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Short Story Terms

Terms in this set (25)

Short Story
a short, fictional narrative
Author
the person who wrote the story
Narrator
the person who is used to tell the story
Plot
the sequence of event; what happens in the story
Conflict
the struggle that takes place in the story; the main problem.
Setting
where and when the action takes place in the story
Character
the people or animals who take part in the story
Protagaonist
the main character of the story who is faced with a conflict
Antagonist
usually the villain of the story- the person, animal, or creature who creates conflict for the main character
Characterization
ways of showing what a character is like. For example: the way a character looks, talks, acts, name, sex, nationality, race, appearance, traits, age, relationship to others, occupation, religion, opinions, problems, background, personality, importance, emotions, and values.
Point of View
who is telling the story
1st Person
a character in the story is telling the story; I
3rd Person
a voice outside the story is telling the story; he, she
Theme
the meaning of the story; a lesson the reader can learn from the story
Exposition/Introduction
the situation at the beginning of the story which may include background information, character introductions, and information about the setting
Rising Action
the events of the story before the climax
Climax
the moment of greatest suspense or excitement
Falling Action
the part of the story after the climax and before the resolution
Resolution/Conclusion
the solution at the end of the story; how the conflicts are resolved
Dialogue
the verbal and nonverbal communication between characters in a story
Foreshadowing
clues in a story that hint at what is to happen at the end
Autobiography
someone's true account of his or her own life that is usually written from the 1st person point of view using the pronouns "I" and "me"
Biography
a true story about a person's life written by another person
Fiction
made up stories; not true
Nonfiction
writing about real people and real events; true
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