SHORT STORY

CHARACTERIZATION
is the development of the characters
as done by the short story writer. In
other words, it is the way in which an
author presents and reveals his / her
characters. S/He can do it in two
ways:

a. Direct presentation

when the author makes

explicit / outright
statements or
explanations about the
characters.

b. Indirect presentation when

the author reveals his / her

characters through their actions
and dialogues. The reader sees and
listens to the character and how
other characters react to or relate
to the character and consequently,
the reader knows what s/he is like
or what s/he has become.

1. He never idled. He never

complained and was always satisfied.
_____ 2. I would like to go on a
journey for an adventure, said Makato.
_____ 3.He did every kind of work
carrying heavy things, clearing away the
forest, or feeding pigs.
_____ 4. As the years passed,
Makato grew tall and handsome.
_____

POINT OF VIEW
Point of view is the vantage point,

perspective, or angle from which the

story is told. There are several kinds of
point of view:
a. First Person The story could be
told by one of the characters in the
story, using the pronouns I, me, we, etc.
The person telling the story can reveal
only what he / she knows and feels.

b. Innocent Eyes In this point of

view, the story is told through the

eyes of a child.
c. Second Person This point of
view is rarely used in stories as the
main character would have to be
referred to as you. The second
person is most often used in
training manuals and role-playing
games.

d. Third Person The story is

told from the perspective of

someone who is outside of the
action of the story, using third
person pronouns such as he,
she, his, her, they, etc. The third
person point of view can be
classified further into three
types:

1) Omniscient, literally all-

knowing. The narrator can

move from character to
character, event to event,
freely interpreting and
commenting on the thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors of the
characters.

2)

Limited omniscient. The

story is also told from the
viewpoint of a character in the
story, usually the protagonist.
The reader is given access to
the thoughts and feelings of
only this character.

3) Objective. The story is told

as though a camera is following

the characters, going anywhere
and everywhere and recording
only what is seen and heard.
There is no comment on the
characters or their thoughts. No
interpretations are offered.

THEME
The theme is the controlling idea

or value in the story. It is the so

what of the story. It answers the
question, What is the meaning or
significance of the story? The
theme may be the authors idea
about a topic or view of human
nature.