| Term | Definition |
|---|
| pathetic fallacy | a form of personal fiction giving human traits to nature |
| pathos | greek root meaning suffering or passion. commonly describes part in play/story that gives audience pitty/sorrow |
| picaresque novel | fiction consisting of a lengthy string of loosely connected events. |
| plot | action/sequence of events in a story. sories of related incidents that build upon one another |
| plot line | the graphic display of the action or events in a story |
| poetic justice | term 'character gets what he/she deserves' . usually character receives punishment |
| point of view | vantage point of whom the story is told by. |
| protagonlist | main character or hero of the story |
| pseudonym | pen/false name [ usually the writer ] |
| quest | main character seeking to find something or acheive a goal. in the process character overcomes obstacles |
| realism | literature that attempts to represent life as it really is |
| renaissance | 'rebirth' period of history following the middle ages. [ 14th century - 16th century ] |
| resolution | denoument, the problem is resolved.after climax and falling action, giving a satisfactory end |
| rising action | events leading up to the climax. |
| romanticism | a literary movement with an emphasis on the imagination and emotions |
| sarcasm | the use of praise to mock someone or something |
| satire | a literary tone used to make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correction/changing subject of attack |
| setting | time and place in whihc the action of a literary work occurs |
| short story | a brief fictional work. usually contains one major conflict and at least one main character |
| slapstick | form of low comedy including exagerated/violent action ex:pie in face |
| slice of life | term describing realistic or naturalistic writing that reflects what life is like |
| soliloquy | speech delivered by a character when he/she is alone on stage, thinking out loud. |
| stereotype | a form that doesnt change, no individuality and fits the mold of a particular type of person |
| stream of conciousness | a style of writing in which the thoughts and feelings of the writer are recorded as they occur |
| style | how the author uses words, phrases, and sentences to form his/her ideas. has qualities and characteristics that distinguish one work from another |
| symbol | a person, place, or an event used to represent something else |
| theme | statement about life that a writer is willing to get across in a piece of writing |
| tone | overall feeling/effect created by a writer's use of words. |
| total effect | general impression a literary work leaves the reader |
| tragedy | a literary work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw or by forces beyond his/her control |
| tragic hero . | character who experiences an inner strength because of a character flaw . struggle ends in the death of hero |
| transcendentalism | philosophy requiring human beings to go beyond reason in search for truth. assumes character can arrive at thruth through spiritual insight if they think seriously about them |
| rising action | building towards climax |
Combine with other sets
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