Short Story Characteristics

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the various elements that create a short story. It includes a protagonist, the central character in conflict; an antagonist, any person or force arrayed against the protagonist; a plot, the sequence of incidents or events that make up the story; and suspense or the tension that pulls the reader along in the story.

From the Paper:

"Other elements that may be key in a short story are the setting, theme and point of view (Dinneen and O'Connor). The setting is the time and place in which the action takes place. The setting has a definite impact on both the character and plot development (Dinneen and O'Connor). The theme of a story is the idea or belief as to what is important or unimportant in life. The theme of a story gives meaning to a literary work and is usually inferred from other elements of the story, evolving through the conflicts experienced by the main character (Dinneen and O'Connor). The points of view a story may be told from either the omniscient narrative, the detached observer's point of view or the first person. The point of view taken can set the action and is also crucial in plot development as it can predetermine what the reader knows or does not know."

More papers on Short Story Characteristics:

• Narrative Essay # 135563 : "Creating a Short Story"
• Analytical Essay # 6413 : "Structural Similarities in the Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor"
• Analytical Essay # 84007 : "Barn Burning" "

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