| Term | Definition |
| Point of View | the perspective from which a story is told |
| 3rd person omnicient | the pronouns "he", "she", and "they" are used, the narrator knows everything about every character. |
| 3rd person limited omnicient | the pronouns "he", "she", and "they" are used, narrator does not know more than the characters do. |
| 1st person | the pronouns "I", "us", and "we" are used |
| Character | a person in a story. |
| Major characters | persons or agents taking part in the conflict of a story. |
| Minor characters | persons or agents NOT taking part in the conflict of a story. |
| Direct Presentation | the author tells you what they are like |
| Indirect Presentation | the author lets the reader come up with their own assumptions about the character. |
| Characterization | the way of showing what a character is like; the way that a person looks, talks, acts, or thinks |
| Protagonist | the central character in a story (hero of a story faced with a conflict) |
| Antagonist | the villain of the story who causes the conflict |
| Dynamic/Round | a character who changes in personality or attitude, whether for the good or for the bad |
| Flat/Static | A character who remains the same throughout history |
| Stock | Stereo typed characters who have occurred so often in fiction that their nature is immediately known (example: mad scientist, prince charming) |
| Setting | the time and place in which the events of the story take place |
| Specific Setting | Example: Charlotte's Web - barn and pens, 8:16 |
| General Setting | Example: Charlotte's Web - farm, 1970 |
| Mood | the overall feeling of a story created by the authors choice of words |
| Symbol | an image, object, or action that stands for an idea beyond its literal meaning |
| Imagery | the use of selected details to describe one thing in terms of another. |
| Theme | a story's point, its key idea that the issue is about. The universal truth or idea. |
| Foreshadowing | hints about an outcome are given to the readers |
| Simile | two unlike things compared with "like" or "as" |
| Metaphor | two unlike things compared without "like" or "as" (example: the field was an endless sea of green) |
| Plot | the sequence of incidents or events of which a story is composed |
| Conflict | A clash of actions, ideas, or goals in the plot of a story |
| Man vs. Man | the conflict is b/w the main character and some other person |
| Man vs. Nature | the conflict is b/w the main character and physical nature, society, or fate |
| Man vs. Himself | conflict is between the protagonist and some destructive element in his or her own nature |
| Climax | the turning point or high point of a story |
| Denouement | That portion of a plot that reveals the final outcome of its conflicts or the solution of its mysteries |
| Resolution | denouement |