English 11 American Literature Unit 3 Short Story Essay Example

English 11 American Literature Unit 3 Short Story Paper short story an imaginative prose narrative written to give the reader entertainment and insight; intended to be read in one sitting plot what happens in a story characters those who make the plot happen theme the meaning of the story tone/mood the attitude or emotion of the author or narrator toward his subject or audience point of view the method of presenting teh reader with the materials of the story; the perspective from which it is told. omniscient point of view an all-knowing author is the narrator who comments freely on the actions and characters as he is able to delve into the minds of all characters and tell what they think or feel limited point of view the author tells teh story from the viewpoint of one character using either the first or third person objectve point of view the author presents the characters in actions with no comment, allowing the reader to come to his own conclusions about them irony a method of expression in which the intended meaning of the words used is the direct opposite of their usual sense; used for humor or sarcasm verbal irony saying the opposite of what is meant dramatic irony contrasting what a character says and what a reader or audience knows to be true situational irony presenting a discrepancy between appearance and reality or between expectation and fulfillment satire the ridicule of human folly or vice with the purpose of correcting it or for a humorous effect surprise ending the unexpected twist at the end of the story which goes contrary to the readers expectations conflict the central source of tension and drama that makes stories interesting man vs man conflict between people man vs society conflict between an individual and larger groups man vs nature conflict between an individual adn the natural world man vs self conflict within a character with themselves man vs fate conflict with what seems to be an uncontrollable problem such as destiny man vs technology conflict with the forces of man-made technology external conflict a struggle between a character and an outside force internal conflict a struggle that takes place in the characters mind direct characterization the author tells the reader about the characters directly indirect characterization the author shows the character in action and lets the reader make their interpretations protagonist the main character antagonist the character or force in conflict setting where and when the story takes place