| A | B |
|---|
| Exposition: | sets the tone, establishes the setting, introduces the characters, and gives the reader important background information. |
| Setting: | include geographic location, historical period (past, present, or future), season of the year, time of day, and the beliefs, customs, and standards of a society. it can provide atmosphere, create conflict, or reveal character |
| Characters | the people the story is about; characters are sometimes animals |
| Plot/plot development | The action or sequence of events in a story;a series of related incidents that builds and grows as the story develops. There are five basic elements in a plot line: (a) exposition; (b) rising action; (c) climax; (d) falling action; and (e) resolution. |
| Conflict | A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions that moves the plot forward in literary text. It is a problem that must be solved; it can be an obstacle in the way of the character getting what she or he wants. |
| Resolution | how the character resolves the conflict/problem |
| Point of view | The point from which a writer tells a story |
| First person point of view | author uses the pronouns I and me, and the story is told as though the author was a participant in the events. |
| Third person point of view | pronouns used are he, she, they, and the author is a storyteller who is outside of the events |
| Third person omniscient | storyteller knows what all characters think and feel |
| Third person limited | the events are limited to what one character thinks and experiences |
| Tone | An expression of a writer’s attitude toward a subject: tone reflects the feelings of the writer. Tone can be serious, humorous, sarcastic, playful, ironic, bitter, or objective |
| Mood | The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates to shape the reader’s emotional response through the use of positive or negative connotations, details, imagery, figurative language, foreshadowing, setting, and rhythm |
| Theme | The MESSAGE about life or human nature that the author wants the reader to understand and that may give readers insight into the author’s view of the world |
| Protagonist | The main character in fiction or drama upon whom the reader focuses attention, the person who sets the plot in motion. Most are rounded, dynamic characters who change in some important way by the end of the story, novel, or play. They are often, but not always, the hero in a literary work |
| Antagonist | A principal character or force in opposition to a protagonist, or main character. They are usually another character but sometimes can be a force of nature, a set of circumstances, some aspect of society, or a force within the protagonist. This character is often, but not always, the villain in a literary work |
| External conflict | a character struggles against an outside force, which may be another character, society as a whole, or something in nature |
| Man vs. Man | character vs. character (Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader) |
| Man vs. Society | Main character is someone who does not fit in with the rules of society…who goes against what society wants or expects |
| Man vs. Nature | Characters in stories fight against natural forces such as storms, cold, or extreme heat |
| Internal conflict | A struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character |
| Man vs. Himself | Character must overcome problems within himself. He may wish to do one thing, but be tempted to do another. |
