NC Final Exam Study Guide
Conflict External Conflict Person vs person Person vs nature Person vs society Internal Conflict Person vs self
PLOT
Plot continued Flash forwardFlashback In media res
SETTING Time Place Environment
CHARACTERIZATION
STATIC vs DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
THEME
DRAMA (COMEDY & TRAGEDY), POETRY, NOVELS, SHORT STORIES
Mood & Tone
Author’s Purpose Persuade, Inform, Entertain
Point of View
Unreliable Narrator “In the case of an unreliable narrator (sometimes called a fallible narrator), the reader has reason not to trust what the narrator is saying. The narrator may be unreliable for many reasons. Some of the typical scenarios are: The narrator may be of a dramatically different age than the people in the story, such as a child attempting to explain adult actions The narrator may have prejudices about race, class or gender The narrator may have low intelligence The narrator may suffer from hallucinations or dementia (as with the narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” The narrator may have a personality flaw such as pathological lying or narcissism The narrator may be trying to make a point that is contrary to the actions of the story or be attempting to libel one of the characters due to a grudge
Tone TONE describes the author’s attitude toward his/her subject. The attitude may be stated in so many words or implied. Diction is a key to tone. Tones can be formal or informal (among other things):
Mood MOOD is the situation's atmosphere or characters' feelings: CalmCheerfulChillingComicalDark DepressingDismalEerieFancifulForeboding GloomyGrimGrotesqueHeart- breaking Heartrending HolyHopefulHorrificIntenseJoyful LightLightheartedMelancholicMorbidMournful MysteriousOminousOptimisticPessimisticPowerful RomanticSadSinisterSoothingSorrowful SpiritualSpookyTerrifyingThreateningTranquil Whimsical
Verbal Irony Sarcasm, Satire, Understatement SATIRE The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. The use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.
Figurative Language Hyperbole Metaphor Simile Idiom
Imagery Personification
Connotation An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. "the word “discipline” has unhappy connotations of punishment and repression“