Plot Structure

Reviewing the parts of plot structure TextVersion: Plot Structure Riding the plot structure roller coaster? I’ll share a story along the way. Let’s start with the exposition. The exposition is the beginning of the plot where background information, characters, and setting are revealed. This is Carlos, and he loves animals. While Carlos is at the park, he finds a kitten in a tree. Hang on! [A roller coaster moves up the track and stops halfway to the top.] Now, we move into the rising action. The rising action is the part of the story where the problem or conflict develops. Uh oh. The kitten is stuck. It’s too scared to climb down, and Carlos is too scared to climb up. Here we go. [The roller coaster moves farther up the track and stops at the top.] Are you ready for the climax? The climax is the exciting part of the story where the problem reaches its peak. Suddenly, the kitten slips on a branch! It’s hanging on, but it’s about to — fall! [The roller coaster moves down the track and stops halfway to the bottom.] Wait! We’ve hit the falling action. The falling action is the events that come after the climax, leading to the end of the story. Carlos faces his fear and climbs the tree. Don’t look down! [The roller coaster moves farther down the track and stops at the bottom.] Whew! We made it to the resolution. The resolution is the conclusion of the story where the problem or conflict is resolved. Carlos reaches the kitten in time and brings it down to safety. Through these elements of plot structure — exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution — we watched the events unfold in Carlos’ story. But that’s not all we saw. The author also used characterization. Characterization is the way an author develops and reveals a character's traits. The author’s characterization shows us that Carlos is kind and helpful because he wants to rescue the kitten, but he’s also afraid to climb the tree. And don’t forget character development — the way a character changes throughout the story. Through character development, we watched Carlos face his fear of heights in order to save the kitten. At first, he was afraid, but by the end, he became brave. Whew! What a roller coaster!