Short Story Literary Short Story Literary TermsTerms

EnglishEnglish

Essential Question• What literary devices are used for

analyzing short stories?

setting • the time and place of the action of

a story

theme • the central message or insight into

life revealed in a literary work

conflict • a struggle between two opposing

forces – Four Types of Conflict

• Man vs. Man – External• Man vs. Nature – External• Man vs. Society – External• Man vs. Self – Internal

point of view • the vantage point from which the story is told

– First person narration: story told from person involved with story “I, me, my”

– Second person point of view: direction towards reader “you”

– Third person point of view limited: person outside story tells story

– Third person omniscient point of view: person inside story tells it

protagonist • the main character of a story or

literary work

antagonist • the character who causes conflict

for the main character

plot sequence • sequence of events that occur in a

story– plot sequence contains:

• exposition• rising Action• climax• falling Action• resolution

exposition • the part of a literary work where

the setting, characters and basic situation are introduced

rising action • the events in the story leading up

to the climax

climax • highest point of action in a literary

work

falling action• occurs after the climax, point

where the outcome of the story is known

resolution • the point of the story where all of

the action is known and loose ends are tied up

mood • the feeling the reader experiences

while reading a literary work

suspense • reader’s feeling of curiosity,

uncertainty, or anxiety about the outcome of events in a literary work

character characterization • the people or

animals who participate in the action of a story

• the author’s development of characters– two types of

characterization:• direct

characterization• indirect

characterization

direct characterization • the author directly states the

character’s traits (i.e.-“She was tall with blonde hair.”)

indirect characterization

• the author tells what a character looks like, does, and says as well as how other characters react to him or her

figurative language• language that is not intended to

be taken literally

irony • when something occurs that is

different from what would expect to occur

dramatic irony • hints at what is to come in a

literary work

verbal irony• when something is said, but the

opposite is meant

situational irony• when something happens that is

opposite from what one would expect to happen

dialogue • conversation between characters

imagery • the use of sensory language to

create visual images in a reader’s mind

style • the way in which an author writes

symbol and symbolism • an ordinary, everyday object used

to represent something other than itself

tone • the author’s attitude toward his or

her audience and subject

foreshadow • hints at what is to come in a

literary work

flashback • glimpses back to previous events

narrator • the speaker, or character, who

tells the story