# data[].attributes.body
This Padlet was designed as a supplemental resource to help you get a better understanding of the main elements of fiction discussed in class. Remember, the elements discussed include:

setting

characters

point of view

theme

plot

conflict

There is at least one video or article for each of the elements. As you continue navigating through this site, you are encouraged to self-asses your understanding through any of the quizzes or games posted.

# data[].attributes.body
The following presentation will give you all of the basic definitions and examples of the basic elements found in literature.

# data[].attributes.body
The setting of a story tends to be taken for granted. Have you ever wondered just how important the setting is, and how much it truly influences everything that happens in a story?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of Setting in a Story | Educational Rap for Language Arts Class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Elements of Literature

1) Types of Characters:

2) The ways characters are portrayed:

3) The ways characters are revealed:

1) The setting refers to the time, the geographical locations, and the general environment and circumstances that prevail in a narrative. The setting helps to establish the mood of a story.

2) Two types of setting:

" and " Backdrop Setting: the setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless tale. This type of setting is often found in folktales and simply sets the stage and the mood. For example, " long ago in a cottage in the deep woods once upon a time there was a great land that had an Emperor ."

Internal Narrator ( First-person Narrator; the narrator uses " I" to refer to himself/herself): the narrator is a character in the story, often, but not necessarily, the protagonist. This narrative point of view allows for a very personal touch in the story telling.

Omniscient Narrator (multiple points of view; the narrator is " all-knowing"): the narrator is not a character in the story but knows everything about the story. The omniscient narrator can show the thoughts and experiences of any character in the story. It permits the writer the broadest scope.

Limited Narrator (External Subjective Narrator; the 3 rd person point of view): the narrator is not a character in the story but looks at things only through the eyes of a single character. This type of narrative permits the narrator to quickly build a close bond between the protagonist and the reader, without being confined by the protagonist's educational or language restrictions.

1) The plot of a story is a series of interconnected events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose. A plot is all about establishing connections, suggesting causes,and showing relationships.

2) Four types of plot structure:

A Dramatic or Progressive Plot: This is a chronological structure which first establishes the setting and conflict, then follows the rising action through to a climax (the peak of the action and turning point), and concludes with a denouement (a wrapping up of loose ends).

1) Common types of conflicts:

2) A single story may contain more than one type of conflict, although one often predominates. The conflict provides the excitement and makes possible the growth and development of the protagonist's character.

1) The theme is the main, underlying idea of a piece of literature. It is woven subtly into the fabric of the story rather than being lectured or preached by the author.

2) Among the frequently found thematic issues in children's literature are the problems of growing up and maturing, such as adjustment to society, love and friendship, achieving one's identity, and finding one's place in the world.

1) Word Choice

2) Sentence Length and Construction

3) Exposition: the narrator's passages that provide background information and/or introduce characters to help readers understand the events of a story. Children prefer a balance between exposition and dialogue.

4) Dialogue: the words spoken by the characters, usually to each other, not to the reader. Children especially enjoy dialogue as a realistic and convincing way of defining character.

1) Tone refers to the author's mood and manner of expression in a work of literature. The tone can be serious, didactic, humorous, satirical, caustic/sarcastic, passionate, sensitive, sentimental, zealous, indifferent, poignant, warm, agitated, and so on.

2) Humor:

Ten Types of humor most common in children's books (Kappas, 1967):

3) Parody:

4) Condescending tones:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Elements of Literature 1) Types of Characters: 2) The ways characters are portrayed: 3) The ways characters are revealed: 1) The setting refers to the time, the geographical locations, and the general environment and circumstances that prevail in a narrative. The setting helps to establish the mood of a story.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the most important elements is character. We may be used to thinking that a character is just a character, but how wrong we are! Each character is a different world, and this video will help us understand what the different types of characters are, as well as give some great examples from some of our favorite movies!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learn Literary Character Types Using TV and Movie Clips

# data[].attributes.body
What exactly is theme? Is it the same thing as a topic?

# data[].attributes.body
This video explains the 5 points of view that can be found in literature. These include:
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
--objective
--limited
-- omniscient

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Freytag's Pyramid / Plot Analysis by Shmoop

# data[].attributes.body
When we think about theme and moral, who better than Aesop? This website shows all of the Greek storyteller's fables, along with the moral or message of each one.

