PROTAGONIST-The protagonistis the main char-
acter in a literary work. Often, the protagonist is a
person, but sometimes it can be an animal.
See Antagonistand Character.
A minor character-is one who takes part in the action but is not the
focus of attention.
A dynamic character is one who changes or grows during the
course of the work. A static characteris one who
does not change.
Characters can also be classified as dynamic or static.
SETTING The setting of a literary work is the time
and place of the action. The setting includes all the
details of a place and time�the year, the time of
day, even the weather. The place may be a specific
country, state, region, community, neighborhood,
building, institution, or home. Details such as
dialects, clothing, customs, and modes of trans-
portation are often used to establish setting. In
most stories, the setting serves as a backdrop�a
context in which the characters interact. Setting
can also help to create a feeling, or atmosphere.
PLOT is the sequence of events in which each
event results from a previous one and causes the
next. In most novels, dramas, short stories, and nar-
rative poems, the plot involves both characters and a
central conflict. The plot usually begins with an expo-
sition that introduces the setting, the characters, and
the basic situation. This is followed by the inciting
incident, which introduces the central conflict. The
conflict then increases during the developmentuntil
it reaches a high point of interest or suspense, the
climax. The climax is followed by the falling action,
or end, of the central conflict. Any events that
occur during the falling actionmake up the resolu-
tion or denouement.
EXPOSITIONIn the plot of a story or a drama, the
exposition, or introduction, is the part of the work
that introduces the characters, setting, and basic
situation.
See Plot.
RESOLUTIONThe resolutionis the outcome of
the conflict in a plot.