 We will be using these literary terms throughout the school year.  You will be using these in your extended response answers and you will see them on the end of the year tests.  Expect to have a test over these terms- --the term, its definition, and the correct spelling!!!

 A person, animal, or sometimes object that takes part in the action of a literary work.

The antagonist is a character or force that is in conflict with the main character, or the protagonist. The villain in the story. Example: Darth Vader, the Joker, President Snow

 The main character in a literary work. The hero. Examples: Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Iron Man

 A character who grows and changes in a significant way throughout the course of the story. Examples: Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Stanley Yelnats,

 A character who remains the same throughout the story. If a character is selfish and arrogant at the beginning of the story, he/she will be the same at the end of the story.  Examples: Effie Trinket, Cinderella’s step-sisters, Eyeore

 Well developed characters—those characters that the reader can clearly identify as the main characters. We get to know these characters.  Example: Ricky Bobby, Peeta, Madea

 A character that is barely developed or is stereotypical. It’s hard for the reader to get involved with this character or care about what happens to him/her.  Example: a “drunk”  a bully’s “friend”  the guy at the grocery store, etc.

 The setting is the time and the place in which the action happens in a story. It often helps to create a particular mood or feeling  Three types of setting:  Geographical  Physical  Historical

 Knowing the location helps to explain the behavior of the characters. It provides the reader with clues about the characters.  Examples: city, swamp, rural (country), a desert, outer space, region, nation, etc.

 Knowing the physical setting helps to explain why characters act a certain way or why they are motivated to certain actions.  Examples: the weather, the time of day, indoors/outdoors, etc.

 This lets the reader know what the social, political, economical, and cultural environment is in the story. This helps to establish character motivations and behaviors.  Examples: World War II, the Great Depression, during the Civil Rights Movement, etc.

 The struggle or the problem that the protagonist must face and overcome in the story.  Four types of conflict:  Man vs. Man  Man vs. Nature  Man vs. Self  Man vs. Society

 In this type of conflict humans are in a struggle or battle with each other.  Examples: Husband and wife  Two armies in battle  Brothers arguing  Families quarreling

 In this type of conflict the main character is struggling or fighting the forces of nature.  Examples: Caught in a storm at sea  Stuck in a blizzard  Fighting wolves, sharks, bears, etc.  Escaping from a flood, tornado, earthquake, etc.

 In this type of conflict, a character is in a struggle with him/herself. The character is often torn between different courses of action.  Examples: Whether to go “party” or not  Choosing between right and wrong  To tell on someone you love

 In this type of conflict, the character faces the decision to go against the government and society’s rules.  Examples: Fighting against slavery  Breaking a law for a “good” reason  Rebelling against a “perfect” society

 The plot is the sequence of events in a story.  It has eight parts:  Exposition  Narrative Hook  Rising Action  Climax  Falling Action  Conclusion  Resolution  ***Denoumont*** (day-new-maw)

 The exposition introduces the:  Setting  Main characters  Situation- the problem of the story  Character’s attitude toward the situation

 This is the point in the text where the reader commits to the story. The reader wants to see how the problem (situation) works out.  This is the point of NO RETURN!!

 The rising action is made up of the events that lead to the climax. The rising action happens slowly and builds the suspense.

 This is the turning point in the story. The direction of the action changes and begins to allow for the problem to be solved. It DOES NOT solve the problem.

 These are the few events that lead from the climax to the resolution of the problem. These events happen very quickly.

 This is when the problem is solved.

 This is the end of the story. All of the loose ends are tied up and finalized.

 In some stories, what happens after the story is over.  Example: One year later…

 Copy the plot map on the board onto your paper.

 Point of view is the perspective or vantage point from which the story is told. It is the relationship of the narrator to the story.  Three types of literary point of view:  First person  Third person limited  Third person omniscient

 Told by a character in the story who uses the first person pronouns: I, me, my,  mine.

 This narrator can tell the story from only one person’s perspective. The narrator uses “he” and “she” to refer to characters in the story.

 This narrator tells the story from multiple perspectives. The narrator knows what all the characters are feeling and doing.

 The theme of a literary work is its lesson or message to the reader.  A theme is usually expressed as a generalization about people or life.  Examples: Love conquers all  Hope can carry you through  Good overcomes evil  Life is what you make of it

 The mood of a literary work is the feeling the reader gets while reading.  Examples: Hope, Peace, Excitement, Sorrow, Fear, Dread, etc.

 Tone is the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject.  Tone evokes an emotional response from the reader.  Examples: may show anger, respect, sarcasm, lightheartedness, etc.