| Term | Definition |
|---|
| plot | a series of events in a narrative account |
| simple narrative account | a chronological series of real events |
| plotless short story | a story that describes characters in a situation, but doesnt have a plot |
| in media ras | started in the middle of action and then info is filled in |
| frame story | a story within a story |
| exposition | background information on the characters, setting and other events necessary for understanding the story are given (conflict introduced) |
| complication | the conflict is developed |
| suspense | danger or uncertainty |
| foreshadowing | hints at later events |
| conflict | the interplay between opposing elements |
| protagonist vs. self | internal struggle |
| protagonist vs. others | external struggle with people, society |
| protagonist vs. environment | external struggle with nature |
| technical climax | the turning point in the plot at which the outcome of the action is determined |
| dramatic climax | which is the point of greatest interest or intensity of the story |
| resolution | events following the technical climax in which the outcome is actually worked out |
| conclusion | the final event of a story's plot |
| SETTING | represented time and place of events in a literary work |
| Pathetic fallacy | a technique some authors use. This is using the setting, or nature, to parallel or mirror the mood of a character or of the story. |
| CHARACTER | a fictional personality created by an author |
| characterization | the technique a writer uses to create and reveal characters in a work of fiction |
| expository character revelation | telling the reader about a character's personality in a straightforward manner |
| dramatic character revelation | showing the reader what a character is like through descriptions of thought, dialogue, action, etc |
| motivation | the reasons that cause characters to act the way they do |
| Protagonist | the central character in a work of fiction; the character who sets the action of the plot in motion |
| Antagonist | the principal opponent of the main character; the person or thing working against the protagonist |
| Round Character | a character who is well described and whose thoughts and actions are clearly revealed during the development of the story |
| Flat Character | a character who is not well developed in a story |
| 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 who 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; all good characters are consistent |
| Stock Character | a type of character that is always found "in stock" in a particular type of story |
| Stereotyped Character | a character created according to widely held, often narrow-minded, ideas; this character has no individuality and is not well developed |
| POINT OF VIEW | the physical and psychological relationship between the narrator |
| first person | 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 | a controlling idea of a literary work that is a general truth or commentary about life, people and the world that is brought out in a story |
| ATMOSPHERE AND MOOD | These terms are often used interchangeable, so be careful telling them apart. Both have to do with the general feeling created by all aspects of a story – plot, character, setting, etc. – but... |
| Mood | describes the reader's state of mind after she finishes the story |
| Atmosphere | describes the general feeling of the story itself, usually established by the setting's description |
| STYLE | the distinctive handling of language by a writer through the purposeful selection of words (diction) and sentence structure (syntax). Style helps to indicate tone |
| TONE | the author or speaker's attitude toward the characters, events or audience conveyed by details and descriptive words used by the author |
| SYMBOLISM | the use of something concrete to represent something abstract; using a thing to represent an idea, concept, quality or condition |
| IRONY | contrast between the way things truly are and the way they appear to be |
| verbal irony | a discrepancy between the literal meaning of a word and the meaning actually conveyed; saying one thing but meaning another; verbal irony is usually conveyed through tone of voice; sarcasm is a form of verbal irony |
| dramatic irony | a discrepancy between knowledge held by a reader and a character's ignorance of that knowledge; when the reader knows something a character doesn't |
| situational irony | a discrepancy between the expected outcome of a situation and the actual outcome; a twist in the plot |
Combine with other sets
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