| A | B |
|---|
| antagonist | an important opponent of the main character |
| characterization | the method an author uses to develop characters in a work |
| connotation | rather than a dictionary definition, the associations suggested by a word |
| figurative language | a word or words that are inaccurate literally, but describes by calling to mind sensations or responses that the thing described evokes |
| round character (dynamic) | complex, fully realized or developed individual |
| metaphor | a coparison of two things, often unrelated; two kinds are mixed and dead |
| onomatopoeia | the use of a word whose pronunciation suggests its meaning |
| plot | system of actions represented in a dramatic or narrative work |
| protagonist | chief character in a dramatic or narrative work |
| flat character (static) | presented only in outline without much individualizing detail |
| setting | locale and period in which the action takes place |
| simile | a figurative comparison or two things, often dissimilar, using the connecting words "like" and "as" |
| stock character (stereotypic) | character types that recur repeatedly in a literary genre |
| symbol | a thing, event, or person that represents or stands for some idea or event |
| theme | the central idea of ideas of a work of fiction or nonfiction, revealed and developed in a course of a story or explored through argument |
| irony | when a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a character's perception of reality |
| point of view | the perspective from which a ficitonal or nonficitonal story is told |
| exposition | background information provided by the write to enhance a reader's inderstanding of context (introduces character and setting) |
| rising action | conflicts that arise; first one called complicating incident |
| climax | the point at which the reader makes his greatest emotional response. The outcome is finally made clear. In dramatic structure, the climax is the turning point in the action |
| Turning Point | may be at the same time as the climax. The turning point is the crucial moment in which the fate of the main character is sealed. The events of the plot begin to move forward toward a happy or unhappy ending |
| Falling action | resolution of a dramatic plot, moves toward resolution |
| Denoument | unraveling of unexplained elements (sometimes used to mean falling action or catastrophe) Conclusion and working out of final details |
| conflict | problem that arises |
