SHORT STORIES

Introduction

Short stories are classified as fiction., a type of imaginative literature that includes novels and
short stories. You will write an essay based on your analysis of one short story. This requires you to
decipher the theme of the story and explain it in terms of the literary elements that the author uses.
Then, you must establish your own thesis for an essay and establish a point of discussion as the main
idea for each body paragraph.

Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
a. Discuss the definition of the short story is and its elements;
b. Identify the various elements of the short stories;
c. Established working definitions of the elements in a short story

Discussion

A short story is a work fiction that is usually written in narrative format. Fiction refers to novels
and stories that describe imaginary people events. The important elements of a short story are:

1. SETTING – the time and location in which a story takes place. For some stories, the setting is
very important, while for other stories, it is not.
2. PLOT - the sequence of events in a story or play.
3. CONFLICT – essential to plot; without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which
ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely lilited to offer
arguments; rather, it is any form of opposition that the main character faces.
4. CHARACTER – may refer to the person in a work of fiction or the characteristics of a person.
5. THEME – the central idea or insight that comments on human conditions; aa truth in life which is
the heart of the story. The theme is usually implied rather than stated, for example, good vs evil
(personal evil or dark forces in man’s environment such as disease, poverty, and war) or life
process (childhood joys and fears or growing-up pains of teenagers).

The preceding elements of a short story can be expanded as follows:

1. SETTING – the place or location of the action; provides the historical and cultural context for
characters. It often can symbolize the emotional states of characters.
2. PLOT – the development of a story in terms of beginning, middle or end. The beginning contains
the conflict which rises to a climax where the story turns before reaching a denouement or a
resolution. A good plot is not based on twist and turn on events but how much is revealed about
the characters and the theme of the story. Following are the elements of plot.
EXPOSITION – The introductory material, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other
facts necessary to understand the story.
RISING ACTION – This is a series of events that builds from and during conflict. It begins with the inciting
force and ends with the climax.
CRISIS – The conflict reaches a turning point wherein the opposing forces in the story meet and the
conflict becomes more intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as the climax.
CLIMAX – The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the highest point of the story for the reader.
Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and the greatest emotion-the point at
which the outcome of the conflict can be predicted.
FALLING ACTION – These are the events after the climax which close the story.
RESOLUTION – This is the ending of the story which rounds out and concludes the action. It can resolve
the conflict or close the actions.

3. CHARACTERIZATION – imaginary people created by the writer. They fall under two categories;
a. Major Characters – These are almost always round or three-dimensional characters. They
have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values change. A round character
changes as a result of what happens to him or her and is referred to in literature as a
“dynamic” character.
A dynamic character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in the
course of the story. Characters in literature are characterized as follows:

Protagonist – the main character at the center of the story.

Antagonist – the character or force that opposes the protagonist.
Foil – a character that provides a contrast to the protagonist

b. Minor Characters. They often provide support and illuminate the protagonist. These
characters are flat or two-dimensional and have only one or two striking qualities. A minor
character’s predominant quality is not balanced by an opposite quality. They are usually all-
good or all bad. Such characters can be interesting or amusing in their own right, but they
lack depth. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as “static” characters because they do
not change in the course of the story.

4. Point of View – pertains to who tells the story and how it is told. It can sometimes indirectly
establish the author’s intentions. The point of view is established by a narrator or the person
telling the story. He could be classified as:

a. First Person – The narrator is the character in the story who can reveal only personal
thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He cannot tell
us the thoughts of other characters.
b. Objective – The narrator is unnamed or unidentified (a detached observer). This narrator is
not a character in the story and does not assume character’s perspective. The narrator
reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning.
c. All-knowing Narrator or Omniscient – The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter
the minds of more than one of the characters.

5. Conflict – the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflict we encounter can usually be
identified as one of four kinds:
a. Man versus Man - This conflict pits one person against another.
 b. Man vs Nature –This conflict is a run-in with the forces of nature.
c. Man vs Society – The values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged.
d. Man vs Self or Internal Conflict – Not all conflicts involve other people. Sometimes people
are their own worst enemies.

6. Theme – the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be major or
minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again. It becomes one of the
most important ideas in the story. Minor themes are the ideas that may appear from time to
time.
It is important to recognize the difference between the theme of a literary work and the
subject of a literary work. The subject is the topic on which an author has chosen to write. The
theme, however, makes a statement about or expresses an opinion on that topic.

Four ways in which the author can express themes are as follows:

a. Themes are expressed and emphasized by the way an author makes us feel.
b. Themes are presented on thoughts and conversations.
c. Themes are suggested through the characters.
d. The actions or events in the story are used to suggest theme.

