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Story Terms - English

Terms in this set (31)

Allusion
A reference to a person or event from history or literature, eg., "He was a real Romeo."
Antagonist
The major character in a narrative or drama that works against the hero or protagonist.
Atmosphere
The overall feeling we get from the story from words and images used to describe the setting, eg., cheerful, anxious, menacing.
Character
A person from the story.
Character Sketch
A brief description of a character that shows attitudes, feelings, thoughts, and personality. It also describes if a person changes in the story.
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces.
Internal Conflict
A struggle inside a person.
External Conflict
A struggle against the environment, nature or society, or struggle against another person [interpersonal].
Main Conflict
The central conflict that moves the plot forward.
Minor Conflict
Secondary conflict that does not influence the plot a great deal.
Dialogue
The actual words that characters speak.
Flashback
Presenting something that happened before the story that helps explain the current situation.
Foreshadowing
Provides clues about events that may happen later in the story.
Verbal Irony
When what a character says and thinks he or she means is actually different from what the audience perceives is meant.
Situational Irony
When there is a difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen.
Narrator
The speaker who tells the story.
Plot
The author's arrangement of events that make up the action of a story, includes Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, and Resolution.
Exposition
Background material about the characters, setting, and situation.
Conflict
Any obstacle/problem that increases the tension of the story.
Rising Action
A series of events in the story that builds the suspense.
Climax
The moment when the action comes to its highest point of conflict.
Resolution
Pulls together all the loose threads of the story.
Point of View
The perspective from which the story is told.
First person [eg., I]
The narrator participates in the action of the story.
Third Person [eg., he, she, Mary, Mr. Tucker, etc.]
The narrator does not participate in the action of the story, may he classified as Omniscient or Limited.
Omniscient
The narrator presents the thoughts of more than one of the characters.
Limited
The narrator presents only his or her own thoughts which is only one side of the story.
Protagonist
The main character in a story.
Setting
Time, place, and circumstances (in one sentence) of a story.
Suspense
How the author keeps the reader interested and wondering what will happen next.
Theme
The story's main message or statement.
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