“The Most Dangerous Game” – Theme, Diction, Character, Plot, and Irony Literary Terms Set I “The Most Dangerous Game” – Theme, Diction, Character, Plot, and Irony

The moral or message of a story. Theme The moral or message of a story.

Denotation: The dictionary or literal meaning of a word. DICTION TERMS Denotation: The dictionary or literal meaning of a word.

DICTION TERMS Connotation: The meaning derived from a word’s context. Connotative meanings can be positive, negative, or neutral. To remember, think: D as in Denotation stands for DICTIONARY definition. C as in Connotation stands for the definition derived from the word’s CONTEXT in the passage.

CHARACTER TERMs CHARACTERS: The people/actors in a story.

CHARACTER TERMs PROTAGONIST: The main character of the story, around whom the plot revolves. Note: The protagonist is not always the “good guy”

CHARACTER TERMs ANTAGONIST: The person, place, or thing in conflict with the protagonist.

POINT-OF-VIEW Perspective from which a narrative is told.

POINT-OF-VIEW TERMS FIRST-PERSON POINT-OF-VIEW: Told by one of the characters in the story; uses the pronoun “I”

POINT-OF-VIEW TERMS THIRD-PERSON LIMITED POINT-OF-VIEW: The narrator, who is not a character in the story, tells the reader the thoughts of just one character at a time. THIRD-PERSON OMNISCIENT POINT-OF-VIEW: The narrator is able to look into the hearts and minds of all characters at all times.

PLOT The series of events that present and resolve a conflict.

Plot Development Terms EXPOSITION: The background information that introduces characters, setting, and situation

Plot Development Terms INCITING MOMENT: An event that occurs which initiates the main action and begins the primary conflict in the story

Plot Development Terms RISING ACTION: Presents complications that intensify the primary conflict

Plot Development Terms CLIMAX: High point of greatest intensity/interest; turning point in the story.

Plot Development Terms FALLING ACTION: Events following the climax but before the main problem is resolved. SPOILER ALERT

Plot Development Terms RESOLUTION: Moment when the primary conflict created by the inciting moment is resolved

Plot Development Terms DENOUEMENT: The “where are they now.” The author ties up any loose ends and answers any remaining questions.

Plot Development Terms FORESHADOWING: The use of hints to give the reader insight about coming events. HINT!

Plot Development Terms SUSPENSE: Excitement or tension created as readers wait to find out how a story ends

CONFLICT TERMS CONFLICT: The struggle (internal or external) between two opposing forces.

CONFLICT TERMS EXTERNAL CONFLICT: Clash between a character and an outside force – with another person, object, or entity. Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, etc.

CONFLICT TERMS INTERNAL CONFLICT: A struggle within a character’s mind. Man vs. Self

IRONY TERMS SITUATIONAL IRONY: Occurs when the reader expects one thing, but the opposite occurs – the unexpected. A discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result