| A | B |
|---|
| symbol | An object that represents something else |
| theme | The main subject or idea of a piece of writing |
| motif | Incidents, images, or ideas which appear repeatedly in a literary work. Authors use motifs to tie a story together. They also repeat ideas to emphasize important themes or ideas in a literary work |
| plot | The main story of a novel |
| exposition | an introduction to the main characters, settings, and situations of the plot |
| rising action | the events and complications that lead to an important and dramatic point in the plot |
| climax | the point of greatest interest and emotional involvement in the plot |
| falling action | the events that develop from the climax and lead to the conclusion |
| resolution | the final outcome which ties up an loose ends left in the story |
| setting | The place and time period of a story |
| mood | The feeling or emotion a piece of literature or writing creates in a reader |
| foreshadowing | Clues an author gives the reader about what is going to happen next in the story |
| inference | Making a good guess based on what is in the text |
| coined words | Words an author creates for use with a particular literary work |
| conflict | A problem or clash between two forces in a story |
| internal conflict | the character struggles against some force within themseleves |
| external conflict | characters struggle against an outside force |
| characterization | The way in which a writer develops a character, making him or her seem believable |
| eupemism | The substitution of a nice, agreeable word for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant |
| utopia | A perfect world |
| dystopia | A malfunctioning utopian society in which conditions are inhumane and terrifying |
