Literary Elements
• Setting
• Conflict/Inciting Incident
• Flashback/Foreshadowing
Setting
• Definition:
• The TIME (day, month, year) and PLACE where
the action occurs in a story.
• Purpose:
– The setting can influence the type of
characters that appear in a story as well as
what events occur in the plot.
Setting
Where:
• Geographical location (Wyoming,
London, Cairo, Vancouver, etc.)
• Socio-economic characteristics
(wealthy suburbs, depression
dustbowl)
• Specific locations (prep school, log
cabin, bus, military base)
Setting
When:
• General time period: (Past, present,
future)
• Specific time period: (1865, during
WWII, during Colonial Times.)
• Time of year/Time of day: (Seasons,
morning, dusk)
Turn and Talk
• Using the story “The Highwayman” on
p. 593 of your textbook, list details
about the story’s setting (TIME &
PLACE) with a partner.
• Simply stating that the story takes
place on a rois not a complete
response.
Identifying the
Elements of A Plot
Diagram
Plot
• Definition:
–The sequence of
events that make
up a story
–All events are
related to one
another.
Plot Diagram
3- CLIMAX
Middle-End of
Story
2- Rising Action
1- Exposition
Beginning of Story
4- Falling Action
5 – Resolution/
Denoument
End of Story
1. Exposition
Definition:
• Occurs at the beginning of a story to give the reader background
information.
• Characters are introduced.
•Setting of the story is introduced.
• The Inciting Incident is introduced.
–This is referred to as the INCITIING INCIDENT because it is the first
indication that something has gone wrong.
–It causes a shift in the action during the beginning of the story.
C
S
I
2. Rising Action
Definition:
• A series of events (in a particular order) that lead to the
climax
• A building of suspense or interest occurs.
3. Climax
Definition:
• The major turning point or the most intense moment in
the story.
• Usually the main character comes face to face with the
conflict.
• The reader’s emotion is piqued (sparked) by placing the
outcome of the characters in doubt.
• Happens toward the end of a story.
4. Falling Action
Definition:
• All loose ends of
the plot are tied
up.
• The conflict(s)
and climax are
starting to calm
down.
5. Resolution/Denoument
Definition:
• The story comes to
a reasonable ending
(conclusion).
• Not every story has
a resolution
Putting It All Together
1. Exposition
Very Beginning of
Story
2. Rising Action
Beginning – Middle of
Story
3. Climax
Near End of Story
4. Falling Action
End of Story
5. Resolution/Denoument
Very End of Story
Plot Diagram for “The Highwayman”
Climax:
YOU TRY:
Rising Action
3. Bess hears the highwayman returning and
struggles to reach the trigger of the gun to
warn him with the shot so he can get away.
1.
2. The redcoats tie Bess up with a gun
pointed at her chest. They want to use her
to lure the highwayman back and shoot him
before he can return to her.
1. The highwayman does not return in the
morning, afternoon, or evening – instead,
the redcoats come to the inn-yard.
Exposition
Characters: The highwayman, Bess, Tim the ostler
Setting: past, on a road at night near an inn-yard
Inciting Incident: Tim the ostler loves Bess, but he
overhears the highwayman tell her to wait for him
while he goes to rob the rich and he will return to her
with the gold. This angers Tim.
Falling Action:
The highwayman turns
away from where he hears
the gunshot.
2. Once he hears that it was
Bess who died, he returned to
the Inn, only to be shot down
on the highway.
Resolution:
Legend has it that you can
still see the highwayman’s
and Bess’ ghosts saying
goodbye to one another at
the Inn-yard .
Plot Diagram for “The Highwayman”
Rising Action
3. Bess hears the highwayman returning and
struggles to reach the trigger of the gun to
warn him with the shot so he can get away.
2. The redcoats tie Bess up with a gun
pointed at her chest. They want to use her
to lure the highwayman back and shoot him
before he can return to her.
Climax:
Bess finally reaches the trigger and
is able to take her own life before
the redcoats can use her against
the highwayman.
Falling Action:
1. The highwayman turns
away from where he hears
the gunshot.
1. The highwayman does not return in the
morning, afternoon, or evening – instead,
the redcoats come to the inn-yard.
Exposition
Characters: The highwayman, Bess, Tim the ostler
Setting: past, on a road at night near an inn-yard
Inciting Incident: Tim the ostler loves Bess, but he
overhears the highwayman tell her to wait for him
while he goes to rob the rich and he will return to her
with the gold. This angers Tim.
2. Once he hears that it was
Bess who died, he returned to
the Inn, only to be shot down
on the highway.
Resolution:
Legend has it that you can
still see the highwayman’s
and Bess’ ghosts saying
goodbye to one another at
the Inn-yard .
