the-elements-of-fiction

TheElementsofFictionTheElementsofFictionInthesamewaythatapainterusesshape,color,perspective,andotheraspectsofvisualarttocreateapainting,afictionwriterusescharacter,setting,plot,pointofview,theme,andvariouskindsofsymbolismandlanguagetocreateartisticeffectinfiction.Theseaspectsoffictionareknownastheformalelements.Anunderstandingoftheformalelementswillenhancethereader’sappreciationofanypieceoffiction,aswellashisorherabilitytoshareperceptionswithothers.TheElementsofFictionWhilethelistofformalelementsencouragesustodivideastoryintoparts,inthestoryitselftheseelementsblendtocreateawhole.Atsomelevel,orperhapsinthefirstreadingofapiece,readersshouldreadwithoutapplyingthesedivisionsinordertoexperiencethestory'suniqueeffect.Nevertheless,knowledgeoftheformalelementsisnecessaryformostcriticaldiscussionsoffiction.Theseelementsprovideabasicvocabularyandsetofcriticaltoolsthatcanbeusedinconjunctionwithmanyothercriticalapproaches.PLOTPlotreferstotheseriesofeventsthatgiveastoryitsmeaningandeffect.Inmoststories,theseeventsariseoutofconflictexperiencedbythemaincharacter.Theconflictmaycomefromsomethingexternal,likeadragonoranoverbearingmother,oritmaystemfromaninternalissue,suchasjealousy,lossofidentity,oroverconfidence.Asthecharactermakeschoicesandtriestoresolvetheproblem,thestory'sactionisshapedandplotisgenerated.Insomestories,theauthorstructurestheentireplotchronologically,withthefirsteventfollowedbythesecond,third,andsoon,likebeadsonastring.However,manyotherstoriesaretoldwithflashbacktechniquesinwhichploteventsfromearliertimesinterruptthestory's“current”events.PLOTAllstoriesareunique,andinonesensethereareasmanyplotsastherearestories.Inonegeneralviewofplot,however—andonethatdescribesmanyworksoffiction—thestorybeginswithrisingactionasthecharacterexperiencesconflictthroughaseriesofplotcomplicationsthatentanglehimorhermoredeeplyintheproblem.Thisconflictreachesaclimax,afterwhichtheconflictisresolved,andthefallingactionleadsquicklytothestory'send.Thingshavegenerallychangedattheendofastory,eitherinthecharacterorthesituation;dramasubsides,andanewstatusquoisachieved.Itisofteninstructivetoapplythisthree-partstructureeventostoriesthatdon'tseemtofitthepatternneatly.PLOTconflict:Thebasictension,predicament,orchallengethatpropelsastory'splotcomplications:Ploteventsthatplungetheprotagonistfurtherintoconflictrisingaction:Thepartofaplotinwhichthedramaintensifies,risingtowardtheclimaxclimax:Theplot'smostdramaticandrevealingmoment,usuallytheturningpointofthestoryfallingaction:Thepartoftheplotaftertheclimax,whenthedramasubsidesandtheconflictisresolvedCHARACTERInfiction,characterreferstoatextualrepresentationofahumanbeing(oroccasionallyanothercreature).Mostfictionwritersagreethatcharacterdevelopmentisthekeyelementinastory'screation,andinmostpiecesoffictionacloseidentificationwiththecharactersiscrucialtounderstandingthestory.Thestory'sprotagonististhecentralagentingeneratingitsplot,andthisindividualcanembodythestory'stheme.Characterscanbeeitherroundorflat,dependingontheirlevelofdevelopmentandtheextenttowhichtheychange.Aroundcharacterisusuallyshownhisorhercomplexfeelings,andthecharacterdevelopsasthestorymoveson.CHARACTERprotagonist:Astory’smaincharacter(seealsoantagonist)antagonist:Thecharacterorforceinconflictwiththeprotagonistroundcharacter:Acomplex,fullydevelopedcharacter,oftenpronetochangeflatcharacter:Aone-dimensionalcharacter,typicallynotcentraltothestorycharacterization:TheprocessbywhichanauthorpresentsanddevelopsafictionalcharacterCHARACTERAuthorsachievecharacterizationwithavarietyoftechniques:•byusingthenarrativevoicetodescribethecharacter,•byshowingtheactionsofthecharacterandofthosereactingtoher,•byrevealingthethoughtsordialogueofthecharacter,or•byshowingthethoughtsanddialogueofothersinrelationtothecharacter.SETTINGSetting,quitesimply,isthestory’stimeandplace.Whilesettingincludessimpleattributessuchasclimateorwalldécor,itcanalsoincludecomplexdimensionssuchasthehistoricalmomentthestoryoccupiesoritssocialcontext.Becauseparticularplacesandtimeshavetheirownpersonalityoremotionalessence(suchasthestarkfeelofadesertorthegrim,waryresolveintheUnitedStatesaftertheSeptember11thattacks),settingisalsooneoftheprimarywaysthatafictionwriterestablishesmood.SETTINGTypically,shortstoriesoccurinlimitedlocationsandtimeframes,whereasnovelsmayinvolvemanydifferentsettingsinwidelyvaryinglandscapes.Eveninshortstories,however,readersshouldbecomesensitivetosubtleshiftsinsetting.Ifyouarecarefulenoughwhenyouarereading,you’llseethatsomedetailsaboutthesettinghelprevealaturnintheplot.Settingisoftendevelopedwithnarrativedescription,butitmayalsobeshownwithaction,dialogue,oracharacter’sthoughts.SETTINGsocialcontext:Thesignificantculturalissuesaffectingastory’ssettingorauthorship.mood:Theunderlyingfeelingoratmosphereproducedbyastory.POINTOFVIEWPointofviewinfictionreferstothesourceandscopeofthenarrativevoice.Inthefirst-personpointofview,usuallyidentifiablebytheuseofthepronoun“I”,acharacterinthestorydoesthenarration.Afirst-personnarratormaybeamajorc