MELC 3

English 10
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LEARNING COMPETENCY

ENABLING
Appraise the unity of COMPETENCY
plot, setting and
Determine how connected
characterization in a
events contribute to the
material viewed to totality of a material
achieve the writer’s viewed
purpose
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CHARACTER VS CHARACTERIZATION
Characterization is a
writer’s tool, or “literary
Characters refer to device” that occurs any
persons, persons, time the author uses
creatures or things details to teach us about a
serving as actors or person. This is used over
movers in a story. the course of a story in
Protagonist/s and order to tell the tale.
Antagonist/s.
 Example of
characterization
In the Harry Potter series, Dobby refers
to Potter as “the noble Harry Potter,” or
“good Harry Potter,” which shows us
how the house elf adores the young
wizard. It might also be a hint of how
Dobby would show affection for other
people he admires.
CHARACTERIZATION
IN LITERATURE
In The Great Gatsby, the location of
lower upper-class characters (East Egg)
compared to the location of upper upper-
class characters (West Egg) serves to
characterize their financial boundary.
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plot
In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the
sequence of events that make up a story, whether it’s
told, written, filmed, or sung.
The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the
story develops, unfolds, and moves in time.
Plots are typically made up of five main elements:
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Types of plot
a. Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—
usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and
comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world’s most
universal and compelling plot—the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker
Joseph Campbell.

Examples:
Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.
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Types of plot
b. Rags to Riches:
This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some point,
the protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all back
by the end of the story, after experiencing great personal growth.

Examples:
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.
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Types of plot
c. The Quest:
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures
in order to find treasure or solve a huge problem. Usually, the protagonist is
forced to begin the quest but makes friends that help face the many tests and
obstacles along the way. This is also a version of Campbell’s monomyth.

Examples:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon
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Types of plot
d. Voyage and Return:
The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place, facing danger
and adventures along the way, returning home with experience and
understanding. This is also a version of the monomyth.

Examples:
Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz
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Types of plot
e. Comedy:
A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over
difficulties and adversities.

Examples:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone
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Types of plot
f. Tragedy:
The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending, typically
death.

Examples:
Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth
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Types of plot
g. Rebirth:
The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience
of the story’s conflict.

Examples:
The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch
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Plot: 5 major elements

Exposition
Conflict
Climax
Falling/Rising Action
Resolution/Denouement
 exposition
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The exposition of a story is the first paragraph or paragraphs

in which the characters, setting, and so (time and place), and
basic information is introduced.

Expositions are the place to show the reader a little bit of the
location and what kind of time is involved in the story, along
with some of the major characters.
 Exposition: Example 17

Tommy kicked angrily at the rocks in front of him as he walked to the little store up the
road. The gravel road was quiet, with only the dust from his feet rising up from the ground.
The Texas spring was hotter and drier than normal, causing a slight drought. Tommy wished
he still had his bike, but he had broken the frame last fall when he and his friends did some
trick rides. “Man, that was some fun, though!” he remembered with a smile.
His smile went back to a frown as his thoughts returned to why he was walking on this hot
Saturday morning. His sister Rachel was home from college for the weekend, so he didn’t
understand why HE had to go get the milk. She could have driven in her car. It was always,
“Rachel’s busy. Rachel needs to study.” Today it was, “Rachel’s tired from her drive home
last night.” Whatever! He had work to do, too. What about how busy he was? Everyone
treated him like he was a little kid. But he had his 10th grade exams coming up in two
weeks. He was busy, too!
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a. Backstory/Prologue

Some books or stories will have a “Prologue” before the first chapter
or a scene showing something from the past. This prologue or
backstory sets the story by giving a description of events that have
affected or lead the main character up to the present time in the story.
It will also show other characters and perhaps the antagonist.
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b. Inner Monologue/Flashback

The story may start with the character in his or her present time,
showing the time and place (setting) at that moment. Then the
protagonist (main character) may have a flashback or have an inner
monologue (speaking to him- her-self) that shows the reader a previous
event which impacts the story or is the cause of a later conflict along
with the possible antagonist.
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c. Character Dialogue

Another way of creating the exposition is through characters talking

to each other. They may discuss previous events, issues that impact
the story, and other characters. This conversation clues us in as to the
where, when, and who.
 CONFLICT 21

can be any form of struggle the main character faces.

there may be only one central struggle, or there may be
many minor obstacles within a
dominant struggle.

