Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Essay Example

Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Paper Plot A series of related events in a story, each connected to the next. Sequence The order in which a storys events take place. Exposition The opening of a story, when the characters and their conflicts are introduced. Conflict A struggle between two forces. External Conflict Two characters, character and a group, character and an animal, or character and a force of nature. Internal Conflict A struggle that takes place in the characters mind or heart. Climax The most exciting part of a story; the moment when the outcome of the conflict is determined. (usually at the end of a short story.) A major decision. Resolution (denouement) The very end of the story, when loose ends are tied up. Flashback An action that interrupts the story to introduce an event that took place in the past. Flash-Forward An action that jumps ahead of the story to narrate an event that happens at a later time. Foreshadowing Hints in the story that certain events are going to happen later. Setting The time and place in which the story happens. Atmosphere Mood or feelings brought on by a storys setting. Subject The topic of a work of literature. The subject can usually be started in a single word or phrase. Theme The general idea or insight about human life that a work of literature reveals. The theme can be stated in one or more sentences. Generalization A broad statement that applies to many individuals, experiences, situations, or observations. A kind of conclusion that is drawn after considering as many facts as possible. Themes are expressed as generalizations. Genres The different forms of literature. (Short stories, novels, plays, poems) Universal themes Can be found in literature from different times, countries, and cultures. Universal themes cross genres as well as national boundaries, languages, customs, and historic periods. Characterization The way writers create characters in a story. Direct Characterization The writer tells us directly what a character is like (good or evil or lazy) Indirect Characterization The writer tells us clues in the story to decide what kind of person the character is. Protagonist The main character in a story. Antagonist The character that the main character struggles against. Subordinate Characters Minor characters on the story. Motivations The reasons behind a characters actions and feelings. Flat Characters A character who is not fully developed in the story. A flat character is almost never the main character. Round Character A character who is fully developed, just as a person in actual life. Dynamic Character A character who changes during the story. The change might involve recognition of some truth about life. Static Character A character who does not change during the story. Dialogue The conversations characters have with other characters. First-Person Narration A story told be an I(character) narrator. Style The particular way a writer uses language. (Word choice, sentence structure, and tone.) Diction The writers choice of words- an essential element of a writers style. Connotations Meanings and emotions associated with a word that go beyond its dictionary definition. Figures of Speech Imaginative comparisons in which one thing is described in terms of another. They are not meant to be understood on a literal level. Imagery Language that appeals to one or more of the 5 senses. Tone The writers attitude toward a subject or character, or toward the audience. Mood The overall feeling or atmosphere of a work of literature. Irony The difference between what we expect or what seems suitable and what actually happens. Verbal Irony When someone says something but means the opposite. Situational Irony An event that is contrary to, or the opposite of, what we expected. Dramatic Irony When we know what is going to happen to a character but the character doesnt know. Ambiguity A quality that allows something to be interpreted in several different or conflicting ways. Narrator The teller of a story. Omniscient Point Of View The narrator can tell us everything about the characters, including how they think and feel. First-Person Narrator A character in the story who refers to himself or herself as I or me. It only tells what the narrator know and chooses to reveal. Unreliable May not always tell the truth about characters or events in the story. Diction The writers choice of words. Tone The writers attitude toward the subject of a story, toward a character, or towards the audience. Voice The writers use of language and overall style, created by ton and choice of words. Symbol An object (a person, animal, or event) that stands for something more than itself. Public Symbol A symbol that has become widely recognized, such as the bald eagle (a symbol of the United States) or the olive branch (a symbol of peace). Invented Symbol A symbol invented by the writer, which usually stands for something abstract, such as evil, innocence, or love. Allegory A story which characters and settings stand for something beyond themselves, usually virtues and vices. Sometimes the characters in an allegory are given names that indicate what they stand for.