Story Elements
Setting
This device is when one character or item represents something else.
symbolism
The Birthmark
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Diana Moon Glampers
Harrison Bergeron
Sunny day. Village is excited. Have a contest. Loser is stoned to death.
The Lottery
O. Henry was known for using this literary device in his stories.
Irony
This is the underlying meaning or message of a story.
Theme
This is a comparison using "like" or "as."
simile
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Mark Twain
Turkey, Nippers, Ginger Nut
Bartleby the Scrivener
Man becomes an alcoholic Kills his cat and his wife.
The Black Cat
How was the king described in The Lady or the Tiger?
semi-barbaric
This element is comprised of the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Plot
Descriptive language that can function as a way for the reader to better imagine what the author is writing about.
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry
Jim and Della
The Gift of the Magi
Couple in Italy. Woman finds feline in a storm.
Cat in the Rain
The Nathaniel Hawthorne stories both warned about the dangers of this.
science (or playing God)
The protagonist and antagonist are types of this story element.
character
The use of comedy, sarcasm, irony, or hyperbole to expose the flaws of individuals, institutions, or groups.
satire
A Horseman in the Sky
Ambrose Bierce
Mr. Summers and Old Man Warner
The Lottery
Boy tries to steal lady's purse. Lady feeds him lima beans and gives him money to buy blue suede shoes.
Thank You, M'am
Name of the play "A Jury of Her Peers" was based on.
Trifles
When the protagonist goes up against something such has himself, another character, nature, or society, it is an example of this story element.
conflict
Like Rappaccini's Daughter, this is a device where a greater overall, possibly abstract, meaning is conveyed with the aid of material objects.
Allegory
The Night the Bed Fell
Alymer and Georgiana
The Birthmark
Man is heading to a gold rush camp. He doesn't know how to handle the cold weather. Dog runs away.
To Build a Fire
This type of narrator is all-knowing.
Omniscient