7. Foreshadowing – the author’s used of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the
story. Not all Foreshadowing is obvious. Frequently, future events are merely hinted at through
dialogue, description or the attitudes and reactions of the characters.

Foreshadowing frequently serves two purposes:

a. It builds suspense by raising questions that encourage the reader to go on and find out more
about the event that is being foreshowed.
b. It is also a means of making a narrative more believable by partially preparing the reader for
events that are to follow.

8. Irony – the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be or what actually is

a. Verbal Irony – the contrast between what is said and what is actually meant
b. Irony of Situation – refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or
intended
c. Dramatic Irony – occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the characters know

9. Tone – the author’s attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. Some possible attitudes are
pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humor and joy.

10. Mood – the climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images
and words all contribute toward creating a specific mood. For example, an author may create a
mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an
ironic, serious or humorous tone.
 11. Symbolism – a person, place or object which has a meaning on itself but suggest other meaning
on as well. Things, characters and actions can be symbols. A symbol is anything that suggest a
meaning beyond the obvious.

Some symbols are conventional or generally mean the same thing to all readers. For
example, bright sunshine symbolizes goodness (or happiness), and water is a symbolic cleanser.

12. Imagery – words used by authors to make a concreate representation of a sense impression, a
feeling, or an idea which appeals to the reader’s one or more senses.
a. Tactile imagery – sense of touch
b. Aural imagery – sense of hearing
c. Olfactory imagery – sense of smell
d. Visual imagery – sense of sight
e. Gustatory imagery – sense of taste

CLASSIFICATION OF SHORT STORIES

TYPES MEANINGS

Story of character A short story which focuses on the protagonist as an element of a narrative
Story of Setting also called a story of local color, it focuses on the setting as an element of a
narrative
Story of theme a short story which focuses on the theme as an element of a narrative
Story of Plot A short story which focuses on the plot as an element of a narrative
Drabble An extremely short work of fiction which has exactly 100 words of length
Flash Fiction A short story that is characterized by its extreme brevity
Flash prose A very short work of fiction which has between 500 and 1500 words
Tale A tale may refer to:
1. Cautionary tale, a traditional story told in, folklore, to warn its hearer of a
danger
2. Fairy tale, a fictional story that usually features folkloric characters (such as
fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, witches, giants, and talking animals) and
enchantments.
3. Folk tale, a story passed-down within a particular population, which
comprises the traditions of that culture or group
4. Fable, a brief story, which illustrates a moral and which features animals,
plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized.
5. Frame tale, whereby the main story is composed, at least in part, for the
purpose of organizing a set of shorter stories.
6. Urban legend, a modern folk tale consisting of stories often thought to be
factual by those circulating them
7. Old wives’ tale, a wisdom much like an urban legend, supposedly passed
down by old wives to a younger generation
8. Tall tale, a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural
phenomenon
Legend A short story which narrates about the origin of a thing
Myth A shirt story which narrates about gods and goddesses
Fable A short story whose characters are animals or plants or both
Parable A short story which teaches a virtue through the use of biblical characters of
events
Vignette A short story which depicts impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or
give a trenchant impression about a character, a place or an idea
Feghoot A short story which is humorous and ends in an atrocious pun
Short prose A very short work of fiction of about less than 1000 words, which may or may
not be narrative
Sketch story A very short story which contains little or no plot; it is descriptive of impressions
of people or places

CLASSIFICATION OF POEMS

Types Meaning
Narrative Poem A person that tells the story, which is either wholly or partially based on
the writer’s imagination
Epic A long narrative poem which deals with the exploits and adventures of a
hero
Ballad A short narrative poem which deals with a single incident and has a
singable quality
Metrical tale A short story in verse form which lacks the singable quality of a ballad
Lyric Poem A poem that is short, at times musical, subjective, and expressive of the
writer’s thoughts and emotions regarding his chosen subject; its
recitation used to be accompanied by the playing of the musical
instrument called lyre.
Ode A poem addressed to some praised object, person or quality,
characteristically exhortatory and philosophical, and using an
elevated language
Elegy A poem for the dead that is far from pessimistic, ennobling, exalted in
tone and offering an optimistic note in the end.
Simple Lyric A poem that is pictorial and reflective
Sonnet A poem which has 14 lines; it is classified into Petrarchan,
Shakespearean, Spenserian, or Filipino
Hymn A metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service; like a
psalm, it is a song of joy or praise to the Lord or the Virgin Mary
Psalm A song of praise to God or the Virgin Mary
Song A melodious poem intended to be sung and readily adapted to music

