Literary Elements

Plot: the sequence of events in a story

Exposition: the early part of a story where the following are established: tone, setting, characters, and important background information

Complication / Rising Action: the part of a story where the conflicts begin, are added to, and expanded

Climax: the point of highest intensity in a story

Falling Action / Resolution: occurs after the climax. this is the time when the conflicts in the story are resolved and loose ends are tied up

Setting: the time and place of a story

Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces the conflict can be either internal (in the character’s mind) or external (against a physical force) external conflict examples: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. technology

Situational Irony: a contrast between what a reader or character expects to happen and what actually does happen it’s the unexpected twist

Theme: the main idea in a work of literature it is a perception about life or human nature that the writer shares

Foreshadowing: the use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in a plot

Characterization: We learn about characters through: description a character’s own thoughts or words a character’s actions the narrator’s direct comments

Protagonist: the central character or hero in a narrative or drama

Antagonist: the principle character in opposition to the protagonist

Mood: the feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader

Dialogue: written conversations between two or more characters in either fiction or nonfiction

Point of View: the method of narrating a short story, novel, narrative poem or work of nonfiction

First Person: The narrator is a character in the story and uses I to refer to him/herself

Third Person: the story is told by a narrative voice outside the action, not by one of the characters

Third Person Omniscient: the narrator sees into the minds of more than one character

Narrator: the character or voice from whose point of view events are told

Suspense: the excitement or tension readers feel as they become involved in a story and are eager to know its outcome

Imagery: language that appeals to one or more senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch)

Symbolism A person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and something beyond itself as well

Fiction Any story that is imagined or invented