| A | B |
|---|
| antagonist | force working against the main character Ex: another character, nature, society, or a force within the character |
| author's purpose | the author's reason for creating a particular work (to entertain, to inform/explain, express an opinion, or persuade) |
| cause and effect | when one event (cause) brings about another (effect) |
| Character Development | characters that grow and change undergo character development |
| dynamic character | characters that experience significant changes |
| static character | characters that change little or not at all |
| characterization | consists of all the techniques writers use to create and develop a character (physical characteristics, thoughts/speech/actions; and a character's nature |
| conflict | a struggle between opposing forces |
| internal conflict | a struggle within a character |
| external conflict | a struggle against another character or foe |
| figurative language | expressions, that are not literally true, that are used to create original descriptions |
| flashback | an interruption in action to present actions that took place in an earlier time or place |
| foreshadowing | when a writer provides hints that suggest future events |
| imagery | words or phrases that appeal to a reader's five senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, and hear) |
| inference | a logical guess or conclusion based upon evidience |
| irony | a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens |
| main idea | the writer's principle message or central idea |
| mood | the atmosphere a work conveys (ominous, heart-warming, cheerful) |
| motivation | the reason why a character acts, thinks, or feels a certain way |
| personification | giving human qualities/characteristics to an animal, object, or idea |
| persuasion | writing that is meant to sway a reader's feelings or beliefs |
| plot | the sequence of events that make up a story |
| exposition | introduces main characters and the conflicts they face |
| rising action/complications | arise as characters try to resolve their conflicts |
| climax | the point of greatest interest or suspense |
| resolution | loose ends are tied up and the story is brought to a close |
| point of view | the perspective from which a story is told (1st person, 3rd person) |
| protagonist | the main character involved in the story's conflict |
| realistic fiction | imaginative writing set in the real, modern world |
| setting | the time and place of a story |
| symbol | a person, place, object or action that represents something else (greater than itself) |
| theme | message about life or human nature that is communicated in a literary work |
| tone | expresses the writer's attitude toward his or her subject |
| voice | the narator's distinctive style or manner of expression |