*Without conflict, there is no plot

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6 TYPES OF CONFLICT
Character vs. Self. This is an internal conflict, meaning that the
opposition the character faces is coming from within.
Character vs. Character. Struggles against other people.
Character vs. Nature. Struggles against animals, weather, environment,
etc.,
Character vs. Supernatural.
Character vs. Technology.
Character vs. Society. Struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of
others
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Climax
Climax is the highest point of tension or drama in a narratives’ plot.
Often, climax is also when the main problem of the story is faced and
solved by the main character or protagonist.

The conflict is faced during the main, most dramatic event of the story.
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Climax: example
A story about a boy’s crush:
Conflict: Sam has had a crush on Mary for months, but he does not
know how to tell her how he feels.

Climax: At the school dance, Sam makes his feelings for Mary known
by asking her to dance.
As can be seen from these short story examples, climax is the most
exciting point of the plot when the conflict is finally faced.
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Climax: example
Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
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Falling Action/Rising Action
Falling Action: The story begins to slow down and work
towards its end, tying up loose ends.

Rising Action: The main character is in crisis and events

leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold. The story
becomes complicated.
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Resolution/Denouement
The resolution, also known as the denouement, is the
conclusion of the story’s plot. It’s where any unanswered
questions are answered, or “loose ends are tied.” Interestingly
the phrase denouement comes from the French word
dénouement meaning “to untie.” A story with a complete ending
is said to have a strong resolution.
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Resolution/Denouement

Bobby was upset about his poor grades. He asked his mom for a
tutor. After working with a tutor for about a month, he took a major
math test. He aced the test! Thanks to hard work and studying, Bobby
was becoming a star student.
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SETTING
Setting is the time and place (or when and where) of the
story. It’s a literary element of literature used in novels,
short stories, plays, films, etc., and usually introduced
during the exposition (beginning) of the story, along
with the characters.
The setting may also include the environment of the
story, which can be made up of the physical location,
climate, weather, or social and cultural surroundings.
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SETTING
Place - Geographical location; where is the action of the story taking
place?
Time - Historical period, time of day, year, etc.; when is the story
taking
place?
Weather Conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
Social Conditions - What is the daily life of the character's like?
Does the story contain local color (writing that focuses on the
speech, dress,
mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of
the story?
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TYPES OF SETTING
a. Backdrop setting
The story is timeless and can happen at any point in history or
anywhere. The focus is on the lesson or message being delivered.
Many fairy tales and children’s stories have backdrop settings.
“Winnie the Pooh” would be an example. Since the lessons that
the characters learn is the point rather than the time period, it’s
hard to tack a “past, present, or future” on the time aspect of the
setting. It could also be any town or country, which means
children anywhere can relate to it.
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TYPES OF SETTING
b. Integral setting
With an integral setting (integral means to be a part of or
important to), the time and place are important to the story. For
example, a story dealing with a historical setting will have a direct
impact on the plot. A story that happens in the 1800s will not have
technology, so the characters will have to write a letter, ride a
horse or take a carriage to visit each other; they cannot travel long
distances in one day as we do now with cars, buses, and planes.
This will have a direct impact on the events of the story,
especially if there is distance involved.
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SETTING
A simple example to understand setting is the Disney
movie “Cinderella.” The setting starts out as

Time: Cinderella as a young girl, long ago in the past

Place: Cinderella’s home in a kingdom far away
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Example of Setting
October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds
and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept
busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and
students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it
left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours
afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was
bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from
under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole
head was on fire (Rowling 1999).
from J. K. Rowling’s book “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Rowling’s series of Harry Potter
QUIZ TIME
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1. Read the sentence below. Choose the best

answer(s) that is/are an element of setting.
“The moon was shining brightly as the fox
slowly crept toward the chicken coop.”

