narrator

speaker or character who tells a story

first person

major or minor character in the story tells the story and we see and hear only what that character sees and hears

third person

story is told by a person outside the story

third person omniscient

narrator can tell reader what any character is thinking

third person limited

narrator sees the world through only one character's eyes and thoughts

time

element or setting that includes past, present, future, year, season, time of day

place

element of the setting that includes geography, region, country, state, or town, AND the social, economic, or cultural environment

character

a person, an animal or a thing who takes part in the action of a literary work

protagonist

main character, whether good or bad

antagonist

character who opposes the protagonist

round character

has many different traits, faults as well as virtues

flat character

shows only one trait

dynamic character

develops and grows during the story

static character

does not change during the story

plot

the sequence of events in a literary work.

exposition

introduction of setting, characters and the basic situation at the beginning

inciting incident

event that introduces the central conflict, where the action starts

rising action

development that leads to the climax

foreshadowing

the use of clues that suggest events that have yet to happen.

climax

high point of interest or suspense

falling action

action after the climax that leads to the denouement or resolution

denouement

resolution, general insight or change is conveyed and the story is finished or resolved

conflict

the struggle which grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in a plot

person vs. person

when one individual is in direct conflict with another person

person vs. self

when an individual is in direct conflict with his own desires or beliefs

person vs. society

when an individual is in direct conflict with the rules, traditions or human nature or the people around them.

person vs. nature

when an individual is pitted against the forces of nature such as weather or terrain

allusion

reference to a well-known person, character, event, or work

irony

a situation that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens, or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true

suspense

feeling of excitement or nervousness when you do not know what will happen next

direct characterization

descriptions of the character's appearance or personality that tell you what they are like

indirect characterization

actions or statements that imply certain characteristics without actually saying what the character is like

imply

to hint something without actually stating it

infer

to come to a conclusion based on evidence

theme

a main subject or idea in a piece of writing