Dramatic Poem A poem which forms part of a dramatic presentation or which is

intended to be performed on stage
Tragedy A drama in which the hero fails to fulfill his goal or goals; the
protagonist whose failure is attributed to his fatal mistake (tragic flaw),
cannot overcome such mistake such mistake which inevitably results in
sad ending, for ex. a tragic death
Comedy A drama in which the hero succeeds in fulfilling his goal or goals;
sometimes it is comic all throughout as a comedy such that the
viewers laugh and laugh as they watch the performance
Tragicomedy A mere combination of a tragedy and a comedy, it is a drama in which
the hero fails with respect to some goals but succeeds with respect to the
other goals
Farce A drama written by an author whose intention is to poke fun at the
hero, his subject oftentimes representing a public official or a person of
authority
Melodrama A drama that focuses not on the protagonists, but on the action or the
situation; it is a characterized by a sentimental love story,
sensational actions, extravagant emotions, and a happy ending
Historical Play A drama that serves to reenact a historical event that plays an
important role on the lives of the viewers
Religious Play A drama that serves to reenact a biblical event or to teach a truth or
truths pertaining to a certain religion
Activity I
Matching Type
Match the items under column A (meanings) with the items under column B (literary genres) by writing
the appropriate lowercase letters on the blank before the numbers. Use the letters only once.

Column A Column B
__c__1. A melodious poem intended to be sung and a. Feghoot
readily adapted to music
__f__2. A long narrative poem which deals with the b. Conflict
exploits and adventures of a hero
__k__3. A poem that is pictorial and reflective c. song
__p_4. A short story which narrates about the origin d. Gustatory images
of a thing
__r_5. A very short story which contains little or no e. Imagery
plot; it is descriptive of impressions
of people or places
__h_6. A short story that is characterized by its f. Epic
extreme brevity
__d_7. Sense of taste g. Lyric Poem
__q_8. Imaginary people created by the writer h. Flash Fiction
__l_9. Cautionary tale, a traditional story told in, i. Religious play
folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger
__t_10. Refers to a happening that is the opposite j. Dramatic poem
of what is expected or intended
__e_11. words used by authors to make a concreate k. Simple lyric
representation of a sense impression, a feeling,
or an idea which appeals to the reader’s one or
more senses.
__m_12. An extremely short work of fiction which has l. tale
exactly 100 words of length
__a_13. A short story which is humorous and ends m. Drabble
in an atrocious pun
__g_14. A poem that is short, at times musical,
subjective, and expressive of the writer’s
thoughts and emotions regarding his chosen subject n. Farce
__s_15. A metrical composition adapted for singing o. theme
in a religious service
__j_16. A poem which forms part of a dramatic p. legend
presentation or which is intended
to be performed on stage
__n_17. A drama written by an author whose q. characterization
intention is to poke fun at the hero
__o_18. The main idea or underlying meaning of r. sketch story
a literary work
__i__19. A drama that serves to reenact a biblical s. hymn
event or to teach a truth or truths
 pertaining to a certain religion
__b_20. The essence of fiction. It creates plot t. Irony of situation

Activity II
Error Analysis
Encircle the word or phrase that makes the statement erroneous and write on the blank before the
number its correction.

____Dimasalang____________ 1. Dr. Jose Rizal used the pseudonyms Laong Laan and Dimas Ilaw.
May pag-asa 2. Andres Bonifacio used the pseudonyms Supremo in his writings.
_Brain of the Katipunan_______ 3. Emilio Jacinto was given the title “Brain of the Revolution”.
Crisostomo Ibarra 4. The protagonist of Dr. Jose Rizal first novel, Noli Me Tangere is
Simoun.
Padre Damaso 5. The antagonist in Dr. Jose Rizal’s first novel, Noli Me Tangere is
Padre Florentino.
short story 6. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is a story of theme.
Historical Novel 7. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are naturalistic novels.
Novel of the Sea 8. The Old man and The Sea is classified as a novel of the soil.
Novel of Adventure 9. The Lord of the Rings is classified as a detective novel.
First Person 10. The point of view of autobiographical works is the third person point
of view.

Activity III Answer briefly.

How can you describe that a certain piece is a short story?

_____I describe short story as a shorter version of a novel and has a fewer character, a narrative prose
that is usually centered around only one single event. It is also limited in scope and has an introduction,
body and conclusion. Although a short story has much in common with a novel, it is written with much
greater precision and its form encourages economy of setting, concise narrative, and the omission of a
complex plot, its character is disclosed in action and its dramatic encounter but it is seldom fully
developed.