“FICTION”
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Types of Fiction
• Myth/Legend is realistic or fantastic, used
to explain aspects of existence we don’t
understand.
Types of Fiction (cont…)
• Folktales: impart a lesson and touch upon
psychological truths about human beings.
Types of Fiction (cont…)
• Parable is a short story designed to teach.
[moral or religious]
Structure
• External - how story is divided, titles,
subtitles, spacing
• Internal: passage of time, weather, seasons,
location.
Plot
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Order of events: See Dramatic Structure
Exposition (who, what, where, when)
Conflict (problem)
Climax (pivotal point in action)
Resolution ( How it ends up)
Climax
Conflict
Resolution
Expo
Setting
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Time
Place
Objects
Environment
Ambience
Characterization
Types of Characters
• Flat - one dimensional representing an idea
or type.
• Round: complexity like a real person
Characters
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Protagonist vs. Antagonist
Foil (contrasts a character)
Confidant (friend or servant).
Stock characters: comic, victim, braggart,
pretender, fool.
Social class and Economic
Factors
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Gender
Class
Age
Race
Ethnicity
Point of View
• First person: Narrator as I
• Third Person: he/she (Omniscient, limited
omniscient, intrusive, objective - recorder)
• Stream of consciousness
Theme:Central idea of the story
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Archetypes: [detail or pattern repeated in culture
/ religion / art- universal truth] Birth of the hero,
quest, wise man, eternal child, seducer/ temptress,
double.
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Literary motif: [detail or pattern repeated in
single work] quest, journey for self knowledge,
rite of passage, struggle between mind - body spiritual world.
Symbolism
• Personal
• Cultural
Irony
• Dramatic (Reader knows what character
doesn’t)
• Circumstantial “Says he will die and he
does.”