| A | B |
|---|
| ambiguous | Capable of being understood in more than one way. |
| antagonist | The villain or "bad guy" of the story. The character who opposes the main character (protagonist). |
| aphorism | A brief saying of a general truth or principle. |
| belief | Something believed; an opinion or conviction. |
| central character | The character a reader follows throughout the story and is usually the main character (protagonist). |
| clarify | To make or become clear. |
| climax | This is the turning point of the action. The moment when interest and intensity reach their peak. |
| commonplace assertion | A commonly held belief among people that is false. |
| conflict | A struggle between two opposing forces: character vs. character, character vs. nature, character vs. society, character vs. self. |
| cultural | The circumstances and social conditions as they relate to regional , economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds in the story. |
| epigraph | A quotation at the beginning of a literary work that introduces its theme. |
| exposition | Lays the groundwork for the plot and provides the reader with essential background information. |
| extended metaphor | Metaphors that are extended over several lines, several sentences, or throughout an entire work. |
| factual claim | A statement that claims to be the truth. |
| falling action | The events that occur after the climax. |
| first person perspective (POV) | The story is related by a character in the story from his/her perspective (POV). "I or me." |
| genre | A specific type of category of literary composition. Examples: Fiction, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Biography, etc. |
| historical | Literary works based on historical events. |
| limited POV | The Point of View (POV) is that of a narrator who only knows one of the characters. |
| linear plot | Presents the plot elements in chronological order. |
