Literary Terms & Definitions Adapted by Joyce Sidlosky from Scott Victor and Erin Salona

How does a person get from this…

…to this?

In order to truly appreciate these creations you have to think about how all those little lego blocks fit together, right?

Analyzing literature…  …requires the same thing. It asks you to break down the various tools used by the author to create their art. Consider how they have achieved their goal and what steps or literary devices they have used in the process.

We are going to analyze Lord of the Flies.  But first, let us get a basic overview of some common literary devices.

Parts of Plot Conflict Basic Situation Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution Complication Exposition

Conflict  Internal Conflict: A conflict that occurs within a character’s mind. (man vs. himself)

Conflict  External Conflict: A conflict that occurs between a character and an outside force. Man vs. man, man vs. nature, for example.

Characterization  Static Character: A character who does NOT change throughout the story.  Dynamic Character: A character who changes throughout the story.

Characterization  Round Character: A character with many qualities and personality traits.  Flat Character: A character with only a couple of characteristics; is often the stereotypical character in a story.

Characterization  Protagonist: The main character of a story—who pushes the action of the story forward.  Antagonist: The character who frustrates, deceives, or works against the main character.

Methods of Characterization  Direct Characterization: The narrator makes direct comments about the character. i.e. “She is friendly.”  Indirect Characterization: We learn about the character through her speech, thoughts, feelings, actions, physical appearance and through other characters’ thoughts, feelings, and speech about her.

Setting  Setting: Where and when the story takes place.  Place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?  Time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)  Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

Describe the Setting

Point of View  Who is telling the story?  1 st Person POV: The narrator is a character in the story and uses “I” or “me” when telling the story.  2 nd Person POV: The narrator brings “you”, the reader, into the story when telling the story.

Point of View  3 rd Person Limited POV: The narrator tells only what one character thinks, feels, and observes, and uses “he,” “they,” “she,” etc.  3 rd Person Omniscient POV: The narrator sees into the minds of more than one character when telling the story– uses “he,” “she,” “they,” etc.

Point of View 3 rd Person Objective Point of View:  the narrator tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue.  The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.  3 rd person pronouns are used (he, she, etc.)

Point of View  How can the point of view from which the story is told affect the credibility (believability) of the story?

Foreshadowing  The use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in the plot.  Spooky music  Thunder and lightening  A new suspicious character introduced (purpose unknown at the time)

Suspense  The excitement or tension a reader feels when reading.  I wonder what will happen next?

Mood  The feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader through word choice and imagery.  Types of mood: scary, romantic, violent, hopeful, etc.

Tone  Tone - the manner in which written words might be said (for example, sarcastic, mild, witty, angry)

Theme  A perception about life that the writer conveys to the reader. A theme must be written in a complete sentence, and must apply to the story as well as to life in general.  A good way to find the theme is to ask yourself the question, what does the main character learn in the course of the story?

Theme  “There are some things that can never be fixed or repaired, even if you spend a lifetime trying..”  “The cruelest lies are often told in silence.”  “Money does not guarantee happiness.”

Universal Themes  Recurring themes (such as good versus evil) that appear frequently across traditional and contemporary works. Love Love Abuse of power Abuse of power Coming of age Coming of age Effects of the past Effects of the past Courage Courage

What is the theme of this film?

Symbol  A person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well.  Examples: the American flag symbolizes freedom, liberty, and love for America.  A wedding band symbolizes_______.  A white flag symbolizes__________.

Symbols in Literature  Dove = Peace  Eagle = freedom, liberty, strength  Spring = new beginning, re-birth, birth  Summer = youth, prime of life  Fall/Autumn = middle age, maturity  Winter = death, dying, old age, the end  Water = birth, re-birth, renewal, purification