DEFINITION:
The five elements of literature are plot, setting, theme, characterization, and point of view. All fiction includes these elements; however, they become more complex at higher levels.

ELEMENTS OF A STORY
Characterization
Characterization is made up of three elements: appearance, which is the way the character looks; personality, which is the way the character thinks or feels; and behavior, which is the way the character acts and reacts. In any type of story, it is important that readers are able to picture the characters. Character details can take many forms: physical features, clothing, possessions, hobbies, and communication. Paying attention to details can provide alot of information about what a character is like.

When reading, ask student to:

• Draw conclusions about the characters or people in the story by paying attention to what they say, do, think, and feel.
• Notice how two characters are alike and how they are different.
• Notice how the author uses the character’s behavior to develop a story and to give meaning to the plot.

Setting
Setting includes time and place. Details that describe setting might include weather, time of day, location, landscape, and even furniture. All of these things can contribute to the understanding of a scene.

• In most stories, the action changes from one place to another.
• Time can be expressed specifically or in general terms, such as the time of day, the time of the year, or a time in the past or future.

Plot
All fictional stories have a plot. Plot is the sequence of events that take place in the story. There are five components to plot:

• Central problem or conflict found at the beginning of the story (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self);
• rising action which includes all the events created by the conflict;
• climax, which is the highest point or turning point of the story;
• denouement, or falling action, where the conflict becomes unraveled;
• resolution, where the conflict is resolved (the resolution of a story may have either positive or negative outcomes).

Point of view
Point of view refers to the narrator of the story. The most common points of view are First Person, Third Person Limited, and Third Person Omniscient.

• The First Person Narrator is actually a character in the story and is personally affected by plot and setting. First person narrator uses such pronouns as “I,” “We,” “My,” “Our,” in the narrative. (Beware of the use of these words when used in dialogue, as this does not indicate narrator’s point of view).
• The Third Person Limited Narrator tells the story and knows everything about the protagonist or main character.
• The Third Person Omniscient Narrator knows what all characters, protagonists and antagonists, think, feel, and do.

Theme
Theme is the main message in the story. It is closely related to main idea, but theme usually is more global in scope. Virtually all fiction, and some non-fiction, including novels, short stories, fables, drama, poems, speeches, and essays have themes. Theme contributes an expectation that the reader will learn from the trials and tribulations related through characterization, plot, setting, and point of view.