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Lit Comp 138
Short Story Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fable | A short story that usually is about animals and is intended to teach a lesson |
| Fairytale | A type of short story that has magic and good vs. evil characters |
| Tall Tale | An exaggerated, unreliable story told for entertainment |
| Trickster Tale | A tale that includes a trickster – a clever animal or person who plays tricks on other characters |
| Legend | A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but can’t be proven |
| Myths | A made up story that explains the existence of a natural phenomenon |
| Wisdom Literature | Literature that teaches how to live properly |
| Moral | A message or lesson to be learned from a story or play |
| Motif | A recurring image, idea, or symbol |
| Archetype | A universally known or understood character, situation, or theme |
| Villain | An evil character in the story |
| Hero | A character admired for good acts |
| Setting | The time and place in which a story takes place |
| Plot | The series of events that make up a story |
| Characters | A person in a novel, story, play, or movie |
| Indirect Characterization | When the narrator shows the reader something about the character through the character’s actions, things the character says, or things other characters say |
| Direct Characterization | When the author specifically reveals traits about the character in a direct, straightforward manner. |
| Flat Character | A character whose personality can be described as having one or two personality traits and who does not have a lot of importance or depth |
| Round Character | A complex character with many personality traits and who does have many characteristics, high importance, and much depth |
| Static Character | A character who does not undergo any type of inner change (personality/attitude) throughout the text |
| Dynamic Character | A character who does undergo a type of inner change (personality/attitude) throughout the text |
| Foil Characters | A character who creates a contrast to a different character in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character (good appears more “good” when evil is present) |
| Point of View | The perspective from which a story is told |
| Theme | The main idea of a piece of writing or work of literature that an author is trying to express to the reader about life or human nature |
| Internal Conflict | The psychological or mental struggle within the mind of a literary or dramatic character |
| External Conflict | The struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character |
| Protagonist | The main character of a literary work |
| Antagonist | A character or force against which another character struggles |
| Mood | The attitude the reader has from a text or work of literature |
| Tone | The attitude the writer gives off toward a subject |
| Symbolism | The use of one object or idea to represent another object or idea |