Literary TermsLiterary Terms

Short StoryShort Story

a a relatively briefrelatively brief, , fictionalfictional narrativenarrative written in written in proseprose. It . It became a true literary became a true literary form in the form in the 19th century19th century under the direction of under the direction of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe and and others. To understand others. To understand its elements and those of its elements and those of novels, you must be able novels, you must be able to understand and apply to understand and apply literary terms. literary terms.

NovelNovel

fictional prose fictional prose narrative usually narrative usually consisting of more consisting of more than fifty thousand than fifty thousand wordswords. In general, the . In general, the novel uses the same novel uses the same basic literary elements basic literary elements as the short story (as the short story (plot, plot, character, setting, character, setting, theme, and point of theme, and point of viewview) but develops them ) but develops them more fully. Many novels more fully. Many novels contain several subplots.contain several subplots.

PlotPlotseries of related events that make up a storyseries of related events that make up a story. Consists of the. Consists of thefollowing:following:

Exposition:Exposition: the beginningthe beginning; gives information about ; gives information about the characters and their the characters and their problems or problems or conflictsconflicts

Rising Action: Rising Action: the main events and complications the main events and complications leading to the climax leading to the climax

Climax: Climax: moment of greatest emotional moment of greatest emotional intensity or suspense intensity or suspense; marks the ; marks the

moment moment the the conflictconflict is decided one way is decided one way or anotheror another

Falling Action:Falling Action: the main events and complications the main events and complications leading to the resolution leading to the resolution

Resolution:Resolution: the way the conflict is resolvedthe way the conflict is resolvedDenouement:Denouement: (French—literal translation: tying up (French—literal translation: tying up

loose loose ends) ends) the story’s endingthe story’s ending; may be the ; may be the resolution resolution

Plot ChartPlot Chart

SettingSetting

the time and place the time and place of a story. of a story. Often Often contributes to the contributes to the atmosphere, conflict, atmosphere, conflict, or characterization.or characterization.

CharacterCharacter

person (usu.) in a person (usu.) in a storystory

Static CharacterStatic Character: : one who does not one who does not change much change much during the course during the course of the storyof the story

Dynamic CharacterDynamic Character: : one who changes one who changes as a result of the as a result of the story’s eventsstory’s events

Flat Character:Flat Character:

a character with no a character with no depth. depth. Has only 1 or 2 Has only 1 or 2 traits that can be traits that can be described in a few described in a few words.words.

Round Character:Round Character:

a character who is a character who is much like a real much like a real person. person. Has many Has many different character traits, different character traits, which sometimes which sometimes contradict one another.contradict one another.

Protagonist:Protagonist:

the main character. the main character. Most often round and Most often round and dynamic. Usu. the dynamic. Usu. the hero.hero.

Antagonist:Antagonist:

the character or the character or force that blocks force that blocks the protagonist. the protagonist. Often the villain.Often the villain.

Subordinate/ Stock Subordinate/ Stock Character: Character:

often static or flat often static or flat characters. characters. May May playplay important roles important roles but do not serve as but do not serve as the main charactersthe main characters

Foil:Foil:

character who is character who is used as a contrast used as a contrast to another to another character character to to accentuate the accentuate the distinct qualities of distinct qualities of the two charactersthe two characters

CharacterizationCharacterization

process of process of revealing the revealing the personality of a personality of a charactercharacter

Direct Direct Characterization: Characterization:

the author tells us the author tells us directly what a directly what a character is likecharacter is like

Indirect Indirect Characterization: Characterization: reader uses own reader uses own judgment to decide judgment to decide what a character is like what a character is like based on the evidence based on the evidence provided by the authorprovided by the author (what the character (what the character says, how the character says, how the character looks and dresses, what looks and dresses, what the character thinks and the character thinks and feels, what other feels, what other characters think or say characters think or say about them, what the about them, what the character does)character does)

Point of ViewPoint of View

vantage point from vantage point from which the author which the author tells a storytells a story

First Person:First Person:

one of the one of the characters is telling characters is telling the story the story using the using the pronoun pronoun II. We know . We know only what this only what this character knows and character knows and observe only what observe only what this character this character observes.observes.

