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literary terms 1-30
Question | Answer |
---|---|
plot | the series of related actions or events in a literary work |
sequence | the arrangement of events in a literary work |
conflict | struggle between opposing forces; any problem that must be solved |
internal and external | the two major types of conflict |
internal conflict | a problem or struggle within a character |
external conflict | a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character |
exposition | establishes the setting, identifies the characters, introduces the basic situation (problem may be revealed here) |
initiating incident | introduces the central conflict (sometimes it occurs before the opening of the story) |
rising action | any events leading up to the climax |
climax | point of highest interest, conflict must be resolved one way or another or a character takes action to end the conflict |
falling action | events that occur between the climax and the conclusion |
conclusion/resolution | the story's end |
setting | the time and place of the story (where and when it takes place) |
suspense | the quality of the story that makes the reader curious and excited about what will happen next |
foreshadowing | an author's use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story |
flashback | presents events of the past in the midst of a story in the present |
mood | the feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage |
tone | the attitude toward the subject and audience conveyed by the language and rhythm of the speaker in a literary work |
character | a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
protagonist | the main character in a literary work |
antagonist | a character or force in conflict with the main character |
round character | this character is fully developed – the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background |
flat character | this character seems to possess only one or two personality traits – little or no background is revealed |
dynamic character | this character changes as a result of the action in the story |
static character | this character stays the same throughout the story |
trait | one of the qualities that makes up a character's personality |
character motivation | a reason that explains, or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions or speech |
dialogue | conversation between characters |
dialect | a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
jargon | the special words or terms used by the members of a particular profession or class |
slang | an informal, often short-lived kind of language used in place of standard words |
informal language | the language of everyday speech, may use contractions and slang |
formal language | the standard language of written communication, formal speeches; may not use contractions or slang |
narrator | the speaker or character who tells the story |
point of view | the relationship between the narrator and the story he/she is telling - the perspective from which the story is told |
prose | the ordinary form of writing; most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song |
fiction | prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events |
nonfiction | prose writing that presents and explains ideas about real people, places, objects or events |
fantasy | highly imaginative writing that has elements not found in real life |
biography | a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person |
autobiography | a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells his or her own life story |