Page 65 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

A The messenger tells the queen what he heard.

B Rumpelstiltskin stomps his foot and splits himself in two.

C Rumpelstiltskin gives the queen three days to figure out his name.

D The queen calls Rumpelstiltskin by his name.

Answer

The correct answer is B. The falling action, or denouement, in a story takes place in the events that follow
the climax, which in this case is the confrontation between the queen and Rumpelstiltskin. Sometimes the
falling action in a story is very brief, as it serves more or less as a setup for the resolution. Denouement
has French origins and essentially means “to untie.” All of the knots of the plot are untied, and the
situation is resolved. Take the plot of The Wizard of Oz: the falling action happens when Dorothy gets
back to the Emerald City, sees the Wizard, and is eventually sent home by Glinda.

Review

• The basic story elements of narrative texts are plot, theme, characterization, setting,
and point of view.
• Plot is the sequence of events that takes place in a story including the conflict, rising
action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Fables have a moral or lesson and very often personify an object or animal.
• Folktales stem from an oral tradition and contain the beliefs and customs of a region or
country.
• Fairy tales are a type of folktale that may use elements of royalty, magic, enchantment,
and the supernatural.
• Myths (or mythology) are stories that use the supernatural (gods, goddesses) to
interpret natural events.
• Legends are stories based on a real-life hero and his or her mighty deeds.

What Gives a Story Meaning?

Themes are perhaps the most difficult story element for new readers to identify. Themes are perhaps the
most difficult story element for new readers to identify. Themes are often inferred or implied, and readers
must analyze all the elements of a story: plot, characterization, setting, and point of view, in order to
interpret the one or many themes a particular text may have.

Now that we’ve mentioned Dorothy, let’s look at some of the themes in The Wizard of Oz as examples.
The most obvious theme is repeated as an incantation at the story’s climax: “There’s no place like home.”
Dorothy tells us, in essence, to appreciate the gifts we have and that the grass is not always greener on
the other side. Other themes force us to dig a little deeper—but not much. The theme of appearance vs.
reality can be found throughoutThe Wizard of Oz. Take, for example, the characters of the Scarecrow,
the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man, who show us that individuals are ultimately defined by their integrity
and not their outward appearance. Another example is the wizard himself, who is just a normal man hiding