LITERATURE TERMS Fiction Unit

Characterization  The use of literary techniques to create a character. Writers use three major techniques to create characters:  direct description  portrayal of behavior  representation of internal state

Direct Description  The narrator or another character comments on the character’s appearance, habits, clothing, etc. “Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on…”

Portrayal of Behavior  The actions and speech of the character lets us draw conclusions about him “Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake.”

Representation of Internal State  When the writer directly reveals a character’s private thoughts and emotions “I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much. I reckoned I was scared now, too…”

Setting  The time, place, and circumstances in which the events of a story take place.  For example:  December 7 th, 1941  Hawaii  The attack on Pearl Harbor  Setting can mirror the plot or set a contrast

Theme  The overall message the writer wants the reader to understand. Theme cannot be stated in a single word; it must be a complete thought. The theme is not “love”; the theme is “love cannot exist without a knowledge of hate.”

Plot  The sequence of events in a story

Mood  The atmosphere created by the author through the use of descriptive language  Common words that reflect mood: creepy, peaceful, depressing, angry, unhappy, nervous, etc.

Tone  How the author feels about the subject

Point of View  The perspective from which the story is told  Includes first, second, and third person  Point of view is NOT a character’s or narrator’s opinion!

Style  Distinct/unique manner a writer arranges words and figurative language to achieve particular effects.  Word choice, length of sentences, structure, tone, irony

Summarization  Summarization is the restating of the main ideas/events of the text in your own words and being as brief and succinct as possible.

Inferences…Conclusions  Judgments based on reasoning rather than on a direct or explicit statements.  Understanding gained by “reading between the lines.”

Irony  Contradiction, last thing expected  Verbal: says one thing means another  Dramatic: difference between character’s words/actions and what audience knows to be true  Situational: expectations aren’t what actually happens due to forces beyond human control.

Symbolism  The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense