| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Plot | The sequence of events that make up a story; The development of the story line from start to finish. |
| Exposition | Background information given to understand the story better; when characters are introduced, and the setting is established. Usually found at the beginning of a story or play. Serves to introduce the main characters, describe the setting, and sometimes establish the conflict. |
| Conflict | The struggle in the story |
| External Conflict | A struggle between two characters or things in the story or some outside force. |
| Internal Conflict | A struggle within one character. A struggle within one character. It (the struggle) exists inside that character. Example: What do I do? To eat chocolate, or not to eat chocolate, that is the question |
| Climax | A turning point; the highest point of the story; the purpose for reading the story. Example: When Edward and his family killed the bad vampire and Bella was home safe. |
| Resolution | When loose ends are tied up and the story is brought to a close. When characters return to as normal a life as possible |
| Setting | The time and place where the story takes place |
| Character | A person, an animal, or an imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a literary work |
| Protagonist | The main character who is involved in the story's conflict |
| Antagonist | A force working against the protagonist; may be another character, society, force of nature, or a even a force within the character |
| Point of View | The angle from which the story is told. |
| 1st person | When the stories narrator is a character in the story and uses words such as I, me, and we outside of quotes. |
| 3rd person | When the narrator is telling the story about one character that is not him/herself and is aware of other characters' actions and possibly their thoughts |
| 3rd person Omniscient | When the narrator knows what is happening to every character, all knowing narrator. |
| Theme | The main idea of the story; A message about life or human nature that is communicated by a literary work |
| Genre | A type or category of literature. There are 4 main categories; fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama |
| Mood | The atmosphere of the story; The feeling that a literary work conveys to readers |
| Symbol | A person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself. When something stands for something else |
| Irony | A contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens. When the opposite of what is expected happens in a piece of literary work. Sarcastic humor |
| Style | A manner of writing; involves how something is said rather than what is said |
| Flashback | An interuption of the action to present events that took place at an earlier time. When a portion of the story goes back in time |
| Foreshadowing | A hint of something that will happen later in the story. Occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest the future events in a story. |
| Imagery | When the author forms an image in your mind; Consists of words and phrases that appeal to the reader's five senses. |
| Satire | A literary work that ridicules or scorns. Makes fun of |
| Figurative Language | Expressions that are not usually true, used to create fresh and original descriptions |
| Literal Language | Describes things in simple terms |
| Metaphor | A comparison of 2 things NOT using "like" or "as". Example: "Life is like a box of chocolates." |
| Simile | A comparison of 2 things using "like" or "as". Example: "The catcher was as clumsy as a walrus." |
| Hyperbole | An exaggeration, an overstating of an idea. Example: "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse." or "I will love you until the end of time." |
| Personification | When something is given qualities it normally does not have; The giving of human qualities to an animal, object or idea; Nonhuman things described as though they were human. Example: "Mother Nature". |
| Tone | Expresses the writer's attitude toward his or her subject |
| Sensory Language | Language meant to evoke the reader's senses |
| Inference / Subtext | A logical guess or conclusion based on evidence |
| Motivation | The reason why people act, feel, or think in certain ways |
| Voice | His or her distinctive style or manner of exprression |
| Alliteration | When two or more words that begin with the same letter or sound are next to each other |
| Idiom | An expression whose meaning is completely different from what its words seem to say; It has a figurative meaning. Only those who are familiar with this figure of speech will understand it. "To let the cat out of the bag = To reveal a secret." |
| Onomatopoeia | When the sound of an action is spelled like it sounds. Example: hiss, bang, oink, purr, etc. |
| Repetition | When words are repeated in sequence |
| Oxymoron | When two words are next to each other that have opposite meanings, but they create a new meaning |
| Flat character | Usually only shows one side of his/her personality, and does not show growth or maturity in the story |
| Round character | Usually shows many sides of personality and shows growth or maturity in the story |
| Major character | A main character, story would change if character were removed |
| Minor character | A less important character and the story would not change or would only change slightly if this character were removed |
| Direct characterization | The method of character development in which the author simply tells what the character is like |
| Indirect characterization | When a character is described through actions and dialogue; When the writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him. |
| Dialogue | Words spoken by characters |
| man vs. man | A struggle between two characters, external |
| man vs. himself | A internal struggle within one character, internal |
| man vs. nature | A struggle between a character and a natural force, external |
| man vs. society | A struggle between a character and a force of society, external |
| Rising Action | Events leading to the climax; conflict is present, suspense is present, longest portion of the story. The suspence leading up to the climax. When you want to know whats going to happen |
| Falling Action | After the climax is explained, characters express how they feel about the climax |
| Theme | The "message" of the story |
| Indirect Theme | When only after reading the entire story is it possible to figure out the theme |
| Direct Theme | When the theme is stated directly in the story, an actual sentence or portion of the story is the theme |
| Writer's License | This gives the author the ability to break grammar rules to enhance the story |
| Dramatic Irony | When an audience perceives something that a character in the literature or play does not know. Example: During Romeo and Juliet when Romeo finds Juliet drugged and asleep and he thinks she is dead |
| Verbal Irony | When the author says one thing and means something else |
| 3 kinds of irony | Verbal Irony, Dramatic Irony, Irony of Situation |
| Irony of Situation | A discrepancy between the expected ending (result) and the actual ending (result) |
| Narrative Writing | Tells a story, fiction or nonfiction, of something that happened. EXAMPLE: biography, memior, etc. |
| Persuasive / Argumentative Writing | A way to try and convince a reader to agree with an issue and/or change their view on a problem, or carry out an action. EXAMPLE: editorial, petition, etc. |
| Imaginative Writing | It's purpose is to entertain the reader by using an interesting and artistic form. EXAMPLE: poetry, short story |
| Informative Writing | Informs the reader. EXAMPLE: news articles, research papers, etc. |
| Personal / Expressive Writing | Reflects on a personal experience. EXAMPLE: journal entry |
| Aim | The purpose or objective of the literature. Some pieces of literature may have more than one. The book "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is to tell a story and to entertain the reader |
| Purpose | The reason a writer writes something. EXAMPLE: to sell a car, to thank someone, to entertain, etc. |
| Audience | These are the people who read what a writer writes. A writer should determine who they are writing for before beginning the writing process. EXAMPLE: adults, women, teens, early readers, etc. |
| Form | The type of writing a writer writes. EXAMPLE: magazine, novel, poem, essay, etc. |
| Topic | What the writing is about. |
Combine with other sets
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