LITERARY TERMS A REVIEW OF TERMS WE WILL EXAMINE AS WE READ FICTION AND LITERARY NON-FICTION

THEME a central message or insight into life the “big idea”

GENRE a type of literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, etc.)

the sequence of events of a story PLOT the sequence of events of a story (what happens)

explanation of background, setting, and characters EXPOSITION explanation of background, setting, and characters

not always human (remember “Wall-E”?) CHARACTER a person in a story not always human (remember “Wall-E”?)

PROTAGONIST the main character The person dealing with the problem in the story

a character who works AGAINST the protagonist ANTAGONIST a character who works AGAINST the protagonist

time and place where the story takes place SETTING time and place where the story takes place

the “problem” that the protagonist must solve (or not) CONFLICT the “problem” that the protagonist must solve (or not)

EXTERNAL CONFLICT the problem comes from outside the protagonist (man vs man, man vs nature, Batman vs Joker)

the problem occurs inside a character’s mind; a decision must be made INTERNAL CONFLICT the problem occurs inside a character’s mind; a decision must be made

steps the protagonist takes to deal with the conflict RISING ACTION steps the protagonist takes to deal with the conflict

CLIMAX the “high point” of the story; the point where the problem/conflict is solved

FALLING ACTION events between the climax and the end of the story; what happens after the problem is solved

RESOLUTION/DENOUMENT The end of the story; what the reader is left with

the viewpoint of the narrator (whoever is telling the story) POINT-OF-VIEW the viewpoint of the narrator (whoever is telling the story)

FIRST-PERSON POINT-OF-VIEW The narrator is a character in the story (“I saw this; I did this; she did that to me.”)

THIRD-PERSON POINT-OF-VIEW The narrator is not a character in the story. (He did this; she did that; this happened to them.)

MOOD the feeling the story gives to the READER. If the story cheers you up, it has a light, or happy mood. If the story is a downer, it has a dark mood.

the attitude of the narrator/author TONE the attitude of the narrator/author

a direct comparison using “like” or “as” (like a diamond in the sky) SIMILE a direct comparison using “like” or “as” (like a diamond in the sky)

METAPHOR a comparison that does NOT use “like” or “as” (the stars were diamonds in the sky)

PERSONIFICATON Gives human characteristics to non-human things/ideas (the wind whispered a lullaby)

ALLUSION reference to another piece of literature or historical event

HYPERBOLE a gross exaggeration used for effect (the baseball player hit that ball a mile!)

IRONY A contrast between appearance and reality—usually one in which reality is the opposite of what it seems

SITUATIONAL IRONY Where things turn out differently than what the reader is lead to expect

Where the reader knows something a character does not DRAMATIC IRONY Where the reader knows something a character does not

Where someone knowingly says one thing and really means another VERBAL IRONY Where someone knowingly says one thing and really means another Sarcasm is a good example of this, but is not the only one