LITERATURE TERMS Notes on commonly used literary terms

CONFLICT -problem in story bIbIbIbINTERNAL - problem inside character bebebebexample: bMbMbMbMan vs. Himself bEbEXTERNAL - problem outside character bebexamples: bMbMan vs. Man bMbMan vs. Time bMbMan vs. Machine bMbMan vs. Supernatural bMbMan vs. Nature

SETTING b TIME b PLACE

THEME b Main idea of story

Characters b Protagonist b Protagonist - bmain character in story b person b person with the conflict b NOT b NOT the “good guy” b Antagonist - b person who opposes the main character b person causing the conflict b NOT the “bad guy”

Character Traits b More permanent qualities or details about personality

Character Motivation b The reason why he/she acts, feels, or thinks a certain way

b Words that characters speak aloud b Example: – “No,” she cried triumphantly, “we’ll have one more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive.” DIALOGUE

b Form of language that is spoken in a particular place b Example: b “Pardon me, Gov’ner, but aren’t you the gentleman what owns the million-pound bank note?” DIALECT

b Expression whose meaning is different from actual words b Examples: Get your feet wet. b Eat your heart out. b Keep a straight face. b Throw in the towel. b Stick out your neck. IDIOM

b Informal speaking or use of casual vocab; nonstandard b “Yo. Whassup with my peeps?” b I’m gonna sleep over her house. SLANG

PLOT LINE Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution Introduction

PLOT LINE EXPLANATION b INTRODUCTION ( exposition)- introduces characters and setting b RISING ACTION - gives the conflict b CLIMAX - turning point; most exciting part b FALLING ACTION (denouement)- conflict starts to be solved b RESOLUTION - conflict is solved

Point of View - way story is told b First Person - b Third Person - b Omniscient - b Character tells story; uses “I, me” b Someone outside story tells plot; “he, she, they” b All-knowing narrator; also uses “he, they”

Symbol b When something represents or stands for some- thing else

TONE b attitude writer has toward subject b ex. Humorous, sincere, sarcastic

STYLE b way a writer uses language

MOOD (Atmosphere) b feeling a reader gets from a piece of work b ex. Scary, happy, sad

ALLUSION b A reference to something or someone the writer expects you to know

Foreshadowing b use of clues to suggest events that will occur later

b An interruption to give events from an earlier time b In The Giver, when Jonas tells about a young Asher mixing up “snack” and “smack.” FLASHBACK

b A feeling of growing tension and excitement b Present in “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Monkey’s Paw” SUSPENSE

b Ideas of a paragraph flow together and are easily understood COHERENCE

b All of the details flow together or are about one main topic UNITY