a.Fox slowly crept

b.Chicken coop
c.Moon was shining brightly
d.b and c
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2. Why is setting important to a story?

a.It tells us about the characters.

b.It lets us know the context of characters’ actions
and sets the mood.
c.It settles the conflict.
d.It helps predict the ending of a story.
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3. What is the best way to put setting into a

story?
a.Take a picture and copy it into the pages of the
story.
b.Use descriptive words and details that create a
picture in the readers’ minds and pull on their
senses.
c.Use long words and sentences to make a picture.
d.Describe how the characters look.
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4. When should setting be used in a story?

a.Setting should be used in the beginning of the story, when

there are new events in the story line, or when the reader
needs information to understand the plot.
b.Setting should be used at the end of the story to help
explain the resolution.
c.Setting should be used when there are new characters.
d.Setting should be used to help solve the conflict and to
show the climax.
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5. How has setting helped improve the video

game industry?

a.It created new types of computer consoles.

b.It made characters more interesting by giving
them new tools.
c.It gave the games more backgrounds and visuals
to make them complex and exciting.
d.It helped people understand the games.
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6. When can plot not be used?

a.in poetry
b.in prose
c.in technical writing
d.in advertisements
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7. How is climax related to plot?

a.it is a type of plot

b.plot and climax are both necessary for a story
c.it is the most important element of plot
d.both b and c
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8. Which of the following is NOT an example of

the classic plot?

a.rags to riches
b.riches to rags
c.tragedy
d.the quest
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9. An exposition is

a.A formal paper that explains a process.

b.The beginning part of a story that sets up the
setting and characters.
c.The ending of a story to wrap up loose ends.
d.A new way of writing stories.
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10. The following are all methods of writing an

exposition except

a.An epilogue.
b.A back story.
c.A flashback.
d.Characters’ dialogue.
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11. Expositions are composed of

a.Setting and conflict.

b.Time, place, and climax.
c.Setting and characters.
d.Characters and conflict.
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12. To have a good exposition, you need

a.Details and description.

b.Details and dialogue.
c.Monologues and dialogue.
d.Setting and details.
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13. Expositions are important because

a.They help the reader figure out the ending.

b.They leave details that are clues to the story’s
lesson.
c.They are more interesting.
d.They help the reader understand the story’s
events.
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14. How is a resolution related to a conclusion?

a.both are at the end of a composition

b.resolutions are serious, whereas conclusions
can be comical
c.resolutions are for essays, whereas
conclusions are for narratives
d.the resolution is at the beginning, conclusion
at the end
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15. Which of the following is an example of a

resolution?

a.In the beginning there were only four students.

b.In the midst of the fighting, Mike took a
break.
c.Things were really beginning to happen for us.
d.Everyone lived happily ever after.
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16. Which of the following is not one of the five

elements of plot?

a.falling action
b.climax
c.beginning
d.denouement
.
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17. Which of the following sentences

characterizes its subject?

a.“The building was very old, and the rent was

very low.”
b.“Maria glanced at the clock.”
c.“He’s never been able to keep a job for long.”
d.all of the above
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18. What is characterization?

a.anything which can teach us about a character

b.action and dialogue
c.the opinions of other characters
d.appearance
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19. Why is characterization more common in

modern stories?

a.it’s not; it was more common in the medieval

era
b.because there are lots of books and classes
about it
c.its importance to plot-driven narratives
d.it was only invented recently
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20. What is the climax in the following story?
Lara meets Dave. Lara falls in love with Dave. Lara
wants to tell Dave, but doesn’t know how. Lara
writes Dave a letter, expressing her love. Dave tells
Lara he loves her, too.

a.Lara meets Dave.

b.Lara wants to tell Dave, but doesn’t know how.
c.Lara writes Dave a letter, expressing her love. Dave
tells Lara he loves her, too.
d.There was no climax in this story.
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“
THANK YOU FOR TODAY!
HOPE YOU LEARNED
SOMETHING!