RECALL:

Studying literature can be very

easy with the right amount of
knowledge
gained from your studies in the
past.
RECALL:
How do you define
anecdote?
What are the purposes of an
anecdote?
What lesson does the anecdote in
“Home of the Ashfall” convey?
 Elements
of a
Short Story
WEEK 7&8
 Objectives
1. Demonstrate understanding of a short story;
2. Analyze a short story by identifying its basic
elements;
3. Appreciate the use of multimedia in sharing the
lessons learned from a short story; and
4. Perform a self or peer-assessment in evaluating
one’s work.

Elements of a Short Story

 Overview
A Short Story is similar to your dish. It needs
the best ingredients for you to enjoy its delectable taste.
Stories are made up of four important
elements:

Setting
Characters, Plot,
Conflict and Theme
Elements of a Short Story
Setting
Tells the reader where and when
the story takes place.
 Characters and
Characterization

A character is a person, or
sometimes an animal, who takes
part in the action of a short story
or other literary work.
The description of the personalities of
the characters in the story and the
way in which an author reveals their
personalities.
Two Identifications of
Characters
1. Protagonist –
the hero of the story

2. Antagonist –
the villain in the story
who is always
opposing the
protagonist
Other Types of Characters
 Methods of Characterization
Creating Believable Characters
• Indirect • Direct
– physical appearance
– the narrator’s
– speech, thoughts, direct
feelings, or actions of comments
the character about a
character
– speech, thoughts,
feelings, or actions of
other characters
Plot
• The chain of related events that
take place in a story.
• Built around conflict, which is
a struggle between opposing
forces.
PLOT DIAGRAM
Climax

Fal
n

ling
ctio
A

Ac
Conflict
ing

tion
Ris

Exposition Resolution
• The plot is the sequence or order of events in a story.
• The plot includes:
Exposition Statement
The part of the plot that tells how the story begins.
Rising Action
The action in the story leading up to the climax.
Conflict
The struggles or problems between opposing forces.
Climax
The point of crisis in the plot. It may be the reader’s
point of highest interest.
Falling action
The action in the story after the climax is revealed.
Resolution
The part of the plot that reveals the final outcome.
 CONFLICT
• any of the problems that a character encounters in a
story.
• The conflict is a struggle between two people or things
in a short story.
• The main character is on one side of the main conflict.
• Conflicts can be:
• 1. External – conflict with others and with nature
• 2. Internal – conflict within themselves
Types of Conflict
-Man vs. Man
-Man vs. Nature
-Man vs. Obstacle or Society
- Man vs. Supernatural Being
-Man vs. Himself
•
THEME
The main idea of a story.
• It is not a moral, lesson, or a rule for living.
• Theme is the meaning behind events and characters’ actions in a story.
• A theme can be expressed as a general statement about people or life.
• It is NOT plot summary.
• It can be either directly or indirectly stated by the author. Most likely indirectly.

Ex.
Love
Family Feud
Themes from ‘The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet’
 CONCLUSION
Now that we have identified and
defined the elements of a short
story, let us use the elements to
analyze a story ”Home of the
Ashfall”.
 CHARACTER:
John Jack Wigley

SETTING:
It focuses on his experiences and insights during the eruption of Mount Pinatubo

Home of the Ash Fall

PLOT:
It focuses on his experiences and insights
during the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcanic caldera in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in
Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon.

Home of the Ash Fall

 THEME:
This story teaches us to be ready for any tragedy in our life; being prepared can help us cope
with the fear, anxiety, and loss that tragedies can bring.

The Filipino is a resilient race. We can overcome any adversity – man-made or

otherwise.

Home of the Ash Fall

CONFLICT:
The conflicts that are shown in the novel are:

man vs. man

man vs. himself
man vs. society
Home of the Ash Fall
 He was no longer living in Angeles City when Mt. Pinatubo erupted on
June 15, 1991 at the same time he was promoted to management
trainee at pizza

Climax
He went to see a film
P in n of M t t he after his opening shift. its
title was “Hihintayin Kita

Fal
sa Langit“, after watching
bo t .
oti o s a bou

n
the film he was feeling all

ling
ctio mushy and and
at u

melodramatic but what he

n ew

Ac
saw outside the cinema
Conflict
Th e
e ru

surprised him.
ing

tion
Ris

Exposition Resolution
The ash fall reach Manila, it was like
Mt. Pinatubo and Pizza hut
ash from an ashtray
 Bibliography
Dinneen, K. Elements of the Short Story. Retrieved Jun.
19, 2003, from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute:
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1983/3/83.03.09.x.html

Five Elements of a Story. Retrieved Jun. 19, 2003,

http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2277.html

Guevin, D. Short Story Elements. Retrieved Jun. 19, 2003,

http://www.uvm.edu/~dguevin/Elements.html