1. The scarlet Ibis
By James Hurst

2. Format for the Plot Diagram
Climax-- point where the protagonist changes
Rising Action -- three statements that summarize major events of the story before the climax
Falling action -- one statement about what leads to the end of the conflict
Conflict -- struggle between opposing forces
Resolution (Denouement)-- the end of the conflict
Exposition --introduces the characters, background and setting

3. Plot diagram for “The scarlet ibis”
Climax—Doodle dies
Rising Action –
Doodle crawls backwards
Doodle talks
Doodle walks
Falling action –the narrator finds Doodle
Inciting Incident—Doodle survives past birth/infancy
Resolution (Denouement)—brother comes to terms with what happened to Doodle
Conflict --
Exposition – 1918, southern US
Protagonist: character out to create change—Doodle’s brother
Antagonist: force that opposes the protagonist—Doodle’s handicap

4. Key terminology
Retrospect: contemplation of the past; thinking about past events
Transition: smoothly moving from one topic to another
Point of View: the perspective from which the author is telling the story
Simile: a comparison using “like” or “as”

5. Key terminology Irony: the least expected outcome
Foreshadowing: hints or glimpses into the future of the story
Allusion: a reference to another, well-known, literary work
Imagery: very detailed description that allows a reader to form a mental picture
Symbol: an object or a person represents something else

6. Key terminology
Characterization: the methods used by the author to develop the characters
Indirect Characterization: the author reveals information about a character and that character’s personality through the character’s actions, thoughts, and words as well as through those of other characters
Direct Characterization: the author directly states information and descriptions concerning a character