SHORT STORY – Meaning, Brief History, And Elements

SHORT STORY – Meaning, Brief History, And Elements

SHORT STORY – In this topic, we are going to discuss a form of prose called short story, as well as its meaning, a brief history, and elements.

Meaning

According to Reading Literature by McDougal, Littell, it is a work of fiction. To put it simply, this form comes from the writer’s imagination.

It is the work of one writer who puts words on paper and will stay the same each time it is reprinted

Brief History

This was invented in the ninteenth century. That time, writers in many countries started using this form.

Two well known writers in the early age of short stories were French writer Guy de Maupassant (Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant) and Russian writer Anton Chekhov (Anton Pavlovich Chekhov).

Elements

• Setting
  • The time and place of the action of a story.
• Character
  • A person or animal who takes part in the action of a work of literature. There are two types of characters:
    • Main Character
      • He or she is the one upon whom the story focuses
    • Minor Characters
      • These keep the action moving and aids readers in knowing the main character
• Plot
  • The sequence of events in a story. It has five parts:
    • Exposition
      • provides background information and introduces the setting and important characters
    • Rising Action
      • introduces and develops the conflict or the struggle faced by the main character
    • Climax
      • the turning point. It is the highest point of interest or suspense.
    • Falling Action
      • draws the story to a close
    • Conclusion
      • ties up loose ends