Literary Elements in Stories

Characters and Setting#

Every story has two very important building blocks: characters and setting. When you understand these two elements, you can understand any story much better!

What Are Characters?#

Characters are the people, animals, or sometimes objects that take part in a story. Most stories have a main character — the most important person or animal that the story is mostly about. There are also supporting characters who help or interact with the main character.

As you read, think about the characters:

• What do they look like? Sometimes the author describes how a character looks.
• What do they say? A character's words tell you a lot about them.
• What do they do? A character's actions show their personality.
• How do they feel? Look for feeling words or clues in how the character acts.

For example, if a character always shares with friends and helps others, you can describe that character as kind and generous.

What Is the Setting?#

The setting is WHERE and WHEN the story takes place. Setting tells us two things:

1. Place — Where dös the story happen? In a house? A forest? A school? A different planet?
2. Time — When dös the story happen? During the day or night? In winter? Long ago or today?

The setting can affect the whole story. A story set in a dark, stormy forest feels very different from a story set in a sunny, warm meadow. Authors use the setting to create a mood or feeling.

Finding Characters and Setting#

Look for the setting clues in the first few pages of a story — authors usually set the scene right away. Look for describing words that tell you about the place and time.

For characters, pay attention throughout the whole story. Characters often change and grow. A character might be scared at the beginning but brave at the end. Noticing character change is a sign of a careful reader!