Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson Ms. Haarer Literature Terms Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson Ms. Haarer

Remember Narrator? A narrator is the speaker or character that tells a narrative or story. The writer’s choice of narrator determines the story’s point of view.

Point of View First person POV: the narrator is part of the action; uses the pronouns I, me, and my; the reader only knows what the narrator knows. Third person POV: told by someone outside the action. Omniscient POV: all-knowing; is able to reveal ALL thoughts and feelings of ALL characters.

Dialect The form of language (NOT ACCENT!) spoken by people in a particular region or group. Pronunciation Vocabulary (bathroom vs. water closet) (elevator vs. lift) Sentence structure

Character Motivation The reason or reasons behind a character’s behavior. Why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way. Personality combined with a situation. Examples: Why does Charlie rob the candy store? Why does Ty’ree give up college? Why does Lafayette ask about his mother’s death so much?

Narrative Structure The way in which the story events are organized and revealed. Examples: Chronological Order: told in the order that events normally happen (from beginning to end)

Flashback: a scene or incident that jumps back to an earlier time. Frame Story: contains a story inside a larger narrative framework- a story within a story (like Holes, or the TV show Home Improvement) Interrelated Stories: stories that are separate, but share a common element (like a book of fairy tales)

Conflict a struggle between opposing forces in a narrative Internal Conflict: occurs within a character who faces opposing ideas, feelings, or choices External Conflict: occurs between a character and a larger force, or between two characters Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society

Theme a central message or insight conveyed in a work of literature What does the work make you think about the most? What does the work suggest about life or people? Stated Theme: is stated directly in the text of the work Implied Theme: is not stated but is suggested by the details in the work