# data[].attributes.body
Check out this article that explains the impact of a setting, and why authors have to put in so much thought to choosing the 'right' setting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Top 10 Elements of Setting In a Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No matter if you are just getting started or want to break into fiction writing, setting is a crucial element to any story. In order to create an imaginary world for your story, you'll need to know the fundamental elements of setting first. Discover the basic elements of setting in a story from Between the Lines .

# data[].attributes.body
When we talk about types of conflicts, we don't realize that we've probably already seen all of the conflicts in many movies. This video gives us some great examples of character vs character/nature/society/self conflicts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching: Types of Conflict Through Film Clips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Remember that analysis involves breaking down a subject, making observations, and then evaluating the relationship between the parts and the whole.

If the subject is the point of view of a work of fiction, then an analysis would include breaking down the point of view into it's elements, observing how point of view affects the story, and then evaluating the relationship between the point of view and the story.

In works of fiction, the point of view determines what the reader knows about the events of the plot, as well as how the reader should feel about the events. Point of view is the lens that readers see the story through; the story is filtered through the storyteller.

Step One: Determine the point of view.

Is the narrative told in First, Second, or Third Person?

What pronouns does the narrator use to refer to the characters? Remember that First Person uses "I" and "me"; Second Person uses "you"; Third Person uses "he," "she," "they," and "it."

Is the narrator's point of view reliable or unreliable? Can the reader take their word for it, or would the reader be better off judging the events for him or herself?

Step Two: Determine how the author establishes point of view (besides the use of certain pronouns).

What descriptive details are used to create point of view?

Does the narrator participate in the events of the plot, or is there a distance between the narrator and the events?

How much access does the narrator have to the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the other characters?

Step Three: Analyze how that particular point of view affects the story. Imagine the story told from a different point of view (from first to third person, or third person omniscient to third person neutral, etc.).

What would change in the story? Would the reader gain new knowledge from the new point of view, or would the reader miss out on important information?

Would the reader feel differently about one or more of the characters if the story was told from a different point of view? Why or why not?

​Using your responses to these basic questions, you can then begin to observe how the point of view impacts the narrative.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Remember that analysis involves breaking down a subject, making observations, and then evaluating the relationship between the parts and the whole. If the subject is the point of view of a work of fiction, then an analysis would include breaking down the point of view into it's elements, observing how point of view affects the story, and then evaluating the relationship between the point of view and the story.

# data[].attributes.body
Some friendly competition never hurt anybody :)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free gamified quizzes on every subject that students play in class and at home. Pick an existing quiz or create your own for review, formative assessment, and more.

# data[].attributes.body
This article will give you some great examples of the main types of conflicts along with some examples.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Conflict is part of the narrative arc and does much to connect readers to a story or a story's characters. It involves problems or obstacles that arise within a story-both internal (or in a character's mind) and external (caused by other characters or forces). Since all readers are familiar with conflict in their own lives, it helps to deepen engagement with a story or character and provide deeper meaning to the story.

While there is some disagreement about how many types of conflict are evident in literature, the most commonly accepted number is six different types. These include: Man vs. Self, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Technology, and Man vs. Fate (or the Supernatural.) It's important to point out that in these literary terms, "Man" insinuates "Human," so it isn't limited to the male gender.

