Literary Terms September 6, 2013

Climax (turning point) the moment of maximum interest; where the rising action meets the falling action

Conflict (Problem) a struggle between opposing forces: (4 kinds) 1.) Person against person (external) 2.) Person against nature (external) 3.) Person against society (external) 4.) Person against self (internal)

Dynamic character a character that changes as a result of events in the story

Flashback an interruption of the action to present events that took place at an earlier time.

Foreshadowing when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story.

Genre a type or category of literature. There are 4 main genres: 1.)Fiction (fake)2.) non-fiction 3.) Poetry (imagery)4.) drama (plays)

Inference a logical guess based on evidence Readers, by combining the information a writer provides with what they know from their own experience, can figure out more than the words say. To infer = to read between the lines

Irony a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.

Mood the overall feeling that the work conveys Optimistic Pessimistic

Point of View The position, or viewpoint, from which the events of the story are seen and told (2 main types): 1.) First-person – (“I”) - the story is told through a character who is taking part in the story 2.) Third-Person Omniscient (“he”) – the story is told through the eyes of an “all-knowing” narrator

Setting where and when a story takes place

Static character a character that stays the same throughout the story

Theme the life lesson learned by the main character

Tone the attitude a writer conveys in their writing Frustrated Hopeful