Flashback
Definition:
• An interruption of the chronological
sequence of events in a story.
Purpose:
• To provide background or context to the
current events in a story.
• For readers to gain insight in to a
character’s motivation.
• To increase tension.
Flashback
Example:
• Often presented as dream sequences and
memories
• When I went out of the drawing room, first
thing that came into view in the open corridor
way was the picture of my brother. [I just got
the point why my mother used to see that
portrait hours after he was killed in the WWII,
and she left only when she saw any one of us
coming to her.] I just heard steps and when I
looked back, there was nothing that I could
see. It was just a feeling of the past.
Foreshadowing
Definition:
• Hinting at something that is going to
happen later in the story.
• Often appears at the beginning of a story
Purpose:
• To help a reader anticipate the coming
events in a story.
• To create suspense/interest
Foreshadowing
Example:
From “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children”:
• “I was no tracker, and neither was Ricky. And yet
something seemed to guide me anyway—a
quickening in the chest; a whisper in the viscous
air—and suddenly I couldn’t wait another
second. I tromped into the underbrush like a
bloodhound scenting an invisible trail.”
Characters
Character Development
Strategies
•
•
•
•
•
L: Looks
A: Acts
S: Says
T: Thinks
O: Others (What others think)
Practice
•
•
•
•
•
L: Looks
A: Acts
S: Says
T: Thinks
O: Others (What others think)
• You try – characterize the Highwayman
from “The Highwayman” using LASTO.
Types of Characters
•
•
•
•
Protagonist:
The character that the story revolves
around
Involved in the main conflict of the plot and
usually changes in some way throughout
the story.
NOT necessarily the good guy!
Example Protagonists:
– Harry Potter
– Katniss Everdeen
Types of Characters
•
•
•
•
Antagonist
The character (or force) that creates a conflict for the
protagonist.
Doesn’t necessarily have to be an person. It could be
death, the devil, an illness, or any other challenge.
Can be a likeable character (“the good guy”)
whereas the protagonist can represent evil (“the bad
guy”).
Example Antagonists:
– Voldemort
– President Snow
– The Joker
Types of Characters
Static Character:
• A character that DOES NOT change
throughout the story
• Usually a minor character
• Static=Same
Types of Characters
Dynamic Character:
• A character that DOES change throughout
the story
• Usually a main character
• Dynamic=different
Types of Characters
Practice
• Identify a protagonist and
antagonist in “Finding Nemo”.
• Identify a static character and a
dynamic character in “Finding
Nemo”.
Types of Characters
•
•
•
•
Possible Answers
Protagonist: Marlin, Nemo
Antagonist: The diver who took
Nemo, Darla
Static: Dentist, Darla, Flo, Scar
Dynamic: Marlin, Dory, Nemo
Author’s POV
FIRST PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
• Definition:
• The MAIN CHARACTER tells the story
• Uses key words such as:
• “I”, “Me”, “My” and “We”
• We see the story from only ONE character’s
(main) perspective/view.
• Purpose:
• Readers can usually relate to the narrator
• It may be an autobiography
SECOND PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
• Definition:
– The AUTHOR is the narrator.
– Uses key words such as: “YOU” and “YOUR”
• Sometimes this is implied – ex: “Open the door”
– Least common point of view used
• Purpose:
• To give directions
• To persuade a person
THIRD PERSON
POINT OF VIEW
• Definition:
• The AUTHOR tells the story
• Uses key words such as: “HE”, “SHE”,
“THEY”, or “CHARACTER’S NAMES.”
• There are two types of Third Person Point of
View:
– Limited
– Omniscient
• Purpose:
• Readers can get a better perspective about
all of the characters.
Third Person Point of ViewLIMITED
• Definition:
– The narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of one
character.
• Purpose:
• Readers can get a better perspective about one character’s
thoughts as well as learning a lot about one character in
particular
• Example:
• Joan had been preparing for weeks to deliver her speech in
front of the class. However, when the teacher called her name,
she felt a surge of panic go through her like a lightning bolt.
Joan’s classmates stared at her, but the words would not come
out of her mouth.
Third Person Point of ViewOMNISCIENT
• Definition:
– The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of many characters.
• Purpose:
• Readers can get a better perspective about all of the character’s thoughts
and feelings to better understand relationships between characters in the
story.
• Example:
• Joan had been preparing for weeks to deliver her speech in front of the
class. However, when the teacher called her name, she felt a surge of
panic go through her like a lightning bolt. Amy, Joan’s best friend, could
sense that something was wrong with her. So, Amy decided to volunteer
to give her speech instead, even though she did not feel very prepared.