| Term | Definition |
|---|
| plot | a series of events in a narrative that is carefully constructed by the author for artistic purpose; a series of related incidents that build upon one another as the story develops, meant to entertain the reader |
| simple narrative account | just a chronological description of real events. |
| plotless short story | a very modern creation that is pleasurable to read as it describes characters in a situation, but does not employ the development or the resolution of a conflict |
| in media ras | the story is opened in the middle of the action and then information about the beginning of the action is supplied to the reader through flashbacks and other devices for exposition |
| frame story | 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 | anticipation as to the outcome of events) |
| foreshadowing | hints at later events |
| conflict | the interplay between opposing elements; the plot of a story is produced by and propelled by this |
| 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; often, the protagonist changes or has an opportunity to change at this point; after this point, the conflict begins to come to an end |
| dramatic climax | which is the point of greatest interest or intensity of the story. This is subjective |
| resolution | the events following the technical climax in which the outcome is actually worked out; works out the decision that was arrived at during the technical climax |
| conclusion | the final event of a story's plot |
| setting | : the represented time and place of events in a literary work |
| four functions of setting | 1. to help in understanding of the characters and their actions |
| pathetic fallacy | 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; credibility and consistency are essential |
| expository character revelation | telling the reader about a character |
| dramatic character revelation | showing the reader what a character is like through descriptions of thought, dialogue, action, etc.; this method is less quick, more indirect, but more attention-getting |
| 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 | character who is well described and whose thoughts and actions are clearly revealed during the development of the story |
| flat character | character who is not well developed in a story |
| dynamic character | character who grows, learns or changes in some significant way throughout the story; the character is different at the end of the story than he was at the beginning |
| 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; a character who, through contrast, underscores the distinctive characteristics of another |
| 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 |
| stock character | type of character that is always found "in stock" in a particular type of story |
| stereotyped character | 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 and the story's characters and events |
| narrator | 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 | 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. NOT a statement about the story/plot itself. also does not have to be a moral or a lesson. When trying to decide on ______, always consider the title of the work, as well as important symbolism and general observations about life made by the characters throughout the story |
| guidelines to stating a theme | 1.must be a complete declarative sentence |
| Two-Step Process for Determining Theme | STEP 1: Fill in the blank with a general word – This story is overall about _________________. |
| atmosphere | describes the general feeling of the story itself, usually established by the setting's description |
| mood | describes the reader's state of mind after she finishes the story (deals with readers' emotions) |
| atmosphere and mood | . Both have to do with the general feeling created by all aspects of a story – plot, character, setting, etc |
| style | the distinctive handling of language by a writer through the purposeful selection of words. helps indicate tone |
| syntax | sentence structure |
| diction | purposeful selection of words |
| 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, sarcasm |
| 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
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace