Short Story Elements: Plot

PLOT SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: PLOT Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story.  It shows arrangement of events and actions within a story.  If the author were to write, “The king died and then the queen died,” there is no plot for a story.  If the author were to write, “The king died and then the queen died of grief,” the writer has provided a plot line for a story.  The plot is the “why” for the things that happen in the story, it is sequence of events.  The plot draws the readers into the events of the story and the lives of the characters. There are 5 elements of plot:  Exposition/Introduction: o the start of the story o the situation before the action starts o the information needed to understand a story o does not always appear at the beginning of the story (can be a flashback, for example).  Rising Action: o the series of conflicts and crises in the story that lead to the climax o where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed o also referred to as complications  Climax: o the turning point o the most intense moment - either mentally or in action o the highest point of interest o the reader wonders what will happen next – will the conflict be resolved or not?  Falling Action/Denouement: o all of the action which follows the climax o the events and complications begin to resolve themselves  Resolution/Conclusion: o the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads o the final outcome or untangling of events in the story PLOT

Activity 1 - Cinderella: Use the familiar story summary of Cinderella below. Label whether the events are part of the exposition/introduction (2 items), rising action (5 items), climax (1 item), falling action/denouement (1 item), or resolution/conclusion (1 item). ______An invitation to the ball arrives at the palace. ______Cinderella and the prince marry. ______The stepsisters try to force their feet into the glass slipper; but, it fits Cinderella. ______Cinderella goes to the ball and dances with the prince. ______A fairy godmother appears and provides Cinderella with clothes, coach, and footmen. ______They live happily ever after. ______Cinderella lives unhappily with her stepsisters and their mother. ______The stepsisters prepare for and go to the ball. ______The prince says he will marry the woman whom the slipper fits. ______Cinderella leaves hurriedly at midnight and loses a slipper.