| Term | Definition |
|---|
| plot | a sequence of events in a narrative that is carefully constructed by the author for artistic purpose |
| plot structure | exposition-complication-technical climax-resolution-conclusion |
| exposition | background info on the characters, setting, etc |
| complication | rising action |
| conflict | the interplay between opposing elements |
| technical climax | the turning point in the plot at which the outcome of the action is determined |
| resolution | falling action |
| conclusion | the final event of a story's plot |
| dramatic climax | the point of greatest interest or intensity to the story |
| setting | the represented time and place of events in a literary work |
| the four functions of setting | time and place, understand characters, create mood and atmosphere, to facilitate plot development |
| character | a fictional personality created by an author |
| characterization | the technique a writer used to create and reveal characters in a work of fiction |
| the two types of characterization | expository(straightforward) dramatic(in depth) |
| motivation | the reason that cause characters to act as they do |
| protagonist | the central character in a work of fiction about whom the audience is most concerned |
| antagonist | the principal opponent of the main character |
| round character | a character who is well described and whose thoughts and actions are revealed during the development of the story |
| flat character | a character who is not well developed in a story, but who represents a type rather than an individual |
| dynamic character | a character who grows, learns, or changes in some significant way throughout the story |
| static character | a character who resists change or refuses to change during the story |
| foil character | a character that contrasts in some important way with a more important character |
| consistent character | a character whose speech, thoughts, and actions are what the reader has been lead to expect from that particular character |
| stock character | a TYPE of character that is usually found ("in stock") in a particular literary form |
| stereotyped character | a character created according to widely held, often narrow minded, ideas(the jock or nerd) |
| point of view | the physical and psychological relationship between the narrator and the story's characters and events |
| 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 feeling of a few characters |
| third person omniscient | the narrator is not a character in the story and report what can be seen and heard, along with the thoughts and feelings of all the characters |
| theme | the controlling idea of literary work that is a general truth or commentary about life |
| the 3 guidelines to stating a theme | a. must be a complete declarative sentence b. must state a general truth about life c. must be clearly brought out throughout the entire work |
| atmosphere | describes the general feeling of the story itself |
| mood | describes the reader's state of mind after finishing the story |
| style | the distinctive handling of language by a writer through the purposeful selection of words(diction) and sentence structure(syntax) |
| tone | the author or speaker's attitude toward the characters, events, or audience |
| symbolism | the use of something concrete to represent something abstract |
| irony | contrast between the way things are and the way they appear to be |
| verbal irony | a discrepancy between the literal meaning of a word and the meaning actually conveyed(sarcasm) |
| dramatic irony | when the reader knows something the character doesnt |
| situational irony | a discrepancy between the expected outcome of a situation and the actual outcome |
Combine with other sets
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