Plot Devices
Completion requirements
Unit 5
What Can I Learn from Realistic Fiction?
What are some plot devices?
A realistic fiction story is one that could have happened but did not. Often realistic fiction stories use these story techniques.
If the reader knows something is about to happen and is anxious to learn how the characters will respond, the author has created suspense.
Example:
In “Little Red Hen”, suspense is created by the repetition of the barnyard animals saying “I won’t” or “I will”. The reader expects there will be a consequence for their choices.
In “Little Red Hen”, suspense is created by the repetition of the barnyard animals saying “I won’t” or “I will”. The reader expects there will be a consequence for their choices.
This could be something unexpected that happens near the end of the story or an unexpected ending.
Example: In a mystery story for example, several clues mislead the reader so that the solution or how the crime will be solved is a surprise.
With this technique, the author refers to a previous incident to explain a character’s current actions or feelings.
“Little Red Hen” has no examples of flashback. She does not have memories or dreams, and she does not make comments referring to when she was a child.
The author gives a hint about what is going to happen in a story. That is, he or she foreshadows an event before it actually occurs.
Example:
There is no example of foreshadowing in “The Little Red Hen”. There is no warning or suggestion that something bad is going to happen in the future.
There is no example of foreshadowing in “The Little Red Hen”. There is no warning or suggestion that something bad is going to happen in the future.