LITERARY TERMS

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LITERARY TERMS

• AKA The-Most-Important-Notes-Youll-Take-This-Yea
  r-So-Copy-Every-Word-Down

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(No Transcript)
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--CHARACTERIZATION--

• Big Question Who is this character and How do I
  know that?
• The method a writer uses to reveal the
  personality of a character.
• A. Direct characterization direct statements
  about a characters personality
• B. Indirect characterization revealing a
  characters personality through the characters
  words and actions and through what other
  characters think and say about the character

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--CHARACTER TYPES--

• Big Question Does the character make big
  changes in his/her life or stay the same?
• Static character a character who remains the
  same from beginning to end
• Dynamic character a character who changes
  throughout the story

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• Protagonist the main character of the story
• Antagonist the adversary (against the main
  character)

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--MOOD--

• Big question How does the author want ME to
  feel?
• The emotional quality or atmosphere of a story
• A mysterious mood might read like this
• Things are unclear, and everything important in
  the story tries to remain hidden. Antagonists try
  not to show their real motives, no-one knows what
  they are after. The streets are dimmed by fog,
  and the main characters rarely understand all
  that happens around them.

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--TONE--

• Big Question What is the AUTHORS
  voice/mood/attitude?
• The writers attitude toward the subject

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--FORESHADOWING--

• Big Question Can anything in the story help me
  predict what happens later on?
• The use of clues by the author to prepare readers
  for events that will happen later in a story

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--flashback--

• Big Question Are there any moments when the
  author talks about something that happened
  before?
• The writer presents past events during the
  current events of the story to show background
  information

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--SYMBOL--

• Big Question Does this object have a
  not-so-obvious meaning?
• An object, person, place or experience that means
  more than what it is
• Literal Meaning ?
• Figurative Meaning ?

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--Conflict--

• Big Question Whats the problem and who is
  involved in it?
• the opposition of forces which ties one incident
  to another and makes the plot move
• Person VS Another Person
• Person VS Fate (Destiny)
• Person VS Nature
• Person VS Society
• Person VS Self

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--Setting--

• Big Question what IMPACT does the setting have
  on this story?
• time and location in which a story takes place
• consider how setting contributes to a story

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--Point of view (pov)

• Big Question Who is speaking?
• First-Person POV Narrator participates in the
  action of the story as a character.
• Uses I
• Third-Person POV Does NOT participate in the
  action, but lets the reader know how ALL
  characters think and feel.
• Uses he, she, or it
• Second-Person POV Directly addresses the reader.
• Uses you (might be directly in the story or
  implied)

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--IRONY--

• What is EXPECTED is not what HAPPENS.
• Three types of irony
• Situational irony the actual outcome of a
  situation is the opposite of someones
  expectations
• Verbal irony a person says one thing and means
  another (You wreak your car and exclaim, Well
  this is great!)
• Dramatic irony the audience has important
  information that characters in a literary work do
  not have

Hint Irony IS in Death by Scrabble!
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--INFERENCE--

• Big Question What educated guess can I make
  based on the characters/plot?
• Making a conclusion based on evidence.
• (In literature it describes the act of figuring
  something out by using what you already know.)
• Example
• A B C If A 2 and B 3 then using
  what you know, you can deduce what C equals.
• Example
• In The Three Little Pigs, the reader can INFER
  that the wolf is going to try to blow down the
  third pigs house.

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--allusion--

• Big Question Is there a reference to something
  else?
• An implied or indirect reference to a
  person/event/thing in history, mythology,
  religion, or popular culture.

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--DICTION--

• Big Question what is this authors style of
  writing?
• The writers choice of words
• Good writers choose their words carefully to
  create style and to convey a meaning or feeling

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--DENOTATION--

• Literal or dictionary meaning of a word
• Example Home a house, dwelling, a place where
  one lives permanently

--CONNOTATION--

• Suggested/implied meanings associated with a word
  beyond its dictionary meaning
• Example Home - family, loving, safe, warm

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--Theme --

• Big Question What is the author trying to tell
  us?
• The central message of a story

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--IMAGERY--

• Big Question how does the author make me feel
  like Im in the story?
• Word pictures that writers create to evoke an
  emotional response.
• Appeal to sensory details
• Sight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell

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--SIMILE--

• A figure of speech using like or as to
  compare seemingly unlike things
• Example
• The corn was as high as an elephants eye.

I mean really! Do corn and an Elephant have
ANYTHING in common?
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--METAPHOR--

• A figure of speech that compares two or more
  things WITHOUT using like or as.
• Example
• Hes a bear when hes angry!
• (Notice how its DIRECTLY stated.
• This IS that format.)

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--Extended metaphor--

• Compares two things WITHOUT using like or as
  for an EXTENDED time throughout the text.

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--PERSONIFICATION--

• A figure of speech in which an animal, object,
  force of nature, or idea is given human qualities
  or characteristics
• Example
• The shadow crept along
• the hallway.

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• Exposition The beginning of a story where the
  characters are introduced and the setting
  (background info) is revealed.
• Rising Action This is where a problem(s) arise
  and tension builds in the story
• Climax The most exciting point and turning
  point of the story. The reader wants to know what
  happens next
• Falling Action The action that follows directly
  after the climax. This is where the problem(s)
  begins unwinding
• Resolution This is the end of the story where
  the problem(s) is worked out

The 5 Parts of Plot