| A | B |
|---|
| characterization | the techniques a writer uses to create a character |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing forces ex: man vs. nature |
| dialect | a form of language spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people |
| figurative language | expressions that are not literally (word-for-word) true |
| irony | a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens |
| mood | the atmosphere of a story |
| plot | the sequence of related events in a story |
| setting | the time, place, and culture in which a story takes place |
| symbolism | a person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself |
| theme | the meaning, moral, or message about life or human nature in a literary work |
| tone | the writer's attitude toward a subject |
| simile | a comparison of two things that have qualities in common using "like" or "as" |
| metaphor | when you say something "IS" something else because they hae the same qualities |
| personification | giving human qualities to something not human |
| idiom | an expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of its individual words (doesn't translate) |
| motivation | the reason a character acts or thinks the way he does |
| point of view | who is telling the story |
| 1st person point of view | when the narrator is a character in the story (uses words like "I" "me" "we") |
| 2nd person point of view | the writer speaks directly to the reader ("you") |
| 3rd person limited | the narrator is not a character in the story, but doesn't know everything that is happening |
| 3rd person omniscient | the narrator is outside of the story and knows everything that is happening / what the characters are thinking |
| thesis statement | one sentence that states the focus of your essay (usually the last sentence of the introduction) |
| topic sentence | the first sentence and main idea of a paragraph |
| hook/lead | a related quote, intriguing question, definition, or startling statement to get the reader interested in reading your essay (first sentence) |
