STORY ELEMENTS AND THEIR PROPERTIES IN THE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’ STORIES

Abstract

In order to transfer their thoughts in a live manner to the readers, authors need factors that are known as story elements. The story elements can be realized as the uniting factors in all sorts of stories. However, story elements have special characteristics in the children’s stories and their negligence makes the author fail in writing a story appropriate for the children. This article has been carried out based on a library research method and tries defining the story elements and investigating the properties of the story elements in the children’s stories. The study results indicated that two substantial factors should be taken into account when selecting subjects for children’s stories: one is the child’s mental structures and the other is the child’s experience of life. Moreover, the theme of the children’s stories should fall within the area of their experiences and they should be able to discern a clear image of the story’s message after reading the story and this image has to exert a positive and considerable effect on them. The events and incidents of the children’s stories should be always a function of linear time because flashbacks are not recommended for the children; the cause and effect relationship should be strongly exhibited in the children’s stories and it has to be free of any complexity. The story goes on with logical struggle and it reaches a climax and it is concluded with a happy ending. The protagonist of the children’s story should not have any weak point and s/he has to always come out as a victor in the end of the story. The stories written for children should have a sincere and simple tone of voice so that they can be adored by the children and make them interested in reading. Children have visual thoughts meaning that they think pictorially; therefore, one of the other elements of the children’s stories is illustration.