| A | B |
|---|
| Antagonist | – the significant opposing force in which the protagonist is involved in a conflict. (This can be nature, society, other characters or the protagonist’s own feelings.) |
| Atmosphere | the feeling created in the story through setting, imagery and sometimes dialogue. |
| Character | a fictional person whose qualities are revealed through description, dialogue and action. |
| Character Trait | the qualities a character displays (strong, independent etc.) |
| Dramatic Irony | when the audience knows something that the characters do not. |
| Epiphany | when a character experiences a deep realization through an ordinary event. |
| Foil | a character whose attitude, behaviour and opinions compare and contrast with the protagonist. |
| Foreshadowing | a warning or hint of the events that will happen later. |
| Conflict | a problem or struggle in a story that they protagonist has to solve or face. |
| Point of View | the way the story is told. |
| First Person | a character is telling the story directly to the reader using “I”. |
| Third Person | the narrator is limited to revealing the thoughts and feelings of one character (using “he”, “she” & “they. |
| Omniscient Narrator | – an “all knowing” narrator who is able to describe the thoughts and feelings of others. |
| Objective Narrator | the narrator, like a camera, records events but does not comment on them. The reader must make up his/her mind about the meaning of the events which are being reported. |
| Plot | the logical series of events that make up the action. |
| Exposition | sets ups the story by introducing the characters/setting and gives the background information the reader needs to understand the story. |
| Rising Action | the main part of the story where the problem develops. |
| Instigating Event | an event that gets the story rolling. |
| Complicating Event(s)/Conflict | the struggles that the characters are involved in/face. |
| Crisis | when things have gotten as bad, tense or exciting as they can get. When you know something is going to happen. |
| Climax | the “something” that happens. Resolving this event will bring the story to a close. |
| Cliffhanger | when an author ends his/her story at the climax, it is called this. |
| Falling Action | the events that bring the story to a conclusion. |
| Resolution or Denouement | the end of the story when all the problems are solved. |
| Protagonist | the main character. |
| Setting | the time, place, weather and social conditions in which a story takes place. |
| Subplot | a second and less prominent story within a book, play or movie. |
| Symbol | a person, place or thing that is used to represent something else. |
| Theme | one of the central controlling ideas of a story, poem or novel. It is the “message” that is expressed in the text. |
| Tragic Flaw | a flaw in a character that causes his/her downfall (e.g., greed, pride etc.). |
