Literary Terms

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Literary Terms
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Character Terms

• Antagonist - Usually the principal character in
  opposition to the protagonist. Can also be a
  force of nature/society.
• Protagonist - The central character or hero in a
  narrative or drama-usually the one with whom the
  audience tends to identify with.
• Flat Character - Characters who are described
  simply or underdeveloped.

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Character Terms Continued

• Round Character - A character whose personality,
  background, motives, and other features are fully
  described by the author.
• Dynamic Character - A character who undergoes
  major changes as the plot unfolds.
• Static Character - A character who remains the
  same as the plot unfolds.

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Figurative Language

• Foreshadowing - A writers use of hints or clues
  to indicate events and situations that will occur
  later in the plot.
• Flashback - A conversation, event, or episode
  that happened before the beginning of the story.
• Symbolism - when a person, place, activity, or
  object stands for something else.
• Simile - a comparison between two things using
  like or as.

5
Figurative Language Continued

• Metaphor - a comparison of two unlike things.
• Hyperbole -A figure of speech in which truth is
  exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
• Personification -Figure of speech where human
  qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or
  idea.
• Irony A contradiction between what is said and
  what is meant or a difference between what might
  be expected and what actually occurs.

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Plot Terms

• Setting - The particular time and place in which
  events occur.
• Exposition - Introductory material that gives the
  background of the story (setting, characters,
  tone).
• Rising Action - Introduces complications, builds
  suspense, is when the plot thickens.
• Climax - Turning point of the story, the moment
  suspense reaches its peak, it results in a change
  for main character.

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Plot Terms Continued

• Falling Action - occurs after the climax,
  resolves conflict, and ties up loose ends
• Resolution - solution/outcome
• Conflict--Problems or struggles between opposing
  forces
• Internal- struggle that occurs within a character
• External- character again an outside force such
  as nature, another person, or a physical object