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Self is the only example of internal conflict you'll see in literary works and involves a character experiencing conflict within his or her own mind. Hamlet is probably the most well-known literary character experiencing Man vs. Self conflict throughout much of the famous Shakespearian play. A good example of how Shakespeare uses this conflict for character building are the following lines:

Man vs. Self conflict is most often seen when a character faces mixed emotions over his or her actions, or a decision that has to be made/has been made. You can also see this conflict evident when a character is facing mental illness or is unable to forgive himself or herself over past actions.

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Man is commonly seen in literature and modern storytelling and is a type of external conflict. This conflict will most often play out between a protagonist and his or her antagonist, although it can also appear between friends or acquaintances, as well.

A famous example from literature of Man vs. Man conflict is in the opening paragraph of The Cask of Amontillado, a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe.

In these opening lines, the narrator, Montresor, establishes his conflict with another man named Fortunato. This story also involves internal conflict (Montresor is what is known as an unreliable narrator, and the reader isn't quite sure how much of Montresor's claims they can trust).

Man vs. Society

This type of conflict is often seen in Science Fiction and is an external conflict that involves a protagonist at odds with a ruling body (which could be one's family), or social or cultural norms. For example, if the protagonist is fighting his or her government, or is accused of a crime he or she didn't commit, these would be examples of Man vs. Society as conflict. If a protagonist is going against the grain of what his or her society and people expect, this is also an example of Man vs. Society conflict.

An example of Man vs. Society conflict can be seen in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, in which the main character, Hester Prynne, is shunned by her people, the Puritans, for having a baby with a man who was not her husband (who has been lost at sea). Below is a quote that summarizes this struggle:

Man vs. Nature

If you've read a story or seen a movie where the main character must face some sort of storm or event that happens as a force of nature (such as an animal attack), you've seen the Man vs. Nature conflict in action. Natural disasters like tornadoes or a character who is lost at sea and trying to find land are examples of this conflict, as well. In these stories, the concept of human survival despite the forces of nature is highlighted and in many cases, you'll also find the internal conflict of Man vs. Self playing out simultaneously. A large reason for this is that nature can be significantly more powerful than humanity, so there is much self-doubt and struggle as the protagonist comes to terms with this fact.

A great example of the Man vs. Nature conflict from literature is Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

Man vs. Technology

Another popular conflict seen in Science Fiction is Man vs. Technology, which is when a protagonist is facing machines or technology (such as mechanical failure or robots) and must prevail against it. In many cases, you'll see elements of Man vs. Society conflict happening within these same stories, as the technology is often used to enforce or maintain social and cultural norms.

A great example from literature of the Man vs. Technology conflict is Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a book which inspired the cult hit movie, Blade Runner. Here's a quote from it:

Man vs. Fate or the Supernatural

You'll find Man vs. Fate conflict often throughout ancient literature, particularly Greek myth and Arthurian lore. You'll even see it a lot in Shakespearean plays. Man vs. Fate or Man vs. the Supernatural is a conflict that occurs when the protagonist finds himself or herself pitted against a vengeful god or powerful supernatural force. As with other types of conflict, particularly Man vs. Nature, you'll often see this one combined with the Man vs. Self struggle. This is because the protagonist must come to terms with his or her own humanity and limitations when involved in a Man vs. Fate conflict.

A perfect example of this conflict from literature would be Homer's The Odyssey, in which Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters a range of supernatural forces and beings attempting to stall him. Here's a good quote:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Decoding the Six Conflicts in Literature (With Examples)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Conflict is part of the narrative arc and does much to connect readers to a story or a story's characters. It involves problems or obstacles that arise within a story-both internal (or in a character's mind) and external (caused by other characters or forces).

# data[].attributes.body
This is great review game to use in teams! This game has a strong focus on plot, point of view, and conflict.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The time, place and weather , How the conflict is solved, How the story is told, The lesson learned in the story

# data[].attributes.body
Want to review the terms on your own? Try this Quizlet!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Character, Setting, Point of View Flashcards | Quizlet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Start studying Character, Setting, Point of View. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.