 | Term | Definition |
| |
personification |
gives human-like characteristics to inanimate objects |
| |
simile |
uses "like" or "as" |
| |
metaphor |
uses "is" or "am" |
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foreshadowing |
s, hints of what might happen. Can be blatant, subtle, or misleading. |
| |
motivation |
what drives a character on |
| |
flashback |
An alteration in the story order in which the plot moves back in time to show events that have taken place earlier than those already shown. |
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first person |
told from the narrator's point of view, using "I" |
| |
indirect characterization |
reveals a character’s traits through the character’s actions and in what other characters say and think about the character |
| |
third person limited omniscient |
narrator knows everything about one character |
| |
third person omniscient |
the narrator knows and tells about what each character feels and thinks |
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internal conflict |
a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character |
| |
external conflict |
A character struggles against another character or an outside force |
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suspense |
excited anticipation of an approaching climax |
| |
irony |
The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning |
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symbol |
representation of an idea by an object |
| |
imagery |
the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively |
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theme |
the main idea in the story |
| |
tone |
the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people |
| |
inciting incident |
The event in a story that sets the plot in motion and introduces the main conflict. |
| |
round character |
a complex and many-sided character |
| |
flat character |
character who is presented with only one or two main personality traits without much development |
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static character |
a character who remains basically unchanged during the story |
| |
dynamic character |
a character who undergoes change during the story |
| |
protagonist |
the main character, who must overcome obstacles and resolve the conflict |
| |
antagonist |
a character who works against the protagonist |
