Exposition is a literary term that refers to the beginning of a story where the characters, setting, and basic information are introduced. It is designed to convey important information that provides insight into a character or advances the story. Exposition is important in a story because it allows the reader to see the location and factors of time, such as season, year of life, etc. It also introduces the characters. Without an idea of where and when the characters are, readers will be confused about why certain events are happening. The exposition is like that introductory paragraph in an essay – readers need to know where the story takes place and what characters they’ll be following.

Exposition is a set of scenes in a story that are meant to introduce the audience to the characters, world, and tone of the story. It is relatively short and no major changes occur. The purpose of exposition is to provide background information about one or more characters, the story’s setting, plot events, or other narrative elements. In relaying this backstory, the reader achieves greater enjoyment and understanding of the story and its meaning.

Writers have choices in the methods they use to convey exposition in a story or novel. Here are the most common methods of conveying exposition:

• Narration
• Dialogue
• Description of setting (when and/or where the story takes place)
• Character’s thoughts or memories
• Flashbacks

In literature, exposition conveys information that advances the plot of a story and provides insight into characters.