Literary Terms

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Literary Terms

• AND DEFINITIONS

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Short Story and novel

• A short story is a piece of fiction 15,000 words
  or less
• A novel is a piece of fiction 50,000 words or
  more.
• Fiction is literature that is made up
• A genre is a type of literature like horror or
  drama

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Terms

• Motif words, actions, and/or symbols repeated
  several times in a work that tend to unify the
  work
• Style The manner in which a writer uses words
  and sentences to fit his ideas.

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Style Choices by the Writer

• Types of words
• Types of sentences
• Tone the attitude of the writer toward his
  subject
• Mood atmosphere the writer creates
• Imagery details that pertain to the five senses

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PlotThe events of a story

• The Plot Diagram

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Plot Diagram

• A. Exposition Background information that
  introduces the characters, setting, and the basic
  situation
• B. Rising Action Where the suspense is built
  up and it makes the reader want to continue
  reading.
• C. Climax The high point of the actionwhere
  the conflict reaches a turning point

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Plot Diagram continued

• D. Falling Action Where we start to relax as a
  reader.
• E. Resolution The outcome of the conflict
• F. Conflict A struggle between opposing forces

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Types of Conflict

• External (outside)
• Man vs. man
• Man vs. nature.
• Man vs. society
• Internal (inside)
• Man vs. self

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Point of View

• First person The narrator is a major or minor
  character in the story. The story uses I or
  we.
• Third person limited The narrator is not a
  character in the story. He reports the action of
  others, but he does know what certain characters
  are thinking or feeling.

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POV Continued

• Third person omniscient The narrator can relate
  what all characters think.

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Characterization

• The reader finds out about a character in the
  story in different ways
• Direct description
• What the character says
• What the character does
• What the character thinks
• What other characters say/think about him

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Characterization Continued

• Protagonist The main character who faces the
  conflict
• Antagonist The opponent of the protagonist

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Other Literary Techniques

• Suspense The force that makes the reader want
  to continue reading to see what happens next or
  how the story will end.
• Foreshadowing The use of clues or hints to
  suggest events that have yet to occur
• Theme The meaning/purpose/point the author is
  trying to make about life.

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Symbol

• Something concrete, such as an object, person,
  place, or event that stands for or represents
  something abstract, such as an idea, a quality, a
  concept, or a condition.
• Archetypessymbols that constantly reappear in
  literature with similar meanings

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Ironyactions or comments that are a contrast to
what is expected

• Verbal Ironywhat is said is actually the
  opposite of what is meant.
• Irony of situationevents turn out contrary to
  what is expected or what seems appropriate
• Dramatic ironyoccurs when the reader or viewer
  knows more about a situation that the characters
  do.

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Narrative Order

• The sequence of events
• Chronological
• Flashback
• Time lapse
• Flash forward