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Literary Terms
23 Literary Terms for high school
Term | Definition |
---|---|
antagonist | person or thing that blocks the protagonist |
caricature | an exaggerated depiction of a person's features or mannerisms |
climax | point in the plot where the resolution to the conflict is in view |
conflict | ,a struggle between two opposing forces |
direct characterization | the author tells explicitly what a character is like |
dynamic character | character that changes as a result of events in the story |
exposition | introduces the characters, setting, and often the conflicts |
flat character | ,character with only one or two traits |
indirect characterization | reader infers about a character though dialogue, actions |
Initiating event | incident that introduces the central conflict |
narrator | person telling the story |
oxymoron | a figure of speech that combines contradictory ideas |
Paradox | an apparent contradiction that reveals a truth |
plot | the series of events of the story |
Point of View | perspective from which an author reveals events in a story |
protagonist | central character in a story |
resolution | when all or most of the conflicts have been settled |
round character | complex and well developed character |
setting | the time and place of a story |
situational irony | contrast between the reader's expectations and what happens |
static character | character stays the same throughout the story |
symbolism | the use of concrete things to represent abstract ideas |
Theme | the universal insight or message |