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Literary TermsLiterary TermsLiterary TermsLiterary Terms
Genre• A style of art, film, music, or
literature• Some literary genres are
mysteries, westerns, romances, and comedies
Protagonist• The main character of a novel,
play, or story• Usually the “good guy”• Opposes the antagonist
Antagonist• A character in a novel, play, or
story who opposes the protagonist• Usually the “bad guy”
Archetype• A character who represents a
certain type of person• Examples: Cinderella is an
archetype of a princess.
Setting• Where the story takes place
– Can refer to place, time period, season, etc. Anything that helps a reader picture when and where a story is happening
– Little House on the Prairie is set in Minnesota in the 1800s.
Characterization• The way an author establishes a
character• An author may directly describe
the appearance or personality of a character or show it indirectly through action or dialogue.
Plot• The action in the story• Imagine you go to a movie and
your friend asks “What happened?” When you answer that question, you are telling him/her about the plot.
Exposition• The background, the start of a
story, what has happened before the story begins.
Conflict• The elements that create a
problem for the protagonist• Conflicts can be internal (within
one character) or external (among or between characters, society, and/or nature)
Rising Action• The series of conflicts in the story
that lead to the climax
Climax• The turning point in a story; the
most intense moment (either mentally, emotionally, or in action)
Falling Action• All of the action which follows the
climax and leads to the end of the story
Resolution• How the conflict is resolved• Usually occurs near the end of the
story• Ties together all of the threads• Not every conflict is resolved
neatly!
Symbolism• The use of one thing to represent
another• For example, a dove can be used
as a symbol of peace
Contrast• To explain how two things differ• To compare and contrast is to
explain how two things are alike and how they are different
Figurative Language• Language that does not mean
exactly what it says• Examples:
– “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” – Mrs. Jones was so mad, her head was
spinning.
Literal Language• Language that means exactly
what it says.– If you say “I could literally eat a
horse,” you had better have a big plate ready!
Personification• Giving animals or inanimate
objects human characteristics• For example, “The classroom
waited eagerly for students to fill its desks.”
• “The shadows reached for the child hovering in the corner.”
Imagery• The use of description that helps a
reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. It usually refers to appearance.
• For example: “The tiny bird’s white, feathered wings fluttered as he made his way across the starry, nighttime sky.”
Foreshadowing• A technique in which an author
gives clues about something that will happen later in the story
• Foreshadowing happens frequently on “crime” shows like CSI or Law & Order.
Point Of View• The way a story is narrated
– First person point of view is when the narrator refers to himself as “I.”
– Third person point of view is when the narrator is referred to as “he” or “she.”
Theme• The central idea of a work, the
message that an author is trying to convey
Tone• The author’s attitude toward his or
her subject• Can be serious, angry, silly,
lighthearted, nostalgic, etc.