Elements

Of A
Narrative
CRAHCAETR
TESTGNI
LICTCONF
LOPT
THMEE
PTOIN FO WIEV
 SETTING
- The time and place in which the events of a
story take place.

a) Place - geographical location. Where is the

action of the story taking place?
b) Time - When is the story taking place?
(Historical period, time of day, year, etc.)
c) Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny,
stormy, etc.?
d) Social conditions - What is the daily life of
the characters like? Does the story contain
local color (writing that focuses on the speech,
dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a
particular place)?
e) Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is
created at the beginning of the story? Is it
bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?
 CHARACTERS

- Refers to people, animal, robots, etc., who play

parts in the action of the story.
TYPES OF CHARACTER
• Dynamic
- A dynamic character is a person who changes over
time, usually as a result of resolving a central conflict
or facing a major crisis. Most dynamic characters
tend to be central rather than peripheral characters,
because resolving the conflict is the major role of
central characters.
• Static
- A static character is someone who does not change
over time; his or her personality does not transform
or evolve.
*Round
- A rounded character is anyone who has a complex
personality; he or she is often portrayed as a
conflicted and contradictory person.
*Flat
- A flat character is the opposite of a round character.
This literary personality is notable for one kind of
personality trait or characteristic.
 Persons in a work of fiction
*Protagonist
- is clearly the central person in a story, and is often
referred to as the story’s main character. He or she
(or they) is faced with a conflict that must be
resolved.
*Antagonist
- Is the character(s) that represents the opposition of
forces against which the protagonist must contend. In
other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the
protagonist must overcome.
 CONFLICT

Conflict is 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
limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of
opposition that faces the main character. Within a
short story there may be only one central struggle,
or there may be one dominant struggle with many
minor ones.
There are two types of conflict:

1) External - A struggle with a force outside

one's self.

2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a

person must make some decision, overcome
pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
There are five kinds of conflict:

1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading

character struggles with his physical strength
against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
Example:

This scene from Spider Man 3 clearly depicts

the concept of human vs. human - Spider
Man punches Sand Man in a battle scene.
2) Man vs. Society (social) - The leading
character struggles against ideas, practices, or
customs of other people.

Example:

Quasimodo of “The Hunchback

of Notre Dame” is a clear

example of a character that

experienced this kind of conflict.

3) Human vs. Nature – The leading character
struggles the forces of nature.

Example:

This scene from the sci-fi movie

“2012” clearly shows how horrible it

is to face nature as an opponent.

5) Man vs. God or Supreme Being – the
leading character struggles against
supernatural forces.

Example:

This scene is from the “War of

the
Worlds” movie in 2005. This

clearly shows how

struggle
against
the forces of a supreme