Third-person Third-person Omniscient: Omniscient:

““all-knowing” and “all-all-knowing” and “all-seeing” narrator is not seeing” narrator is not a character in the a character in the story. story. Almost like a god Almost like a god telling the story as they telling the story as they know past, present, and know past, present, and future and can tell us future and can tell us what any character is what any character is thinking or feeling at any thinking or feeling at any time.time.

Third-person Third-person Limited: Limited:

the narrator, who is the narrator, who is not a character in not a character in the story, zooms in the story, zooms in on the thoughts on the thoughts and feelings of just and feelings of just one character.one character.

ThemeTheme central idea the central idea the

author wishes author wishes to reveal about to reveal about the subject of a the subject of a piece of piece of literature. literature. May May or may not be a or may not be a moral or lesson moral or lesson but not usually but not usually directly stated.directly stated.

ConflictConflict

struggle, clash, or struggle, clash, or problem between problem between opposing opposing characters or characters or opposing forcesopposing forces

External Conflict:External Conflict:

character struggles character struggles against an outside against an outside force force such as another such as another character (person vs. character (person vs. person), society as a person), society as a whole (person vs. whole (person vs. society), or something in society), or something in nature (person vs. nature (person vs. nature)nature)

Internal Conflict:Internal Conflict:

takes place entirely takes place entirely within the character’s within the character’s own mind. own mind. A struggle A struggle between opposing needs between opposing needs or desires or emotions or desires or emotions within a single person within a single person (person vs. him- or (person vs. him- or herself)herself)

AllusionAllusion

reference reference to a to a statement, a person, statement, a person, a place, or an event a place, or an event from literature, from literature, history, religion, history, religion, mythology, politics, mythology, politics, sports, science or sports, science or pop culturepop culture

DialectDialect

way of speaking way of speaking that is that is characteristic of a characteristic of a particular region or particular region or group of peoplegroup of people

Y’all are comin’ to my dance recital, ain’t ya?

DialogueDialogue

the conversation the conversation between between characters. characters. An An important factor in important factor in characterization and characterization and in moving the plot in moving the plot forward.forward.

Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane?

Yes, I know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane.

FlashbackFlashback

scene that scene that interrupts the interrupts the present action of present action of the plot to flash the plot to flash backward and tell backward and tell what happened at what happened at an earlier timean earlier time

ForeshadowingForeshadowing

the use of clues to the use of clues to hint at events that hint at events that will occur later will occur later to to build suspense and build suspense and anxietyanxiety

IronyIrony

contrast between contrast between expectation and expectation and realityreality

Miss me?Miss me?

Verbal Irony:Verbal Irony:

contrast between contrast between what is said and what is said and what is really meantwhat is really meant

Situational Irony:Situational Irony:

contrast between contrast between what is expected to what is expected to happen and what happen and what really happensreally happens

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Dramatic Irony:Dramatic Irony:

contrast between contrast between what the audience what the audience knows to be true knows to be true and what a and what a character knowscharacter knows

MoodMood

a story’s a story’s atmosphere; atmosphere; the the feeling it evokes in feeling it evokes in the readerthe reader

NarratorNarrator

the voice telling a the voice telling a storystory

…so when I was eighteen, I went to visit this fortune teller who told me I would meet a stranger on the subway and…

StyleStyle

the particular way the particular way in which a writer in which a writer uses language; uses language; created mainly created mainly through word choice through word choice (diction) and use of (diction) and use of figurative language figurative language and sentence and sentence patterns patterns

Yo, Dudes. Check out my shades and the cool stripes on my tail. Now that’s style !

SymbolSymbol

person, place, person, place, thing, or event that thing, or event that stands for itself and stands for itself and for something for something beyond itself as beyond itself as wellwell

ToneTone

attitude a writer attitude a writer takes toward a takes toward a subject, a subject, a character, or the character, or the audience; audience; conveyed conveyed through the writer’s through the writer’s choice of words and choice of words and details (often details (often confused with confused with moodmood))

I think that more humans should be aware of the trials and tribulations of us fish. Finding Nemo deserves more recognition…

VoiceVoice

the writer’s or the writer’s or speaker’s speaker’s distinctive use of distinctive use of language in a piece language in a piece of writing; of writing; created created by a writer’s tone and by a writer’s tone and word choiceword choice

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