1. Of Mice and Men Literary Terms

2. Fiction Any story that is the product of imaginination rather than a documentation of fact. Characters and events in such narratives may be based in real life but their ultimate form and configuration is a creation of the author. 10/12/20152

3. Dialect A variety of language distinct from the standard variety in pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary. “Bus driver give us a bum steer,” he said. “We hadda walk ten miles. Says we was here when we wasn’t. We couldn’t get no rides in the morning.” “scairt” and “twicet” 10/12/20153

4. Setting The time and place in which a story takes place. Think about the circumstances involved with the time periods. Great Depression? 10/12/20154

5. Foreshadowing An organizational device used in literature to create expectation or to set up an explanation of later developments. Hallmark movies, anyone? 10/12/20155

6. Symbolism A device in literature where an object represents an idea. Think deeply. A broken fence might represent a person’s isolation and that person’s need to break away from the loneliness. 10/12/20156

7. Theme A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Clues to the theme may be found in the prominent and/or reoccurring ideas in a work. 10/12/20157

8. Universal Significance The generally accepted importance or value of a work to represent human experience regardless of culture or time period. Think about how we can relate any Shakespeare play to our lives today. 10/12/20158

9. Plot The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure often includes the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. 10/12/20159

10. Exposition A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances. 10/12/201510

11. Rising Action The part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated. Rising action leads up the climax, or turning point. 10/12/201511

12. Climax The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. 10/12/201512

13. Falling Action The part of a literary plot that is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s conflicts and complications. 10/12/201513

14. Resolution The portion of a story following the climax in which the conflict is resolved. 10/12/201514