A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

CHAPTER III
PROSE FICTION
Prose fiction is the telling of stories which are not real. More specifically, fiction is
an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the
word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works
of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and
events. Fiction may be either written or oral. Although not all fiction is necessarily
artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art or entertainment. The ability to create
fiction and other artistic works is considered to be a fundamental aspect of human
culture, one of the defining characteristics of humanity.
Even among writing instructors and best-selling authors, there appears to be little
consensus regarding the number and composition of the fundamental elements of
fiction. For example:

* "Fiction has three main elements: plotting, character, and place or setting." (Morrell
2006, p. 151).
* "A charged image evokes all the other elements of your storytheme, character,
conflict, setting, style, and so on." (Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing 1992,
p. 160)
* "For writers, the spices you add to make your plot your own include characters,
setting, and dialogue." (Bell 2004, p. 16)
* "Contained within the framework of a story are the major story elements:
characters, action, and conflict." (Evanovich 2006, p. 83)
* " . . . I think point of view is one of the most fundamental elements of the fictionwriting craft . . ." (Selgin 2007, p. 41)

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

Here are some elements of fiction (character, plot, setting, theme, Point of view,
style, diction, and symbol and allegory). While these elements are not all found in every
work, they are critical to the understanding of each piece you read.
3.1 CHARACTER
Characterization is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. A
character is a participant in the story, and is usually a person, but may be any persona,
identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.
Characters may be of several types:
Point-of-view character: the character from whose perspective (theme) the audience
experiences the story. This is the character that represents the point of view the
audience will empathize, or at the very least, sympathize with. Therefore this is the
Main Character.
Protagonist: the driver of the action of the story and therefore responsible for achieving
the stories Objective Story Goal (the surface journey). In western storytelling tradition
the Protagonist is usually the Main Character.
Antagonist: the character that stands in opposition to the protagonist.
Supporting character: A character that plays a part in the plot but is not major.
Minor character: a character in a bit/cameo part.

Analyzing characterization is more difficult than describing plot; human nature is

infinitely complex, variable and ambiguous. It is much easier to describe what a
person has done instead of who a person is.

In commercial fiction, characters are often two-dimensional, and act as vehicles

to carry out the plot. The protagonist must be easily identified with and
fundamentally decent, if he has vices they are of the more innocent type, the
kind the reader would not mind having.

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

TYPES OF CHARACTERS
* Flat Characters- Usually have one or two predominant traits. The character can be
summed up in just a few lines.

Round Characters- Complex and many faceted; have the qualities of real people.
*Static Character- A character that remains essentially the same throughout.
3.2 PLOT
Plot, or storyline, is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. It is
the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story. On a micro level, plot
consists of action and reaction, also referred to as stimulus and response. On a macro
level, plot has a beginning, middle, and an ending. Plot is often depicted as an arc with
a zig-zag line to represent the rise and fall of action. Plot also has a mid-level structure:
scene and sequel. A scene is a unit of dramawhere the action occurs. (Bickham 1993:
23-62).
Plot refers to the series of events that give a story its meaning and effect. In most
stories, these events arise out of conflict experienced by the main character. The conflict
may come from something external, like a dragon or an overbearing mother, or it may
stem from an internal issue, such as jealousy, loss of identity, or overconfidence. As the
character makes choices and tries to resolve the problem, the storys action is shaped
and plot is generated. In some stories, the author structures the entire plot
chronologically, with the first event followed by the second, third, and so on, like beads
on a string. However, many other stories are told with flashback techniques in which
plot events from earlier times interrupt the storys current events.
All stories are unique, and in one sense there are as many plots as there are stories.
In one general view of plot, howeverand one that describes many works of fiction
the story begins with rising action as the character experiences conflict through a series
of plot complications that entangle him or her more deeply in the problem. This conflict
reaches a climax, after which the conflict is resolved, and the falling action leads quickly
to the storys end. Things have generally changed at the end of a story, either in the
character or the situation; drama subsides, and a new status quo is achieved. It is often

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

instructive to apply this three-part structure even to stories that dont seem to fit the
pattern neatly.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLOT

NO

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLOT

EXPOSITION/COMPLICATIONS:

Plot events that plunge the protagonist

further into conflict.

CONFLICT:

*Conflict- A clash of actions, ideas, desires, or

wills.Types of Conflict: Person vs. Person,
Person vs. Environment, Person vs. Self.
Rising action: The part of a plot in which
the drama intensifies, rising toward the
climax
Climax: The plots most dramatic and
revealing moment, usually the turning
point of the story
Falling action: The part of the plot after the

climax, when the drama subsides and the

conflict is resolved.
3

THE ENDINGS/

*HAPPY ENDING- Everything ends well for

RESOLUTION

our protagonist.

/DENOUMENT

commercial fiction.

More often used in

*UNHAPPY ENDING- Most instances in life

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

do not have pleasant ends, so literary fiction
that tries to emulate life is more apt to have
an unhappy conclusion. These endings force
the reader to contemplate the complexities
of life.
*INDETERMINATE ENDING- No definitive
ending is reached. This leaves the reader to
ponder the many issues raised.

3.3 SETTING
Setting, the location and time of a story, is often listed as one of the fundamental
elements of fiction. Sometimes setting is referred to as milieu, to include a context (such
as society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. In some cases, setting
becomes a character itself and can set the tone of a story. (Rozelle 2005: 2).
Setting, quite simply, is the storys time and place. While setting includes simple
attributes such as climate or wall dcor, it can also include complex dimensions such as
the historical moment the story occupies or its social context. Because particular places
and times have their own personality or emotional essence (such as the stark feel of a
desert or the grim, wary resolve in the United States after the September 11th attacks),
setting is also one of the primary ways that a fiction writer establishes mood. Typically,
short stories occur in limited locations and time frames, such as the two rooms involved
in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour, whereas novels may involve many different
settings in widely varying landscapes. Even in short stories, however, readers should
become sensitive to subtle shifts in setting. For example, when the grieving Mrs. Mallard
retires alone to her room, with new spring life visible out the window, this detail about
the setting helps reveal a turn in the plot. Setting is often developed with narrative
description, but it may also be shown with action, dialogue, or a characters thoughts.
Social context: The significant cultural issues affecting a storys setting or authorship
mood: The underlying feeling or atmosphere produced by a story

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

The setting of a story is its overall context- where, when and in what circumstances the
action occurs.

Setting as Place- The physical environment where the story takes place. The
description of the environment often points towards its importance.

Setting as Time- Includes time in all of its dimensions.

To determine the

importance, ask, What was going on at that time?

Setting as Cultural Context- Setting also involves the social circumstances of the
time and place. Consider historical events and social and political issues of the
time.

3.4 THEME
Theme is the meaning or concept we are left with after reading a piece of fiction.
Theme is an answer to the question, What did you learn from this? In some cases a
storys theme is a prominent element and somewhat unmistakable. It would be difficult
to read Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour without understanding that the institution
of nineteenth-century marriage robbed Mrs. Mallard of her freedom and identity. In
some pieces of fiction, however, the theme is more elusive. What thought do we come
away with after reading Jamaica Kincaids Girl? Those mothers can try too hard? That
oppression leads to oppression? That a parents repeated dire predictions have a way of
becoming truth?

A HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 2015

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