Flashcards: literary prose terms
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Created by:
asouroutzidis on February 4, 2008
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 plot | a series of events that the author creates that build upon one another (meant to entertain) |
| simple narrative account | non-fiction, chronological list of events (police report), purpose is to tell what happens |
| plotless short story | fiction, sole purpose is to entertain the reader, describes characters in a situation; does not develop or resolve a conflict |
| in media ras | story begins at middle; then goes back and fills the reader in through flashbacks and other forms of exposition |
| frame story | a story within a story |
| typical plot structure | exposition; complication; technical climax; resolution; conclusion |
| exposition | background, character, and setting information given; where conflict is introduced |
| complication | conflict is developed(may use suspense and foreshadowing) |
| suspense | anticipation for the outcome of events |
| foreshadowing | a hint at later events |
| conflict | produces and propells plot;interplay between opposing elements |
| protagonist vs. self | internal struggle |
| protagonist vs. others | external struggle with people, society |
| protagonist vs. enviornment | external struggle with nature |
| technical climax | turning point of plot, protagonist has the opportunity to change, conflict begins to come to an end |
| dramatic climax | not related to plot structure; point of greatest interest or intensity; subjective |
| resolution | events that come after the technical climax; works out the decision that was made during the technical climax |
| conclusion | the final events of a stories plot |
| setting | represented time and place in a story |
| functions of setting | to help in understanding of the characters and their actions; to help create mood and atmosphere; to facilitate plot development by being involved in the conflict |
| pathetic fallacy | when enviornment parallels the characters mood or feelings |
| character | a fictional personality created by the author |
| characterization | technique used by writers to create a reveal characters (consistency and credibility are essential) |
| expository character revelation | straight-forward mannar of telling the reader about a character; less attention-getting |
| dramatic character revelation | characterizing through thoughts, dialouge, and action, less quick but more attention-getting |
| motivation | the reasons that cause the characters to act the way they do |
| protagonist | main character in a work of fiction; often sets the plot into motion |
| antagonist | person or thing working against the protagonist |
| round character | a well described character; whose thoughts and actions are clearly revealed throughout the story |
| flat character | a character who is not well described |
| dynamic character | a character who grows, learns, or changes from the way they were at the beginning to the story |
| static character | a character who resists or refuses to change by the end of the story |
| foil character | a character who contrasts in some important way with an important character |
| consistent character | a character whose speech, actions, and thoughts are what is expected by the reader (all good characters are this) |
| stock character | a type of character who is in stock in a particular type of story |
| stereotyped character | a character created to a widely held (often narrow-minded) idea; has no individuality and is not well developed |
| point of view | the relationship between the narrator and the story's characters and events |
| narrator | the teller of the story |
| first person | the narrator is a character in the story |
| third person objective | the narrator is not a character in the story and reports only what can be seen and heard |
| third person limited omniscient | the narrator is not a character in the story and reports not only what can be seen and heard, but also the thoughts and feelings of one of the characters |
| third person omniscient | the narrator is not a character in the story and reports not only what can be seen and heard, but also the thoughts and feelings of all of the important characters |
| theme | idea of a literary work that is a general truth or commentary about life |
| guidelines to stating theme | must be complete sentence, must be a general truth about life, brought out throughout the entire story |
| mood | the readers state of mind at the end of the story |
| atmosphere | the general feeling of the story usually set by the setting |
| style | the way the writer writes (with diction, syntax) |
| diction | word choice |
| syntax | sentence structure |
| tone | the narrator's attitude towards the characters, events, or audience, conveyed by authors words |
| symbolism | using something concrete to represent something abstract; represents idea, quality, concept or condition |
| irony | a contrast between the way things are and the way they appear to be |
| verbal irony | a difference between what is said and what it is meant; could be sarcasm |
| dramatic irony | when the reader knows something the character is not aware of |
| situational irony | when the outcome of events is not expected (twist in the plot) |
| immediate setting | where most of the actions take place |
| absent setting | setting that you only hear about never actually visit in the story |