| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Plot | the author's arrangement of the actions of a story; the order of the events |
| Conflict | a struggle between a character and some obstacle (could be another character) or a struggle between two internal forces within the character |
| Climax | the culmination of a conflict; the turning point, the point at which the reader is sure how the plot will turn out |
| Resolution | the denouement (unraveling) or untying of the complications; occurs after the climax |
| Characterization | the presentation of a character either by direct description or by his actions |
| Protagonist | the principal actor; hero or heroine; the character who acts for us, who most nearly embodies our values |
| Antagonist | a character or force that opposes the protagonist; the character who acts against us, who represents values that are contrary to our own |
| Metaphor | an implied comparison between two essentially unlike things |
| Symbol | figure of speech in which an object means both itself and something greater |
| Point of View | perspective from which a story is told – for example, by a major character, a minor character, or a fly on the wall |
| Foreshadowing | suggestions of what is to come |
| Setting | the time and place of a story |
| Mood/Atmosphere | the feelings the reader attaches to the story's setting |
| Tone | the story's prevailing attitude as perceived by the reader |
| Theme | the overall message the author seeks to convey; the author's "criticism of life" as expressed in his story |
| Irony | a situation in which the outcome is different (often opposite) from the expectation or intention |
| Satire | the employment, in speaking or writing, of sarcasm, irony, ridicule, etc. in exposing, denouncing, deriding, or ridiculing rice, folly, indecorum, abuses, or evils of any kind |
Combine with other sets
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