Online Student Edition Glencoe Online Essay Grader Progress Reporter Online Assessment Media Center Unit Resources About the Big Ideas (English) About the Big Ideas (Spanish) Interactive Reading Practice Unit Skills Assessment Big Idea Web Quest Test-Taking Tips and Strategies Author Search Interactive Literary Elements Handbook Literature Classics Literature Library Study Guides Online Student Resources Writing and Research Handbook Selection Resources Reading-Writing Connection Activities Selection Quizzes (English) | Literature About the Big Ideas (English)Part 1: Encountering the Unexpected Part 1: Encountering the Unexpected Overview Authors often create suspense and surprise by giving readers clues that hint at events that might happen. In the exposition, or the beginning of a short story, the author might introduce the story’s characters and establishes the setting. The setting is the time and place of the story. In addition, the setting also informs the reader about the customs, beliefs, and values of that particular place in time. From the exposition, the reader comes to have certain expectations about the characters and plot, or the sequence of events in the story. The author can then create moments of surprise or suspense by moving away from what readers expect and providing readers with the unexpected. Web Resources Paul Clifford Overview Readers can trace a character’s development by following the different kinds of choices that he or she makes throughout the story. Despite opportunities to make better choices, static characters typically do not learn from their mistakes and, therefore, do not change. In contrast, dynamic characters usually experience growth, renewal, and change in the course of a story. Understanding character development contributes to the readers' understanding of the story’s theme, or the main message about life. Web Resources Elements of the Short Story Overview In the short stories in Part 3, the characters struggle to deal with the changes that take place within themselves and in their environment. In some cases, the short story might be told from a first-person point of view in which the narrator is a character in the story. In other cases, the story might be told from a third-person omniscient point of view in which the narrator knows everything about the characters and events. Depending upon the author's tone, or attitude about the subject matter, the stories can portray a nostalgic or cynical outlook on the initiation into the stage of adulthood or into another stage of maturity. Web Resources Log InThe resource you requested requires you to enter a username and password below: | |