Elements of Fiction
Taylor Ulichney
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Character
A person in a story, poem or play.
The main characters in "A Christmas Memory" are Buddy and his 60 something year old cousin who is very childlike.
Setting
Setting is the time and place of a story or play.
The setting is mainly taken place of their kitchen as their baking fruitcakes.
Plot
Plot is a series of related events that make up a story or drama. Plot includes a basic situation, exposition, conflict, main events, climax, then the resolution.
The plot is that Buddy is the narrator and he is reliving the past, but making it sound like it's being told in current time.
Theme
Theme is a central idea of the story, play or poem.
The theme is that the little things in life could mean the most and impact our future.
Mood/Tone
Mood is the emotions you feel when you're finished reading the story.
Tone is the emotions the writer feels as the story is being written.
The mood that you're left with after reading, is bittersweet. You're sad that his friend dies in the end, but you're happy that Buddy has those good memories to hold onto.
I believe the tone is also bittersweet.
Point of View
The point of view in "A Christmas Memory" is first person and is being told by Buddy, it's first person because he was actually there.