Lord of the Flies Relevant Literary Terminology

Characterization  The methods that a writer uses to develop characters.  Description of physical appearance  Description through speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions  Thoughts, speech, feelings, or actions of other characters  Direct comments about characters by the narrator

Character  Main Character – the most important characters  Minor Character – other characters who interact with the main characters  Dynamic Characters – main characters who undergo change throughout the story  Static Characters – characters who remain the same throughout the story  Round Character – characters whose personality traits are revealed throughout the story  Flat character – characters who are described more simply

Setting  The time, place, and context in which a story occurs.

Plot  Exposition – Setting of tone, establishment of setting, introduction of characters, and background information.  Rising Action – Events which move the story along by adding complications or expanding the conflict.  Climax – The moment when the reader’s interest and emotional intensity reach the highest point.  Falling Action (Resolution) – Occurring after the climax, the conflict is resolved and loose ends are tied up.

Symbol  A person, place, activity, or object that stands for something beyond itself.

Motif  A recurring theme, subject, or idea in a literary or artistic work.

Post-War Fiction  A work in which the primary action takes place in a field of armed combat, or in a domestic setting (or home front) where the characters are preoccupied with the preparations for, or recovery from, war. It is sometimes referred to as military fiction or war novels.