Literary Terms Mrs. Scheitlin
Plot Development Introduction Rising Action (conflict) (man v man…) Characters Setting Rising Action (conflict) (man v man…) Climax (conflict no longer exists) Falling Action (events just after climax) Resolution (story ends)
Plot Development Climax F.A. Rising Action Resolution (conflict) Intro
Conflict Man v Man Man v Society Man v Nature Man v Self
Sub Plots These are the support systems of the whole; they make a story much more interesting providing needed details for complete understanding…
Parallel Episodes This is where an event is repeated somewhere else in time… Even perhaps in another world…
Flashback When the author takes you back in time to give you information that helps to explain events or character motivation in a story
Foreshadowing When the author gives you hints about what will happen in the future
Suspense… a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety. 2. a state of mental indecision.
Details Small parts that go together to make a whole They make writing more exciting Can be sentences or groups of words Can be your 5 senses What details describe the following???
Imagery …allows a writer to show a writer what she means instead of just telling someone. I took a walk around the world to Ease my troubled mind I left my body laying somewhere In the sands of time I watched the world float to the dark Side of the moon I feel there is nothing I can do --"Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down
Theme The writer’s message about life Alienation Ambition The American Dream Coming of Age Community Death Education Ethics… …the list goes on and on
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Antagonist The evil character in the story The character who works in opposition to the main character (protagonist)
Protagonist Usually describes as the main character in a story… The hero!
Flat Characters Characters who are one-dimensional They represent only one character element (evil, happy-go-lucky, timid, a bully).
Round Characters Characters who are wholly developed. You have great insight into the many different facets of their personality.
Static Characters These characters never change throughout the story
Dynamic Characters These characters do change, or grow, throughout the story.
Character Motivation Why does the character act the way he does??? Some of us want wealth, power, love, food, and, as you can see, often these are interrelated. To find the heart of a character we must find his/her motivation.
Character Motivation We learn about the character by what he says and does We learn about the character from what others say about him
Dialog Related to Characterization Dialog that is specific to that character. “Luke. I am your father!”
Archetypes the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.
Direct Characterization He was tall and exceedingly lank, with feet that served as shovels, and a long snipe nose. The process by which the personality of a fictitious character is revealed through the character's speech, actions, and appearance.
Indirect Characterization the writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him.
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Mood The feeling one gets when reading Suspense Patriotic Light and funny Horrifying Anxious Anger
Tone The author’s attitude toward his writing Understanding the author’s tone will lead to understanding the meaning of the writing
Connotation The feelings you bring to the definition of a word Home – a building where people live… would you rather live in a mansion or a slum?
Denotation The dictionary definition of a word Home – a building where people live
Dialect A regional variation of speech Southern accent Boston accent NYC accent
Idiom A group of words that can not be taken literally It’s raining cats and dogs.
Style 1) the machinery of writing 2) the writer's voice Achieved through words concrete, specific Omit unnecessary words Powerful verbs and nouns Avoid clichés and jargon Use of connotation and denotation
Irony Where what happens is not what you expected to happen Situational irony – based on events Verbal irony – based on language
Allusion A reference to a mythological, literary, or historical person, place, or thing …a Mona Lisa smile
Point of View Ist person 2nd person 3rd person limited I, me, we, us 2nd person you 3rd person limited Only inside one character’s mind 3rd person omniscient Inside the minds of many characters
Setting Time Place
Metaphor Saying that something IS something else
Simile A comparison of 2 unlike things using the words “like” or “as”
Personification
Hyperbole Extravagant exaggeration or overstatement
Alliteration
Oxymoron A phrase made up of words with opposite meanings
Motif a recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary, artistic, or musical work
Epiphany A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something