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CP English 9 Literary Terms

Terms in this set (37)

antagonist
The principal character in opposition to the hero. One who opposes and contends against another; an adversary.
inference
A reasonable conclusion drawn from the information presented.
plot
Series of related events that make up a story or drama
static
A character who does not change much in a story
protagonist
The main character in fiction or drama
connotation
All the meanings, associations, or emotions that are attached to a word
symbol
Person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well.
flat
A type of character who does not seem to have many different character traits. Usually a minor character.
theme
The central idea of a work of literature
internal
type of conflict that occurs within a character; person versus self
external
type of conflict when there is a struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character, which drives the dramatic action of the plot
social commentary
A promotion of change by informing the general populace about a given problem and appealing to people's sense of justice.
foreshadowing
The use of clues to hint at events that will occur later in a plot.
setting
The time and place of a story or play.
tone
Attitude a writer takes toward a subject, a character, or the audience
allusion
A reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event from literature
round
A character who, like a real person, has many different character traits
mood
A story's atmosphere or the feelings it evokes.
dynamic
A type of character who goes through a noticeable change from the beginning to the end of the story
direct
Type of characterization where the author tells the reader exactly what the character is like.
exposition
The first part of the plot, the opening of the story, when the characters and their conflict are introduced.
3rd person omniscient
The narrator is not a character in the story but knows all.
dramatic
Type of irony where the audience or reader knows something that the character does not. Used often to build suspense.
reliable
A narrator that can be generally trusted to be honest, knowledgeable, and have little or no bias.
unreliable
A narrator who you can't always trust to be truthful, knowledgeable, or without bias when telling the story
rising action
The second part of the plot, where the main character takes some action to resolve the conflict but meets more problems
3rd person limited
The narrator is not a character in the story but doesn't know all.
stock
is a character who is instantly recognizable to us from other stories and is often stereotyped (e.g., absent-minded professor, snooty cheerleader, wise old man, spoiled brat, etc...). This type of character does not usually need to be developed in the story for the reader to "know" the character.
point-of-view (POV)
Vantage point from which a writer tells a story
situational
A type of irony where the opposite of what is expected happens.
indirect
The type of characterization where the reader must infer what a character is like from what the character does, says, appears, or thinks.
climax
The third main part of plot; this is the key scene in the story where we learn what the outcome of the conflict will be.
verbal
Type of irony that occurs when a character says the opposite of what he/she means; sarcastic.
3rd person objective
the reader doesn't see any character's inner thoughts and feelings, not even those of the point of view character. Instead, the reader is only witness to outer actions and dialogue.
1st person
The narrator is a character in the story and tells the story from his or her perspective
denouement
The final part of the story, all of the struggling is over and we know what is going to happen to the characters.
Flashback
Interruptions that writers use to insert past events in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative.
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