| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Protagonist | main character in a story |
| Antagonist | the character or force that opposes the protagonist |
| Foil | a character who provides a contrast to the protagonist |
| Flat (or static) characters | two-dimentional characters/ they do not change in the course of the story |
| First person | the narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only perosnal thougfhts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can't tell us the thoughts of other characters |
| Third-person | the narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can't tell us the thoughts of other characters |
| Third-person limited | The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters |
| Omniscient | the narrator is an all-knowing outsiders who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters |
| conflict | conflict is the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of 4 kinds. |
| man vs man | conflict of one person against another |
| man vs nature | conflict with forces of nature. It tests the limits of a person's strength and will to livel. |
| man vs society | the values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged |
| man vs self | Internal conflict. An internal conflict is a good test of a character's values, and how the conflict is resolved provides clues to the character's inner strength |
| Foreshadowing | an author's hings or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story. Not always obvious on 1st read. Creates suspense and makes narrative more believable by preparing readers for events to follow |
| irony | contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is |
| verbal irony | contrast between what is said and what is actually meant |
| situational irony | what happens is the opposite of what is expected or intended |
| dramatic irony | the audience or reader knows something the characters do not know |
| tone | the author's attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject |
| mood | the climate of feeling in a literary work. The setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. |
| symbolism | a person, place, or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well. |
| theme | the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work, that can be stated or implied |
| imagery | language that appeals to the senses---touch, taste, smell etc |
| simile | a direct comparison between two unlike things, using like or as |
| metaphor | a comparison of two unlike things, using a form of be (NOT like or as) such as 'The road was a ribbon of moonlight.' |
Combine with other sets
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