Elements of a Short Story
Definition - The narrative essay (i.e. short story) is a story that follows a simple plot and concentrates on a single theme. It relies, usually, on a small number of characters.
Humour – Very few good short stories are simply humorous but many are primarily humorous (note: although humour may be the most obvious element, good stories have more than just that). Humour comes from many sources, but the following is a convenient way of explaining how humour is created and generated:
Ø Humorous incidents and situations
Ø Funny characters
Ø Amusing language
Ø Humorous dialogue
Language and dialogue may be difficult to distinguish and indeed all four elements noted above will usually be very closely linked.
Structure – The narrative essay writer must be able to ‘chop’ little parts from life and make them seem interesting and understandable. It is a slice of life. The writer is careful when deciding when to get into a character’s life and when to get out. A short story provides a brief dramatic insight into a character’s life. The writer must show the scene, nottell it.
Plot – three main elements:
Ø Conflict – This involves a struggle of some kind – between people, within the person himself, or between the person and his environment. The main character has a goal that is vital to him or her; one or more obstacles are placed in his / her path. At the end there is often an unexpected twist.
Ø Suspense – Conflict leads to suspense. Suspense is that element in the story that gives the reader the urge to read on to find out what happens next.
Ø Order – It is common to tell a story in the order in which the events happen (i.e. chronological order). Another option is the ‘flashback’ technique. The method involves the story opening with a character in a certain situation before going back to tell of the events that led to the situation.
Narrator – Who is ‘telling’ the story? Three most frequently used points of view are as follows:
Ø Omniscient (e.g. Lord of the Flies) – The story is told in the third person. The narrator does not take part in the action of the story. He/she is like an invisible observer with the power to see everything, knowing the inner thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story. However, the narrator must be careful to reveal just enough information to hold the interest of the reader. The omniscient point of view is not always impartial. Authors occasionally make judgments about the characters and situations they create in order to direct the reader to adopt a certain attitude towards these.
Ø First Person (e.g. The Catcher in the Rye) – The story is narrated by a character directly involved in the story. These types of stories enable readers to feel very close to the events of the story. The reader feels more involved in the story by listening to the narrator sharing his or her personal thoughts and feelings about the events. If the narrator is a character with whom we can identify, a character whose attitudes we share, then we live through the events of the story with that character. We are puzzled, worried and pleased with the narrator. The narrator is usually a central character. The author may choose a narrator of whom the reader may not approve. The narrator may be odd or eccentric. The narrator may not understand the significance of the events that they are relating unlike the reader who has the satisfaction of doing so (i.e. dramatic irony). We, as readers, must judge the character of the narrator to assess how reliable he or she is. This requires you to ask yourself what attitude the writer wants you to take towards the narrator – approval, disapproval, pity, scepticism, etc.
Ø Narrator as a minor character (e.g. To Kill a Mockingbird) – This poses a problem in that the narrator has to be present in order to narrate the scenes.
The Opening – Often a narrative essay will begin in the middle of some dramatic event with people talking or doing things. This will make the reader feel that he / she is ‘there’. The reader may not understand the significance of this event at first but gradually it is revealed as the story progresses. The writer will often hint or imply rather than clearly explain the situation.
Characters – Short story characters are usually not complex. They stand out due to one strong trait (e.g. noticeably arrogant or snobbish, timid or fussy, bossy or rude, etc.). The trait is brought out by the words and actions of the character. The characters become in our minds what we see them do.
Dialogue – It is vital to most scenes. It is used for the following reasons:
Ø To give the plot information or to progress the plot
Ø To show a character’s personality
Ø To dramatise relationships between characters
Ø To illustrate conflict
Ø To express the message or theme of the story
Dialogue is made dynamic by the use of short speeches. Characters react to each other – they are usually lively and energetic.
Setting – The time and place in which the short story occurs is the ‘glue’ of a story, fixing its events firmly in position in the reader’s mind. It is made clear to the reader when and where the story is taking place to give the story a framework that helps the reader visualise the events. It can be established in stages throughout the story. The passages that describe ‘setting’ are kept as brief as possible.
The Ending – If the main character is likeable, the reader will be rooting for him or her to solve the problem successfully. If, on the other hand, he’s a bad guy, we expect him to get his come-uppance and learn his lesson. As the short story is ‘a slice of life’, loose ends are rarely if ever tied neatly up. Issues are often left unresolved and the reader is kept guessing. Alternatively, a short story can end with an unexpected twist – a triumph or defeat – the twist is not revealed until the final sentence or two.