1. Literary Elements & Terms
Some of the basics that every good story must have…

2. What are literary elements?
The basic items that make up a work of literature are called literary elements.

3. Character Every story has characters!
A character is a person, an animal, or an imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a literary work
There are 4 different types of characters in literature

4. Characters: Main and Minor
Main characters are the characters who play the largest role in the work
Minor Characters are the less important characters

5. Characters: Static and Dynamic
Static Characters are characters who change little, if at all, throughout the work
Dynamic Characters are characters who change significantly throughout the work

6. Characterization
Characterization includes all the techniques writers use to create and develop characters
There are four basic methods of developing a character

7. Characterization: Developing Characters
Presenting the character’s words and actions
Presenting the character’s thoughts
Describing the character’s appearance
Showing what others think about the character

8. Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces

9. Two types of conflict found in literature are…
External Conflict:
A character struggles with another character or an outside force
Internal Conflict:
A character struggles with something within himself

10. Protagonist vs. Antagonist
The main character or hero in the story
The character or force that blocks or opposes the main character or hero

11. A story’s plot is the sequence of events that makes up a story

12. Parts of a Plot
Exposition - introduces the characters and establishes the main conflict
Climax - the point of highest interest
Resolution - the point at which loose ends are tied up and the story is brought to a close

13. Climax
In the plot of a story or a play, the climax (a.k.a. turning point) is the point of maximum interest
At the climax, the conflict is resolved and the outcome of the plot becomes clear

14. The narrator is the teller of the story

15. The perspective from which the story is told
Point of View
The perspective from which the story is told

16. Different Points of View
First-person - the narrator is a character in the story and uses first-person pronouns, such as I, me, we and us
Third-person - the narrator is not a character: he or she uses third-person pronouns, such as he, she, it, they & them

17. Different Points of View
Two different types of Third-person are:
Omniscient - knows all, can tell us everything about every character
Limited - gives one character's thoughts and reactions, tells very little about other characters      

18. Wondering what happened to second person?
Second-person is when the narrator speaks about the reader’s experience, addressing the reader directly
Uses second person pronouns such as you and yours
The “I” or “he & she” becomes you

19. Second-Person Point of View
Though the second-person point of view only rarely serves as a narrative voice in fiction, it does appear in letters, speeches, and other forms of nonfiction including many types of business writing and technical writing. (Mark Twain’s “Advice to Youth” uses second person)

20. The time and the place of the action
Setting
The time and the place of the action

21. Symbol
A symbol is a person, a place, an object, or an action that stands for something beyond itself

22. The bald eagle is a symbol of the United States
For example…
The bald eagle is a symbol of the United States

23. Theme
A theme is the message about life or human nature that is conveyed by a literary work
A work may have more than one of them, and the theme is always universal, which means it could be applied to other literary works

24. Satire
A work of literature that mocks social conventions, another work of art, or anything its author thinks is ridiculous

25. Irony
Dramatic Irony - occurs when the reader knows something that the other characters do not
Verbal Irony - the difference between what is said and what is actually meant (sarcasm)
Situational Irony - the difference between what is expected and what actually occurs

26. Figurative Language
Authors use figurative language to create fresh and original description
Figurative expressions, while not literally true, help readers picture ordinary things in new ways

27. Simile A comparison between two unlike things using like or as
For example: I’m as hungry as a bear!

28. Metaphor
A comparison between two unlike things without using like or as
For example: The homework tonight was a breeze.

29. Hyperbole An obvious exaggeration
Creates a picture in the reader or listener’s mind
People use hyperbole in everyday situations
For example: I’ve asked you a million times this week to clean your room!