Elements of a Story

All stories have their certain components that make them complete. These components together weave the loose ends of the story and give it a meaningful turn.

Therefore, it becomes necessary that we learn about all the components of a story that give it a complete sense, so that literature students can work upon the topic without needing any assignment help for the same.

Stories or novels are the description of a fictional event in the life of a character, events which the writer, author or a dramatist creates yet the events which seem absolutely possible and real in the fictional world.

While we talk about the components of a story, we need to keep in mind the conclusion brought out by various research paper writings. These writings have provided for the following components of a story:

1. Plot:

The plot of a story is the interlocking factor that joins together all other components. Plot actually refers to the logical sequence of events in a story.

For example, the plot of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was that the Bennet family had five daughters whom their father and more specifically their mother, want to see engaged to rich husbands.

Their search ends when they find Mr. Bingley for their eldest daughter Jane, and consequently the second daughter Elizabeth sees her instant connection with Bingley’s friend Mr. Darcy.

Subsequent interactions make Darcy fall more and more for Elizabeth, but his pride is too high to let him accept this reality. Elizabeth, on the contrary has this prejudice against Darcy, contracted post their first encounter. On the other hand, we see bonding between Jane and Bingley, growing.

Time passes, events happen and slowly all the misunderstandings between the couples are cleared on order to give way to the two marriages and the marriages that have happened for love as opposed to the other marriages in the novel, that happened just out of the want for security. Thus, that is what we call a plot- the logical sequence of events that form the starting, middle and end of the story or rather a novel.

2. Characters-

Another very important aspect of any story are the characters without whom the story remains incomplete. The characters are the ones who give successful execution to the plot of the story and lead it to its completion. In a story we have the main characters as well as the side ones.

The main characters are the ones around whom the story revolves and whose actions give a major turn to the story.

In the main characters we have both the protagonist as well as the antagonist. The protagonist is the hero or the good character in the story, who faces all obstacles in order to achieve their goal.

The antagonist or the villain are the negative characters who keep on bringing obstacles in the way of the protagonists so that they always face problems.

Beside the main characters, we have the side characters who are usually in a supporting role and who serve the purpose of acquainting the main characters, more and more with the audience.

These side characters also facilitate the successful development of the plot. For example, in the story of Cinderella, our protagonist is Cinderella who faces the various obstacles in her life in order to bring for herself something good at last.

On the other hand, the antagonist of the story is Cinderella’s stepmother who time and again keeps on creating problems for the girl and even do not let her meet her prince.

The side characters may be the animals that help Cinderella, the fairy godmother, Cinderella’s father and even her stepsisters who remain in a negative role. 

3. Setting-

Setting of story refers to the place where all the actions are taking place. For example, the setting of Cinderella may be a normal village and then a castle which closely resembles a magical world.

The setting of Pride and Prejudice was the country of Longbourn where the Bennets lived, with further actions taking place at different locations like Derbyshire, London, Rosings Park, etc.

4. Conflict-

Every story whether big or small, has a conflict between characters and situations which must be resolved in order to provide for a complete sense to the story as well as its happy ending or may be the desired ending for the story.

Conflict resolution is yet another step towards the end of the story. For example, we see that the misunderstandings between Elizabeth and Darcy start clearing off as we move towards the end of the novel.

5. Climax-

Aristotle, in his research paper writing, said that a drama has an opening scene, a rising action, a climax, a falling action and then the end of the play. One may witness approximately the same things in a play or short story as well.

We have a climax in the story, which is very near to the exposition of all the misunderstandings in the story or novel, so as to gear up the audience for a perfect ending. So, all in all, climax refers to the highest point in a story, the culmination of all truths.

6. Point of View-

This element is important since it forms our understanding of each and every character in the story. The one who narrates the story is the one through whose eyes we witness all actions and judge all characters.

For example, in Pride and Prejudice, we have this third person omniscient narrator which is the author herself. Therefore, through her perspective we see everything in an unbiased manner.

7. Theme-

The theme of a story is the central message that the writer of a story wants to convey. Austen, through her famous novel, wants to tell her readers that pride and prejudice both may blind a person towards the other person’s nature and character as happened with Darcy and Elizabeth.

Therefore, these were a few elements that have been compiled through a hunt of various research paper writings and these points together give us a complete story. Thus, these points are sufficient enough to offer assignment help to students.