What exactly do these literature elements mean? & has anyone read the story Ransom of Red Chief?

Question

What do these mean:

Rising action

Climax

Dropping action(or something like that)

Exposition

like example: climax is the highest point in the story with all the action(i already kind of know that but i still need help)

And i need to know these for a mini poster project thing that my english class is doing, we read Ransom of Red Chief(shorter story).

So if you know what the rising action,climax, dropping action, or exposition FOR the Ransom of Red Chief please tell me!!:D

Thanks for the help/answers!!(in advance)

Answer 1

Rising action leadds to the climax which is the turning point.  It leads  to the resolution --  comes just before the resolution.

Rising action, climax,  drop and resolve.

There are a number of events that are the rising action.  They lead to the climax.  This story is not that long and the rising events should not be hard to find.

Answer 2

Exposition -  Although you listed this last, it often comes first, as the narrator provides the background for the story.  In RRC, the narrator explains how he and Bill came to devise their kidnapping scheme.

Rising action - The plot thickens; in a tragedy, things go in favor of the protagonist.  Although RRC isn't a tragedy, the narrator and Bill grab the little boy and carry him off to their hideout.

Climax - The high point of the action, often a turning point, as the protagoinst's fortunes turn in another direction.  One COULD argue that in RRC, the climax is the successful kidnapping, after which things begin to go wrong for the kidnappers; but I think a better choice is the point at which the kidnappers are willing to pay the brat's parents to take him back.

Falling action - The events after the climax, in which things begin to work themselves out.  In tragedy, the protagonist's fortunes decline and lead to his downfall and/or death.  In RRC, if you want to argue that the kidnapping itself is the climax, the falling action would be everything from then on, as the kidnappers come to realize what a little monster they have on their hands.  If you consider it the return of "Red Chief" to his parents, there's not much left of the story (and it's been so long since I've read it that I don't remember the details from this point on), but whatever happens after that would be the falling action.  Two poorer but wiser men slink off either to try their luck elsewhere or to turn over a new leaf.