LITERATURE TERMSLITERATURE TERMS

Notes on commonly used Notes on commonly used literary termsliterary terms

CONFLICT -problem in CONFLICT -problem in storystory

INTERNAL - INTERNAL - problem inside problem inside charactercharacter

example:example: Man vs. HimselfMan vs. Himself

EXTERNAL - problem EXTERNAL - problem outside characteroutside character

examples:examples: Man vs. ManMan vs. Man Man vs. TimeMan vs. Time Man vs. MachineMan vs. Machine Man vs. Man vs.

SupernaturalSupernatural Man vs. NatureMan vs. Nature

SETTINGSETTING

TIMETIME PLACEPLACE

THEMETHEME

Main idea of storyMain idea of story

CharactersCharacters

Protagonist -Protagonist -

main character in main character in story story

person with the person with the conflictconflict

NOT the “good NOT the “good guy”guy”

Antagonist -Antagonist -

person who person who opposes the main opposes the main charactercharacter

person causing person causing the conflictthe conflict

NOT the “bad NOT the “bad guy”guy”

Character TraitsCharacter Traits

More permanent qualities or More permanent qualities or details about personalitydetails about personality

Character MotivationCharacter Motivation

The reason why he/she acts, feels, The reason why he/she acts, feels, or thinks a certain wayor thinks a certain way

Words that characters speak aloudWords that characters speak aloud

Example: Example: – “ “No,” she cried triumphantly, “we’ll No,” she cried triumphantly, “we’ll

have one more. Go down and get it have one more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive.”quickly, and wish our boy alive.”

DIALOGUEDIALOGUE

Form of language that is spoken in a Form of language that is spoken in a particular placeparticular place

Example: Example: ““Pardon me, Gov’ner, but aren’t you Pardon me, Gov’ner, but aren’t you the gentleman what owns the million-the gentleman what owns the million-pound bank note?”pound bank note?”

DIALECTDIALECT

Expression whose meaning is Expression whose meaning is different from actual wordsdifferent from actual words

Examples: Get your feet wet.Examples: Get your feet wet. Eat your heart out.Eat your heart out. Keep a straight face.Keep a straight face. Throw in the towel.Throw in the towel. Stick out your neck.Stick out your neck.

IDIOMIDIOM

Informal speaking or use of casual Informal speaking or use of casual vocab; nonstandardvocab; nonstandard

““Yo. Whassup with my peeps?”Yo. Whassup with my peeps?” I’m gonna sleep over her house.I’m gonna sleep over her house.

SLANGSLANG

PLOT LINEPLOT LINE

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

ResolutionIntroduction

PLOT LINE EXPLANATIONPLOT LINE EXPLANATION

INTRODUCTION ( exposition)- INTRODUCTION ( exposition)- introduces characters and settingintroduces characters and setting

RISING ACTION - gives the conflictRISING ACTION - gives the conflict CLIMAX - turning point; most CLIMAX - turning point; most

exciting partexciting part FALLING ACTION (denouement)- FALLING ACTION (denouement)-

conflict starts to be solvedconflict starts to be solved RESOLUTION - conflict is solvedRESOLUTION - conflict is solved

Point of View - Point of View - way story way story isis toldtold

First Person -First Person -

Third Person -Third Person -

Omniscient -Omniscient -

Character tells Character tells story; uses “I, story; uses “I, me”me”

Someone outside Someone outside story tells plot; story tells plot; “he, she, they”“he, she, they”

All-knowing All-knowing narrator; also narrator; also uses “he, they”uses “he, they”

SymbolSymbol

When When something something represents or represents or stands for stands for some-thing some-thing elseelse

TONETONE

attitude writer attitude writer has toward has toward subjectsubject

ex. Humorous, ex. Humorous, sincere, sincere, sarcasticsarcastic

STYLESTYLE

way a writer way a writer uses uses languagelanguage

MOOD (Atmosphere)MOOD (Atmosphere)

feeling a feeling a reader gets reader gets from a piece from a piece of workof work

ex. Scary, ex. Scary, happy, sadhappy, sad

ALLUSIONALLUSION

A reference to something or A reference to something or someone the writer expects someone the writer expects you to knowyou to know

ForeshadowingForeshadowing

use of clues use of clues to suggest to suggest events that events that will occur will occur laterlater

An interruption to give events from An interruption to give events from an earlier timean earlier time

In In The GiverThe Giver, when Jonas tells about , when Jonas tells about a young Asher mixing up “snack” a young Asher mixing up “snack” and “smack.”and “smack.”

FLASHBACKFLASHBACK

A feeling of growing tension and A feeling of growing tension and excitementexcitement

Present in “The Tell Tale Heart” Present in “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Monkey’s Paw”and “The Monkey’s Paw”

SUSPENSESUSPENSE

Ideas of a paragraph flow together Ideas of a paragraph flow together and are easily understoodand are easily understood

COHERENCECOHERENCE

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

UNITYUNITY