Exposition
The word “exposition” comes from Latin, meaning “to put forth.” During the exposition of a narrative, the author introduces the major
characters of the story, including their physical descriptions, history, behaviors, motivations, fears, and relationships to other
characters. During this stage of the story, the author establishes the setting by determining the time and location where the action will
take place.
The mood of the story – that is, the emotional atmosphere (for example, the story may be light-hearted [“Once upon a time…”] or scary
[“It was a dark and stormy night…”]) – is often established during the exposition, as is the tone – the way in which the narrator tells
the story (for example, the narrator might have a romantic way of describing what happens, or a bitter and ironic take on the events).
Although exposition often takes place at the beginning of a narrative, sometimes it is woven throughout (often through the use of
flashbacks) as a way of starting the action of the story sooner.
In well-crafted exposition, only the details that are essential to understanding the progression of the story are including. This principle
is sometimes referred to as “Chekov’s Gun” – the Russian writer Anton Chekov is reputed to have said “Remove everything that has no
relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely
must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there.”
Questions about Exposition:
1. What important events occurred before the story began?
2. Who is the protagonist of the story? Describe that person’s physical traits, history, behaviors, motivations, fears, and
relationships to other characters. In what ways is the protagonist a hero, and in what ways is the protagonist an anti-hero?
3. Who are the secondary characters in the story? Are any of them foils (contrasting characters) to the main character?
4. What is the world of the story like? Does it take place today, in the past, or in the future? Is the setting realistic, or does it take
place in a world unlike our own?
5. What are the rules (official laws, unspoken expectations, limitations of physics/technology/magic) of the world in which the story
takes place?
6. Who is the narrator of the story? (Is it told in first-person, second-person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient?) Can
we trust the narrator’s version of events? What sort of tone does the narrator use (for example, humorous? detached? wistful?)?
7. What is the mood of the story? What does this element suggest about what might happen later in the story?
