Literary Terms

Literary Terms : 

Literary Terms English II

Setting : 

Setting Setting—the place and time frame in which a story takes place.

Character : 

Character A person, animal, or thing in a story, play, or other literary work. There are 2 types of characters. Dynamic-- changes as a result of the story’s events. Static-- is one who does not change much in the course of a work.

Protagonist : 

Protagonist main character or focal character in a story, often a good or heroic type

Antagonist : 

Antagonist person or force that works against the hero of a story

Plot : 

Plot a series of related episodes, one growing out of another. It is the story’s skeleton. PLOT has 5 important parts.

Parts of Plot : 

Parts of Plot Exposition (beginning)-- This tells us the basic situation: who the characters are, their environment (SETTING), and what they want. This is where we find out about the CONFLICT in the story. Complication (rising action)-- One or more of the characters acts to resolve the conflict. We begin to see complications develop, leading to the story’s climax. Climax-- This is the story’s most emotional or suspenseful moment. This is when the situation is altered and the conflict is decided one way or another. Falling Action-- The events leading up to the story’s ending. Dénouement (resolution) -- This is when the loose ends of the story are tied up. The story is closed

Conflict : 

Conflict is the struggle found in fiction. Conflict/Plot may be internal or external and is best seen in (1) Man versus Man (2) Man versus Nature (3) Man versus himself.

External/Internal Conflict : 

External/Internal Conflict External conflict involves a character’s struggle with another person or persons (man versus man), or with a force of nature (a tornado, a bear). Internal conflict takes place in a character’s mind (man versus himself).

Foreshadowing : 

Foreshadowing Hints or clues that a writer uses to suggest what will happen next in a story

Flashback : 

Flashback “an interruption of the chronological sequence (as of a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence” (Merriam, 288). A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration. By giving material that occurred prior to the present event, the writer provides the reader with insight into a character's motivation and or background to a conflict. This is done by various methods, narration, dream sequences, and memories.

Characterization : 

Characterization the process of revealing the personality of a character in a story. An author does this in two ways: Direct— By telling us directly what the character’s personality is like (cruel, kind, sneaky, brave, etc.) or telling us what the character looks like (a greaser, mobster, etc.) Indirect— By letting us hear the character speak through dialogue By describing how the character looks and dresses. By letting us listen to the character’s inner thoughts and feelings. By revealing what other people in the story think or say about the character. By showing us what the character does—how he or she acts through actions

Dialogue : 

Dialogue The verbal exchanges between characters. Dialogue makes the characters seem real to the reader or audience by revealing firsthand their thoughts, responses, and emotional states

Point of View (POV) : 

Point of View (POV) The vantage point from which a story is told. The three most common points of view are: Omniscient First Person Third Person

Omniscient POV : 

Omniscient POV Omniscient-- This is also known as the ALL KNOWING point of view. The narrator knows everything about the characters and their problems. This all knowing narrator can tell us about the past, present, and future of the characters. This narrator can tell us what the characters are thinking or what is happening in other places or parts of the world. This narrator is NOT in the story, rather, they stand above the action like a god

First Person POV : 

First Person POV One of the characters is actually telling the story, using the personal pronoun “I”. We become very familiar with the narrator, but we can know only what this person knows, or sees. All of our information must come from this character. In some cases the information is incorrect.

Third Person POV : 

Third Person POV The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of just one character. Use of pronoun HE and SHE. We feel we are observing the action through the eyes and with the feelings of only one character in the story.

Symbols/Symbolism : 

Symbols/Symbolism Symbolism is used when a writer uses an event, item or a character to stand for something else.  Symbols can be characters, such as a character symbolizing good or evil.  Objects can also be symbols, such as the scarlet letter.  People can be symbols, such as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.  Authors use symbolism, a form of imagery, when they want to portray something to the reader without using the narrator.  It is subtle and therefore much less obtrusive.

Theme : 

Theme It is the message that we take away from the story. A main idea of a work of literature. Theme is not the same as the subject. The subject of a work can usually be expressed in a word or two: love, childhood, death, etc. The theme is the idea the writer wishes to convey about that subject. The theme must be expressed in a statement or sentence. A work can have more than one theme. A work’s themes usually are not stated directly

Tips on Finding the Theme : 

Tips on Finding the Theme Identify some important passages or individual sentences in the story and think about what they add up to. Think about how the main character has changed in the story. Think about the title of the story and what it means. Test your statement of theme against the story. Does anything in the story contradict it? If so, you’ll have to change your statement of theme somewhat

Irony : 

Irony A literary technique that portrays differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and interpretation. In verbal irony, words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant. In dramatic irony, there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true.

Allegory : 

Allegory a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and almost any other style or genre. The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols that have both literal and figurative meanings. The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that an allegory is a complete narrative that conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept that can have a different meaning throughout a literary work