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 story—theme,
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 fiction-writing craft . . ." (Selgin 2007, p. 41)
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.
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 drama—where 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 story’s 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
story’s “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, however—and 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 story’s 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 instructive to apply
this three-part structure even to stories that don’t seem to fit the pattern
neatly.
THE
STRUCTURE OF THE PLOT
|
||
NO
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THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLOT
 |
|
1
|
EXPOSITION/COMPLICATIONS:
|
Plot events that plunge the
protagonist further into conflict.
|
2
|
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 plot’s 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/
RESOLUTION
/DENOUMENT
|
*HAPPY ENDING- Everything ends well for our
protagonist. More often used in
commercial fiction.
*UNHAPPY ENDING- Most instances in
life 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 story’s time and place.
While setting includes simple attributes such as climate or wall décor, 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 Chopin’s “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 character’s thoughts.
Social context:
The significant cultural issues affecting a story’s setting or authorship
mood:
The underlying feeling or atmosphere produced by a story
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 story’s theme is a prominent element and
somewhat unmistakable. It would be difficult to read Kate Chopin’s “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 Kincaid’s “Girl”? Those
mothers can try too hard? That oppression leads to oppression? That a parent’s
repeated dire predictions have a way of becoming truth?
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