Elements of Short Stories

The narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself or herself as “I”

the writer’s choice of words; a stylistic element that helps convey (show) voice and tone

images such as metaphors and similes that describe one thing in terms of another

Hints or clues that suggest future action

Events that occur to complicate the plot and lead up to the climax

An all-knowing narrator that is able to recount the background and thoughts of any character 

A writer or speaker’s attitude toward a subject,character, or audience

An interruption in the plot events to relate or remind the audience of an earlier event

exploits the readers’expectations when expected events are different from what actually happens

The point of greatest interest or suspense in the story

When the narrator employs the use of “you”

the perspective from which the narration is told

any object, person, place, etc. that represents itself, but also stands for something else

a literary work’s central idea or main message about life; not stated directly.

a reference to a well know person, event, or place, music, art, or another literary work

A struggle or problem in the story

The characters and setting are introduced and the problem begins to unfold

This narrator is a character in the story that shows the inside thoughts of only one character

The events between the climax and the resolution

verbal expression of sensory experience; created by details that appeal to the five senses