| A | B |
|---|
| genre | a category or type of literature |
| plot | organized pattern of events that make up a story |
| conflict | a struggle or clash between two forces |
| internal conflict | involves a character in conflict with himself |
| external conflict | involves a character in conflict with an outside force |
| setting | where and when a story takes place |
| symbol | something concrete which stands for or represents something abstract |
| theme | a central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work |
| point of view | the vantage point from which the story is told |
| first person point of view | a character in the story tells the story |
| unreliable narrator | may know always know the whole truth or may purposely deceive us |
| 3rd person omniscient | reveals what any character thinks and feels |
| 3rd person limited | reveals only one character's thoughts |
| character | a person or animal that takes part in the action of a literary work |
| protagonist | most important character in story |
| antagonist | a character or force in conflict with the protagonist |
| characterization | the way the author reveals his characters |
| indirect characterization | reader forms his own opinion of a character based on what the character says, does, or by what others say about him |
| direct characterization | the author gives specific information about a character, such as a physical description |
| round character | shows many different traits |
| flat character | shows only one definite trait |
| static character | does not change during the course of the story |
| dynamic character | develops and grows during the course of the story |
| flashback | a scene that interrupts the action to show an event that happened at an earlier time |
| foreshadowing | hints, clues, or other information that suggest what will happen later on |
| irony | the difference between appearance and reality |
| dramatic irony | when the audience or reader knows more about what is going to happen than the characters do |
| verbal irony | when you say one thing but really mean something else |
| situational irony | when a situation turns out differently than expected |
| mood | the atmosphere or feeling a writer creates through description and setting |
| plot structure triangle | the basic structure of a piece of literature |
| metaphor | a direct comparison; doesn't use the words like or as |
| simile | a comparison using the words like or as |
| personification | giving lifelike qualities to inanimate objects |
| allusion | an indirect reference; a passing mention |
