Elements of a Story
Completion requirements
Unit 5
What Can I Learn from Realistic Fiction?
What are the elements of a story?
"The Little Red Hen" is a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. It contains the following important elements of the short story:
To learn about setting in depth click in left hand column.
The setting is the time and place of the story. It is often found at the beginning of a story.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the setting is the garden and the barnyard.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the setting is the garden and the barnyard.
Characters are the people or animals who guide the reader through the story.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the characters are the cat, rat, duck, rooster, and curly-tailed pig.
The action in the story centres on the main character called the protagonist who struggles to achieve a goal.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the protagonist is The Little Red Hen whose goal is to bake bread.
An antagonist is a character or force that tries to prevent the protagonist from achieving the goal.
Example:
The antagonists are the lazy barnyard animals who do not want to help the Little Red Hen bake bread.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the characters are the cat, rat, duck, rooster, and curly-tailed pig.
The action in the story centres on the main character called the protagonist who struggles to achieve a goal.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, the protagonist is The Little Red Hen whose goal is to bake bread.
An antagonist is a character or force that tries to prevent the protagonist from achieving the goal.
Example:
The antagonists are the lazy barnyard animals who do not want to help the Little Red Hen bake bread.
The elements of character and conflict (see the top of p. 67 in Literacy in Action 6B) develop the plot.
These events are organized into five parts: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Example:
In “The Little Red Hen” the plot is as follows:
1. Introduction: The Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat.
2. Rising action: The Little Red Hen asks for help to plant, cut, mill the wheat and bake the bread. All the other animals refuse to help.
3. Climax: The Little Red Hen refuses to share her bread.
4. Falling Action: The other animals must watch as the Little Red Hen and her chicks eat the bread.
5. Resolution: The other animals learn the value of hard work and helping out around the farm.
These events are organized into five parts: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
- Introduction: The writer introduces the setting and the characters, especially the main character who has a problem. Then, the action begins! (Sometimes, the reader is aware of the problem or action even before setting and/or characters are clear.)
- Rising action: The main character faces challenges. This produces suspense; the reader wants to know what will happen next.
- Climax: This is the most exciting part of the story because the main character makes a decision that affects all characters and the story ending.
- Falling action: The effects of the main character’s decision are revealed.
- Resolution: The author shows what happens to the protagonist and significant characters in the story.
Example:
In “The Little Red Hen” the plot is as follows:
1. Introduction: The Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat.
2. Rising action: The Little Red Hen asks for help to plant, cut, mill the wheat and bake the bread. All the other animals refuse to help.
3. Climax: The Little Red Hen refuses to share her bread.
4. Falling Action: The other animals must watch as the Little Red Hen and her chicks eat the bread.
5. Resolution: The other animals learn the value of hard work and helping out around the farm.
A narrator is the person who tells the story. Usually, stories are told from one of the following points of view:
The story is told through the voice of one specific character. This may be the main character or someone who observes the action in every scene of the story. The character uses “I”, “me”, “my”, and “mine” while narrating the story. With First Person point of view, readers are shown only one character’s viewpoint of the story.
Example:
The story is told by a narrator who knows everything about all the characters. This narrator lets readers know exactly how all the characters in the story think and feel. The narrator uses third person pronouns such as “he”, “she”, or “they” when telling the story.
Example:
Little Red Hen is told in Third Person Point of View.
First Person Narrator
The story is told through the voice of one specific character. This may be the main character or someone who observes the action in every scene of the story. The character uses “I”, “me”, “my”, and “mine” while narrating the story. With First Person point of view, readers are shown only one character’s viewpoint of the story.
Example:
Little Red Hen told in First Person Point of View
(the perspective of the cat)
I am a hunter who works hard to find food. I was surprised when Hen asked me to help her plant grain. I don't like to eat grain, so I refused. Hen is usually scatter-brained. I thought she would forget about the wheat. Was I surprised when she asked for my help help to cut the wheat down! It was too bad the farmer required my help catching mice in the barn. I had just finished a good day’s work for the farmer, when Hen asked if I wanted some bread. To be kind, I agreed to take a piece. But, I wasn't upset when she changed her mind. I later heard that her bread was as hard as nails.
(the perspective of the cat)
I am a hunter who works hard to find food. I was surprised when Hen asked me to help her plant grain. I don't like to eat grain, so I refused. Hen is usually scatter-brained. I thought she would forget about the wheat. Was I surprised when she asked for my help help to cut the wheat down! It was too bad the farmer required my help catching mice in the barn. I had just finished a good day’s work for the farmer, when Hen asked if I wanted some bread. To be kind, I agreed to take a piece. But, I wasn't upset when she changed her mind. I later heard that her bread was as hard as nails.
Third Person Narrator
The story is told by a narrator who knows everything about all the characters. This narrator lets readers know exactly how all the characters in the story think and feel. The narrator uses third person pronouns such as “he”, “she”, or “they” when telling the story.
Example:
Little Red Hen is told in Third Person Point of View.