Plot and Literary Elements
ESL English
Protagonist - the “good guy” (usually): the main character
Antagonist - the “bad guy” (usually): opposes the protagonist
Conflict - the struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there
is no plot.
All great stories have a conflict
Setting - the story’s time (or time period) and place
Mood - the emotion an author wants the readers to feel while reading.
• The mood is set by the description of the setting, dialogue, plot complications
• Examples – gloomy, happy, fanciful, romantic, tense
Theme - the message from the author to the reader about an
important lesson to learn .
Plot - the pattern or sequence of events that make up a story.
• Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.
Plot Diagram
Exposition - usually the beginning of a short story.
• Characters are introduced. • We also learn about the setting of the story. • We are introduced to the main conflict
(problem).
Rising Action - the part of the story when conflict begins to develop.
Climax - the turning point of the story.
• Usually the protagonist comes face to face with a conflict. He or she will change in some way.
Falling Action - the part of the story in which all loose ends of the plot are tied
up. • It is when we find out what happens after the
climax.
Resolution - the very ending.
• It should be reasonable and satisfying. • It should answer most questions a reader
might have.