Literary Terms Notes

Get Happy!

Get Excited!Fun! Fun! Fun!

It’s Time for…

Here it comes…

Woooo-hoooo!

yippy!

Oh…the suspense…

Short Story

• Not necessarily a “story that is short”

• A short story by definition is a story that has one major conflict revolving around one major character.

Character

• Any noun that takes place in the action of a literary work

• Types:– round– flat– dynamic– static– antagonist– protagonist

Round Character

• Has many different character traits…could theoretically be a real person.

Wow…I didn’t know that…

Flat Character

• Has only one definable character trait.

• Is completely one dimensional!

Even more flat than THIS guy!

Dynamic Character

• A mini quiz: What was the nickname of Batman and Robin?

The Dynamic Duo!

A dynamic character is one that changes throughout the course of the plot

(thoughts, feelings, etc.)

Static Character

• Hint: Think static cling…

• This type of character sticks to his/her ideas throughout the plot. In other

words, the character does not change. He/she stays the same during the

course of action.

Protagonist• This is your main character.

• Usually the good guy.

For example…

Antagonist• Character who opposes the protagonist.

• Usually the bad guy

Who could an antagonist for our protagonist be?

Point of View

• The side from which the story is told• There are 3 different types of point of view

(POV).• 1st person

• 3rd person omniscient

• 3rd person limited

1st person: told from the side of someone in the story; only get their thoughts and feelings.

Key word in identifying 1st person is I.

3rd person omniscient: and outside voice that knows all the characters’ thoughts and feelings

3rd person limited: and outside voice that knows only one character’s thoughts and feelings

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Setting

• The time and place of the action.

• Can be general or very specific

• For example…

• Summer afternoon (general);

• Saturday, June 29, 2002 at 7:30 pm in Erlanger, KY (specific).

Conflict

• External conflicts: character struggles with something outside the self.

• person v. person• person v. nature• person v. society• person v. supernatural• person v. machine

• Internal Conflicts: character struggles with something within self

• person v. self

Struggle between opposing forces; two types: external and internal

What type of conflicts do we see here?

Freytag’s Pyramid

The sequence of events in a literary work is called the plot. It follows Freytag’s Pyramid and involves characters and central conflict.

12

7

3 5

6

4

Decoding the Freytag

1. Exposition: beginning of work; introduces characters, setting, and basic situation

2. Inciting Incident: Thing that starts the central conflict

3. Rising Action: all events that lead up to the climax

More Freytag…

4. Climax: the highest point of conflict/interest. The turning point.5. Falling Action: all action that leads away from the climax to the resolution.6. Resolution: end of central conflict.7. Denouement: all action that takes place after the resolution; extra info.

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Other Stuff…

• Surprise ending: ending that defies the expectations of the reader but is logical and believable.

• Anticlimax: Takes place where the climax would be. Reader discovers that the story is not turning out the way expected.

Terms You Need to Know…• Dialogue: Conversation between characters. Advances the plot and/or reveals something about

the speaker.• Foreshadowing: use of clues that suggest what is

going to happen in the future of a literary work; creates suspense.

• Motivation: Why a character does what he does.• Symbol: something that stands for something else• Personification: giving non-human things human

characteristics. (Think Disney)

Irony

• The general term for a literary technique that portrays the differences between

appearances and reality.

• There are three different types:

• Verbal

• Dramatic

• Irony of situation

Verbal Irony:

words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.

.

Dramatic Irony:

The audience knows something that the characters do not know.

Irony of Situation

Event occurs that directly goes against the expectations of the characters, reader, or audience.

AKA sarcasm

Almost There…Theme

The central idea or message in a literary work; may be directly stated or implied. It is not a summary!!

MoralThe lesson taught by a literary work.

As Yakko, Wacko and Dot

used to say…

Wheel of morality turn, turn, turn…tell us the lesson that we should learn

That about does it for your Literary Terms Notes

Remember to look over them everyday…we will use them during each

story, you will see them on a test, and on your final exam.

Until then…