Elements of Literature *qualities every story has*

Narrator – one who tells the story First Person Narrator – Narrator speaks in 1 st person (I,me) and will be a part of the story Third Person Limited Narrator – Narrator speaks in 3 rd person (he, she, they) and can only share things that can be observed (what character’s do and say) Omniscient Narrator – Narrator speaks in 3 rd person but is “all-knowing,” meaning the narrator can share the characters thoughts and feelings (which is more than just what they do and say)

Characters – a person who has thoughts and actions in a story Protagonist – Main character of the story Antagonist – Character who provides the most problems for the protagonist –NOTE: they are NOT necessarily the “bad guy” –A protagonist could be a murderer, in which case, the antagonist may be the good cop trying to catch him. Supporting / Minor characters – All other characters in a story add dimension by having and developing relationships to the main characters

Setting – the time and place in which a story is set Time – The approximate year and what time of day will usually be made clear Place – This is more than just a background –Location: Country, State, City, Address –Environment: Country, City, Desert, Artic, etc –Atmosphere: Cold, Hot, Raining, Humid, etc

Plot – the sequence of actions and events in a literary work 5 steps of plot: –Exposition – Provides background of story –Rising Action – Conflict builds between characters –Climax – Most intense moment which leads to change –Falling Action – Shows the effects of the climax –Resolution – Life seems to return to normal Flashback – Narrator presents events that happened before the story began Foreshadowing – When the author provides clues for the reader to predict what may occur later in the story

Theme – an idea or lesson that is repeatedly incorporated throughout a story Themes often have other elements that are repeated throughout the story in order to help get the point across. Symbol – an object that represents an idea Motif – an object, phrase, or description that is specifically repeated throughout a story –So all symbols would be an example of a motif –The phrase “Thanks be to God” would be a phrase motif in the Bible –The fact that it is usually raining in mystery stories could be a descriptive motif

Figurative Language – the use of words in which they do NOT mean what they say “Figurative” is the opposite of “literal” Simile – using “like” or “as” to compare two things Metaphor – comparing two things by saying one is the other Hyperbole – an exaggeration to make a point Idiom – an expression that no longer (literally) makes sense –Idioms often come from OLD common phrases