unfolding a single predominating incident and a single or a few characters. it contains a plot.

the details
of which are so compressed and the whole treatment so organized as to provide a Single Impression. A
short story can be compared to a photograph; it captures a single moment in life, as compared to a
novel which covers more. That is why a short story is shorter than a novel, but short stories are not
always “short" as you may think. For as long as they depict single plots. they are short stories. no matter
how many pages they may take.

in the preVIous lessonI you had encountered some of the elements of a short story like the setting. plot,
and theme. Here are additional elements of a short story:

1. Conflict is essential to the plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the struggle between two or
more opposing forces which is the nucleus of the plot, it is the opposition of forces which ties one
moment to another and makes the plot move.

There are two main types of conflict external and internal connict. External conflict is a struggle with a
force outside one‘s self. lntemal conflict is the character's

struggle within oneself. A person must make some decisions, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist
anger, etc.

Here are the five kinds of conflict:

a. Human vs. human (physical) physical strength against other men.

/ The text you have just read is a short story. it is a brief imaginative narrative,

the leading character struggles with his

This scene from Spider Man 3 clearly \\ depicts the concept of human vs.

A human Spider Man punches Sand Man in a battle scene, a *

Man vs. Self
"Man vs. Self" is the only true version of internal conflict you will find in literature. In this mode, the
conflict takes place within the mind of the main character, and often involves the character making a
decision between right and wrong, or other mixed emotions. However, this struggle could also exist
in the form of a character battling mental illness.
Man vs. Man
"Man vs. Man" is probably the most common form of external conflict, and is also known as
interpersonal conflict. This mode lies at the heart of all dramatic arts and places the struggle directly
between the protagonist and the antagonist -- otherwise known as the good guy and the bad guy. In a
man vs. man conflict, the protagonist wants something, and the antagonist obstructs the protagonist
from getting what he wants.
Man vs. Society
This mode of external conflict occurs when the protagonist is placed at odds with a government or
cultural tradition. This type of conflict applies to societal norms as well. For example, if a child gets
in trouble with his parents for sneaking out of the house at night, he is in conflict with the societal
tradition that children are expected to obey their parents.
Man vs. Nature
"Man vs. Nature" pits the main character against the forces of nature -- in the form of a natural
disaster or a similarly dangerous situation -- and is often associated with literary naturalism, which
hinges on the idea that nature is indifferent to humanity. Stephen Crane's short story, "The Open
Boat," is a prime example, and demonstrates that the sea can cause shipwrecks easily and without
regard for humanity.
Man vs. Machine
"Man vs. Machine" can mean that a person is in direct combat with robots, in the context of science
fiction, or it could mean simply that technology stands in the way of the protagonist getting what she
wants. In the science-fiction version, the same attributes of a man vs. man conflict apply. However, if
a person struggles to keep a job that a new machine can do better, the physical struggle is against the
machine, but the emotional struggle is against the society that breeds technology.
Man vs. Fate/Supernatural
"Man vs. Fate" exists in any story in which the protagonist is struggling against a god or gods. It is
sometimes considered part of "Man vs. Self" when focused on an internal, moral struggle, but should
be considered separate in the context of epics -- such as the "Iliad" and "Odyssey," in which the gods
are present antagonists. "Man vs. the Supernatural" falls into a similar standard: If the protagonist is
the only one witnessing supernatural acts, it could be considered "Man vs. Self." However, if it's
certain that these supernatural powers are real, then the mode of conflict stands on its own.