When discussing stories or extracts there are certain aspects which are supposed to regard. It's useful to know them and to be able to use them. They can make it easier for you to talk about novels, stories and other literary work.
If you deal with an extract, begin your discussion with same a few words about its origin, naming the writer and the title of the story or the novel it's taken from.
Plot refers to the sequence of events or actions in a story.
Conflict is at the heart of the plot. It's the up position of the characters or groups of characters to each other or something.
Plot plus conflict comprise theme. The theme of the story is its central idea or message.
Tone of a story shouldn't be forgotten while speaking on characters or objects. Tone shows the author's attitude and helps us to understand if the writer takes it seriously, ironically, comically, bitterly, humorously or otherwise.
Mood is the dominant impression the story makes on you. It can be gloom, sad, optimistic, pathetic, cheerful, melancholic and so on. Mood like tone may be revealed through the choice of words, figures of speech, dialogues, short or long sentences and even phonetic devices.