| A | B |
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| Narration | the act of telling a story, whether in prose or in verse, and the means by which that telling is accomplished |
| Voice | belonging to the author, this appears in the form of various convictions and values by which he or she judges characters and events as well as evokes judgments in the reader |
| Narrator | the one who tells the story |
| Point of View | the perspective of the narrator |
| First Person | this view has the advantages of immediacy and directness. It invites the reader to engage with a speaker who seems to be relating first-hand experience |
| Third Person | this view presents a narrator who has a much broader view and, usually, an objective perspective on characters and events |
| Third Person Omniscient | this narrator can enter the consciousness of any character, evaluate motives and explain feelings, and recount the background and predict the outcome of situations |
| Intrusive Narrator | an omniscient narrator who offers philosophical or moral commentary on the characters and the events she depicts |
| Objective Narrator | a third-person narrator whose presence is merely implied |
| Narrator in Drama | a character who stands outside of the play's action and comments on the characters and events, addressing the audience directly |
| Third Person Limited | the narrator describes events only from the perspective and with the understanding of one, or sometimes, a select few characters |
| Stream of Consciousness | extreme form of the third-person limited point of view which is used to replicate the thought processes of a character, with little or no intervention by the narrator |
| Second Person | the narrator addresses the audience directly using the pronoun "you," and assumes that the audience is experiencing the events along with the narrator. The implied audience may be the reader, a character who appears later in the story, or a listener who is never identified |
| Characterization | the techniques by which an author of a work of fiction, drama, or narrative poetry represents the moral, intellectual, and emotional natures of the characters |
| Flat Characters | a character who is more of a type than an individual and stays essentially the same throughout the work |
| Round Characters | a multifaceted character who is subject to change and growth, is capable of inconsistencies, and similar to an actual human |
| Protagonist | the main character in a work of drama, fiction, or narrative poetry |
| Hero, Heroine | the main character in a work of drama, fiction, or narrative poetry |
| Antagonist | a character who opposes the protagonist's goals and interests and so creates the major conflict in the work. |
| Villain | an antagonist who has evil intentions |
| Foil | a character who contrasts with the protagonist in ways that bring out certain moral, emotional, or intellectual qualities in the protagonist |
| Dialogue | the presentation of what characters in a literary work say. Its uses include revealing characters' motives, feelings, values, and relationships; advancing the plot; and suggesting tone. It is also the primary means of depicting character |
| Speech Headings | descriptions of characters' vocal tones or gestures as they speak a line. Authors use these to shape the impact of the dialogue |
| Stage Directions | used in plays by playwrights to serve the function of speech headings |
| Repartee | a rapid-fire exchange of witty remarks in which each speaker tries to score against an opponent in a verbal fencing match |
| Soliloquy | a monologue delivered by a character who is alone on stage. He or she may address the audience as though they are confidantes or simply seem to be thinking aloud, expressing thoughts that are too private or risky to share with other characters. Reserved for major characters for important revelations |
| Aside | a speech, usually brief, that, according to theatrical conventions, is heard only by the audience, or, sometimes, is addressed privately to another character on stage |
| Setting | the time and place in which the events in a work of fiction, drama, or narrative poetry occur. "Time" may be a historical period, time of year, and/or time of day or night. "Place" may refer to a geographical location, to a kind of edifice, or to a part of a larger structure. Setting sometimes becomes a character |
| Theme | a central idea that a literary work conveys, either directly or implicitly. An abstract concept that recurs in many works of literature. It often emerges by implication an is conveyed by the choices that the author makes about the narration and tone |
| Tone | the attitude that a literary speaker expresses toward his or her subject matter and audience |
| Pathos | evoking emotion in the audience, such as pity, tenderness, compassion, or sorrow |
