the turn of events in the
plot. Without conflict, there is no
story arc and no character
development.

• Conflict can be broken down into

four categories: man vs. man, man vs.
nature, man vs. society and man vs.
self. The first three types are known
as external conflict, and the last type
is internal conflict.
 PLOT
A plot is a causal sequence of events, the "why" for the things that happen in the story. The plot draws the reader into
the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make. A plot's structure is the way
in which the story elements are arranged.
 SYMBOL
• A symbol is anything that stands for, or represents, something else. In a story, a character, an action,
an object, or an animal can be symbolic. Often these symbols stand for something abstract, like a
force of nature, a condition of the world, or an idea.
POINT OF VIEW

Point of view refers to who is telling or

narrating a story. A story can be told in three
different ways. Writers use point of view to
express the personal emotions of either
themselves or their characters. The point of
view of a story is how the writer wants to
convey the experience to the reader.
 THEME
• The theme in a story is its
underlying message, or 'big
idea.' In other words, what
critical belief about life is
the author trying to convey
in the writing of a novel,
play, short story or poem?
This belief, or idea,
transcends cultural barriers.
It is usually universal in
nature.