Terms and Vocabulary to Remember I Remember English I Terms and Vocabulary to Remember

Plot a series of related events, like links in a chain

Plot The first part of a plot is called the basic situation, or exposition. This is the opening of the story, when the characters and their conflict are introduced. The climax is the key scene in the story—that tense or exciting or terrifying moment when our emotional involvement is greatest. The resolution occurs at the end of the story. Now all the struggles are over, and we know what is going to happen to the characters.

Conflict In an external conflict the struggle takes place between two characters, between a character and a group, or between a character and something nonhuman An internal conflict takes place within a character’s mind or heart.

Foreshadowing hints or clues that suggest what is to come in the story

Monologue In a dramatic monologue, a type of poem, a speaker addresses one or more silent listeners, often discussing a specific problem or situation. In a play this kind of self-revealing speech is a soliloquy. It is delivered by a character alone onstage, addressing himself or herself. 

Characterization Some writers use direct characterization to tell us about the people who inhabit their fictional worlds. This means that a writer tells us directly what a character is like or what a person’s motives are. Indirect characterization means that a writer shows us a character but allows us to interpret for ourselves the kind of person we are meeting.

Types of character We call the main character the protagonist. The character or force the protagonist struggles against and must overcome is the antagonist. Dynamic and static characters – dynamic characters change while static characters do not Flat and round characters – flat characters do not have a lot of traits, round characters have a lot of traits

Point of View omniscient first person third person limited.

Irony Irony is the word that describes the difference between what we expect or what seems suitable and what actually happens. Verbal irony is used when someone says one thing but means the opposite Situational irony describes an event that is not just surprising but actually contrary to what we expected. Dramatic irony often occurs in plays, a fact that explains how it gets its name. When we know what is in store for a character, but the character does not know.

Figurative Language In a simile two dissimilar things are compared using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles A metaphor, then, is a comparison between two unlike things in which one thing becomes another thing without the use of a word such as like or as.

Figurative Language A direct metaphor directly compares the two things using a verb such as is. An implied metaphor implies or suggests the comparison between the two things without stating it directly Personification is a special kind of metaphor in which human qualities are given to something that is not human—an animal, an object, or even an idea.

More terms Tone is the attitude a speaker or writer takes toward a subject, character, or audience. The theme of a story is the central idea, or insight, about life that it reveals. Ambiguity offers us several conflicting consequences or meanings—and leaves us to sort them out.

More terms A symbol is often an ordinary object, event, person, or animal to which we have attached extraordinary meaning and significance. An allegory is a story in which characters, settings, and actions stand for something beyond themselves An image is a single word or a phrase that appeals to one of our senses.