Literary Terms

Foreshadowing, Protagonist, Antagonist

Foreshadowing• Definition: hints or clues that suggest what will happen later

in a story• Can come in many forms:

– Setting – The weather or general mood/atmosphere• “There were storm clouds upon the horizon as I walked home from

school.”

– Dialogue – Characters hint at future events• Romeo and Juliet say they’d rather die together than live apart from each

other. Eventually… they die.

– Smaller, repetitive events – These may lead to a bigger one• The movie Signs shows random little hints that aliens are present.

Foreshadowing• What happens in Chapter 22 that could foreshadow future

events?

• Page 217: “At that moment Aunt Alexandra came to the door and called us, but she was too late. It was Miss Stephanie’s pleasure to tell us: this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life.”

Protagonist• Definition: the main character in literature

Antagonist• Definition: an opposing force or character

Journal Prompt• Pick one of the following topics and

convince me that your belief upon it is the correct one:

– Capital punishment (death penalty)– Gun control– Animal rights– Immigration– Pledge of Allegiance in schools– Same-sex marriage– Tobacco

If you don’t know what issues surround a topic, you probably shouldn’t write about it.