Intrinsic and Extrinsic Elements in Short Stories

Short story is one of the literary works in the field of writing. Short story (short story) is a type of literary work that is presented in written form which contains stories or short stories that are described briefly and clearly. Short stories usually only contain a conflict or problem and are accompanied by the resolution of the conflict/problem. Short stories or short stories have certain writing rules to shape the storyline so as to produce a good work for the reader. Short stories are formed from an author's idea about the main theme of the story and then made according to the plot of short story writing by paying attention to the elements in it.

Characteristics of short stories

Some of the characteristics of a short story are as follows:

• The number of words in a short story is usually no more than 10 thousand words.
• The content of the short story must be short, clear and concise
• The theme or story contains daily life experiences, both the author's own life experiences and those of others
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• The characters in the short story are not discussed in depth
• The conflict that arises in the story is only one conflict
• There is a conflict resolution in the story
• The story in the short story is fiction

In making a short story there are two elements, namely intrinsic elements and extrinsic elements. These two elements are strongly bound in making short stories so that they look good and can bring readers to enjoy the storyline well.

Intrinsic element

Intrinsic elements are elements that build a literary work, in this case short stories from in the literature itself. The intrinsic elements in the short story consist of:

1. Theme

Theme is a subject matter that underlies a story (main idea). Themes are usually not presented directly but are implied and can be concluded by the reader himself.

1. Figure

Characterization is giving character to a character in a story. Giving the nature / character or character of each character will be seen from the behavior, thoughts, speech, and views of the character towards something. There are two types of characterization methods, namely analytical methods and dramatic methods.

• The analytical method is a characterization that is presented directly such as kind, angry, stubborn, evil, and so on.
• While the dramatic method is a characterization that is presented indirectly, namely through dialogue between characters, depicting the nature and behavior or way of thinking.

In addition to the two things above, the characterizations are also distinguished according to the appearance of the character, namely the protagonist and the antagonist.

• The protagonist is a character who plays an honest, kind, helpful, and other character who is kind.
• Antagonists are characters who play cunning, dishonest, evil, liars, and other bad characters.
• The tritagonist is a character who mediates or liaises between the protagonist and the antagonist. the protagonist's character leads the same way as the protagonist.

1. Settings/background

Setting or setting in a story can be a place, atmosphere, or time. There are three main elements in the setting/background, namely:

• Setting of place, related to the place where the events in the short story take place
• Setting of time, related to when the event occurred
• Background of the atmosphere, related to the atmosphere or feelings in an event

4. Viewpoint

Point of view is the author's point of view in telling a story. Point of view is able to place the author and reader to be the main character or other person in the story. There are 3 say change person in point of view:

• First person point of view, namely the author's view as if he were directly involved as the main character in the story. Example: I, I, I (singular); we, we (plural)
• The second person point of view, namely the author's view as if the author is telling a story. Example: you (singular), you (plural)
• Third person point of view, the author's view is as if the author feels, knows, experiences what is happening to the characters in the story. Example: he (singular), they (plural)

5. Plot or plot

Plot or plot is the course of a story. The sequence of stories is usually based on time, cause and effect events, or something else. Broadly speaking and most commonly, storyline begins with the introduction or meeting between characters, the emergence of conflict, the conflict peaks, the peak of the conflict or climax, the resolution of the conflict, then the end (farewell or the result of the conflict solution). The plot can also be modified according to the author's wishes, for example a cause-and-effect story or a back and forth plot between cause and effect. In a story, the plot is made by the author to make the stages in the story, so that the content of the story does not confuse the reader. The storyline used is divided into several types, namely:

• Progressive plot or progressive plot, which is a plot that moves forward with story stages that tell events sequentially, starting from the beginning, middle and end. Usually starting from the introduction of each character, the emergence of conflict, the peak of the conflict, conflict resolution, conflict resolution.
• Backward plot or regressive plot, which is a story stage that tells the ending of a story, then goes backwards remembering how the story happened.
• Mixed flow or combined flow, which is a combination of forward and backward flow, stages in The story can be sequential and then inserted backwards or backwards or alternating between the forward and backward plots back off.

1. Mandate

The mandate is a teaching or message implied in the content of the story, so it requires understanding from the reader. The teachings/messages can be positive or negative.

1. Style language

Style language is a special characteristic of the author in describing or describing the contents of the story by using the words, expressions, figure of speech that he uses.

Extrinsic Element

Extrinsic elements are elements that are outside a literary work (short story), but indirectly affect the content of the work literature the. Some extrinsic elements related to the creation of a literary work, including:

1. Creation/Creation Background 

The background of making a story is the basis that intends / aims to provide an understanding to the reader what and why a literary work is made. Or give an understanding of what the author wants to convey to the reader.

1. Author Background

The background of the author is also the most influential thing in the making of the story. The author's background is:

• Biography: a biography of the author's biography, about his education
• Literary genre: a writer has his own literary genre which is his trademark. The author's background is also accompanied by the flow of the story he likes.
• Psychological Condition: A psychological state of the author in the form of choosing a theme, the language used, the plot used, the author's view of life, beliefs and so on.

1. Community Situation/State

Situations that are developing or occur in the midst of society, such as ideology, politics, social attitudes, culture, as well as the economic condition of the community. The cultural background of the community appears in story can be written in the form of setting or appear in the dialogue of characters, or in the author's narration.

Thus the description of the intrinsic and extrinsic elements in the short story. Hope it is useful.