Elements of Literature

1
Elements of Literature

• qualities every story has

2
Narrator one who tells the story

• First Person Narrator Narrator speaks in 1st
  person (I,me) and will be a part of the story
• Third Person Limited Narrator Narrator speaks
  in 3rd person (he, she, they) and can only share
  things that can be observed (what characters do
  and say)
• Omniscient Narrator Narrator speaks in 3rd
  person but is all-knowing, meaning the narrator
  can share the characters thoughts and feelings
  (which is more than just what they do and say)

3
Characters a person who has thoughts and
actions in a story

• Protagonist Main character of the story
• Antagonist Character who provides the most
  problems for the protagonist
• NOTE they are NOT necessarily the bad guy
• A protagonist could be a murderer, in which case,
  the antagonist may be the good cop trying to
  catch him.
• Supporting / Minor characters All other
  characters in a story add dimension by having and
  developing relationships to the main characters

4
Setting the time and place in which a story is
set

• Time The approximate year and what time of day
  will usually be made clear
• Place This is more than just a background
• Location Country, State, City, Address
• Environment Country, City, Desert, Artic, etc
• Atmosphere Cold, Hot, Raining, Humid, etc

5
Plot the sequence of actions and events in a
literary work

• 5 steps of plot
• Exposition Provides background of story
• Rising Action Conflict builds between
  characters
• Climax Most intense moment which leads to
  change
• Falling Action Shows the effects of the climax
• Resolution Life seems to return to normal
• Flashback Narrator presents events that
  happened before the story began
• Foreshadowing When the author provides clues
  for the reader to predict what may occur later in
  the story

6
Theme an idea or lesson that is repeatedly
incorporated throughout a story

• Themes often have other elements that are
  repeated throughout the story in order to help
  get the point across.
• Symbol an object that represents an idea
• Motif an object, phrase, or description that is
  specifically repeated throughout a story
• So all symbols would be an example of a motif
• The phrase Thanks be to God would be a phrase
  motif in the Bible
• The fact that it is usually raining in mystery
  stories could be a descriptive motif

7
Figurative Language the use of words in which
they do NOT mean what they say

• Figurative is the opposite of literal
• Simile using like or as to compare two
  things
• Metaphor comparing two things by saying one is
  the other
• Hyperbole an exaggeration to make a point
• Idiom an expression that no longer (literally)
  makes sense
• Idioms often come from OLD common phrases