PIB/Honors English 9 LITERARY TERMS

CHARACTERS Protagonist: the main character in a literary work; often the “good guy,” but not always Antagonist: the force working against the main character Round: have many personality traits like real people. Flat: one dimensional, possessing only one trait. Dynamic: develops and grows during the course of the story. Static: does not change. **can be round and static, round and dynamic, flat and static, flat and dynamic

CHARACTERIZATION Methods used by the author to make characters come alive: Indirect 1.the character is revealed through his or her own words 2.the writer describes how the character looks and dresses 3.the character’s private thoughts are revealed 4.the writer reveals what other characters in the story say or think about the character 5.the writer shows what the character does—how he or she acts. Direct The writer directly states what kind of person the character is: sneaky, honest, innocent, etc. This cannot occur in 1 st person, where the narrator is biased.

CONFLICT Struggle of opposing forces; basis of plot InternalExternal *man vs. self*man vs. man *man vs. supernatural*man vs. nature *man vs. society

SETTING The time and place of the action in a story Think about: -Historical period, country or locale, season, weather, time of day, imagery -Are the characters in conflict with their setting? Does the setting keep them from getting it? -What feelings or attitudes do the characters reveal toward the setting? - How would you describe the atmosphere or mood created by the setting?

PLOT

Exposition : introduces 1)characters, 2)conflict, 3)setting Rising Action : protagonist attempts to resolve the conflict— doesn’t happen immediately Climax : the “ah, ha” moment; story is most intense here, reader thinks s/he know what will happen Falling Action : ties up loose ends Resolution : the solution to the conflict

POINT OF VIEW The perspective from which the story is told. First Person: the narrator, usually a character in the story, recounts the story using the pronouns “I” and “me.” Biased, not completely objective. Second Person: the narrator directly addresses the audience using the pronoun “you.”

POINT OF VIEW (CONT.) Third Person: the narrator is outside the story and uses the pronouns “he,” she,” and “they.” Camera/Objective View: is seeing and recording from a neutral or unemotional point of view—hardly ever used in literature. Omniscient: is a viewpoint which allows the narrator to relate the thoughts and feelings of all the characters; the narrator knows all and sees all. Limited Omniscient: allows the narrator to relate the thoughts and feelings of only one character.

Foreshadowing: the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. (Use of this technique helps to create suspense.) Flashback: an interruption in the chronological order of events in a story in order to present a conversation or event that has happened before the beginning of the story.

SYMBOL A person, a place, a thing, or an event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well.

IRONY There are three types of irony – 1. Situational Irony: what is expected is the exact opposite of what actually takes place. 2. Verbal Irony: a writer or speaker says one thing but means the complete opposite. We also call this sarcasm. 3. Dramatic Irony: the reader or audience knows something that the character does not know.

Mood: Is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. The mood is often suggested by descriptive details. Examples: lighthearted, frightening, sad, nostalgic, uplifting. Tone: The writer’s attitude toward his or her subject, audience, or characters. It is conveyed through the writer’s choice of words and details. Examples: formal, informal, serious, playful, bitter, ironic.

THEME A central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work. The theme is NOT a condensed summary of the plot! Instead, it is a generalization about people or about life that is communicated through the literary work. Note that there is usually no single correct statement of a word’s theme, though there can be incorrect ones. Also, a long work, like a novel or a full-length play, may have several themes. Finally, not all literary works have themes. A work meant only to entertain may have no theme at all.

THREE WAYS TO FIND THE THEME: Does the title signify something about the story? Does it point to the truth the story reveals about life? Does the main character change in the course of the story? Does the main character realize something he or she had not known before? Are any important statements about life or people made in the story—either by the narrator or characters in the story?