Literary Terms

BASIC PLOT STRUCTURE 3. CLIMAX - 4. FALLING ACTION - : BASIC PLOT STRUCTURE  3. CLIMAX -   4. FALLING ACTION - 2. RISING ACTION - 1. EXPOSITION -  5. RESOLUTION/DENOUEMENT -

EXPOSITION PROTAGONIST- the main character Introduction of characters PROTAGONIST- the main character Antagonist- works against the main character

EXPOSITION …and setting Time Setting can include Place Social conditions Mood or atmosphere Weather

RISING ACTION The introduction of conflict marks the beginning of the rising action Internal and External Conflict Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Self

CLIMAX Highest point of dramatic intensity- it’s considered the most exciting or suspenseful part of the story.

FALLING ACTION conflict is being resolved

RESOLUTION/DENOUEMENT conflict is completely over (may not always be good)

DICTION Word choice (diction can have different levels of sophistication to reveal something about the narrator) My grandmother had a vinegar tongue.

SYNTAX Word order within a sentence or sentence order within a paragraph.

TONE speaker’s attitude toward the character or subject Diction + syntax = tone

MOOD atmosphere created by author which evokes emotions/feelings in the audience

IMAGERY use of pictures, descriptions or figures of speech; words that paint a picture in your mind SENSORY DETAILS- words that appeal to the five senses

There is verbal irony- this may take the form of sarcasm. intentional contradiction between what something appears to mean and what it actually means There is verbal irony- this may take the form of sarcasm.

There is dramatic irony- the audience knows something that the characters don’t. Situational irony- when what happens is the opposite of what is expected to happen.

PERSONIFICATION words that give human qualities (attributes) to non-human entities (things)

METAPHOR SIMILE- type of metaphor using “like” or “as” for comparison a comparison between two unlike things

ALLITERATION repetition of initial sounds in successive words

ALLUSION a reference in art or literature to another body of art or literature "The girl's love of sweets was her Achilles heel"

SYMBOL something that represents something else (objects and actions can be symbolic) Life is a roller-coaster

THEME recurring idea; a big question or concept explored in a text

JUXTAPOSITION two contrasting ideas put against each other to highlight their differences Ex. the young and the old

SUBTEXT the emotions or ideas beneath the spoken words; what’s communicated without being said (in dialogue) From 'War of the Worlds' - Josh Friedman and David Koepp. A conversation between a father (RAY) and young daughter (RACHEL) : RAY: Here we go, some nice peanut butter sandwiches. Rachel looks at him spreading the sandwiches, obviously masking frustration. RACHEL: I’m allergic to peanut butter. Ray, surprised, continues to spread the peanut butter. RAY: Since when? Beat. RACHEL: Birth Text: Rachel is allergic to peanut butter. Subtext: ??

TYPES OF NARRATION/ POINT-OF-VIEW: 1st person point of view 2nd person point of view 3rd person point of view Reliability- how trustworthy the narrator is in telling the story? Among many things, a character’s age, psychological state, audience and motives can affect reliability or trustworthiness. Perspective or point of view can affect reliability.

1st person point of view A point of view in which an "I" or "we" serves as the narrator. A first-person narrator may be reliable or unreliable.

2nd person point of view a point of view of direct address; the perspective of giving instructions, directions or a recipe, uses or implies the word “you” “You should take a right turn when you see the red house on the corner”

3rd person point of view a form of storytelling in which a narrator relates all action in third person, using third person pronouns such as "he" or "she." Third person point of view may be limited or omniscient.

Limited point of view- can see some of the action, but not all of it Limited point of view- can see some of the action, but not all of it. How reliable is this???

Omniscient- an all-knowing narrator. The narrator knows what is going on with all characters and events.