Where and when a story takes place setting Where and when a story takes place

plot The events that happen in a story

Answers --who, what, where, and when exposition At the beginning of the story; provides background information about characters and setting

exciting force The event that gets the action of the story going; the event that gets the story moving

Rising action The series of conflicts (struggles) that build the story to its climax

The high point, or turning point, in a story climax The high point, or turning point, in a story

Falling action Occurs after the climax; minor conflicts are solved

The final outcome in a story; the end result A Royal Resolution The final outcome in a story; the end result

Plot Diagram Climax Falling Action Rising Action Resolution Exciting Force Exposition

A struggle (problem) between two forces Conflict A struggle (problem) between two forces

Internal conflict A struggle with a character’s mind between needs, desires, or emotions

External conflict A character struggles with an outside force (nature, another character, society, etc.

Types of conflict Man vs. man Man vs. self Man vs. society Man vs. nonhuman (nature, supernatural, beast, fate, etc.)

Characters

protagonist The main character in a story; the character you are rooting for

antagonist The character or force opposing the main character

Dynamic Character A character who changes over the course of a story After Before

A character who remains the same over the course of a story Static character A character who remains the same over the course of a story

Flat character Has only one or two traits

Has many different character traits Round Character Has many different character traits

A story’s message about life; The moral of a story The grass isn’t always greener on the other side You can overcome your past Theme A story’s message about life; The moral of a story Never underestimate your opponent Be careful what you wish for

Symbol A person, place, thing, or idea that stands for itself as well as something beyond itself

Foreshadowing The use of clues to hint at events that will happen later in a story

flashback A scene that interrupts the present action to replay something that happened at an earlier time

Anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen in a story Suspense Anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen in a story

Mood A story’s atmosphere or feeling it evokes

Dramatic irony Don’t open the door! When the audience knows something important that a character does not know

Situational irony When there is a contradiction between what we expect to happen and what really does take place

Verbal Irony When a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something completely different “Wow, that outfit looks great on you.”

The attitude the writer takes toward a subject or character Angry Serious Tone Sarcastic The attitude the writer takes toward a subject or character Humorous Sympathetic

Resolves a story’s conflicts in an unexpected way Surprise ending Resolves a story’s conflicts in an unexpected way

Ambiguous ending An uncertain ending; an ending that can be interpreted in a number of different ways

May not always know the truth or may purposely choose to deceive us Unreliable narrator May not always know the truth or may purposely choose to deceive us

Point of view Perspective from which a writer tells the story

One of the characters is telling the story, using the pronoun “I” The “I” narrator First Person P.O.V. One of the characters is telling the story, using the pronoun “I”

Limited Third Person P.O.V. The narrator, who plays no part in the story, zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of one character

The “all-knowing” point of view Omniscient P.O.V. The person telling the story knows everything there is to know about the characters: their thoughts, actions, problems, etc.

How an author reveals the personality of a character in a story characterization How an author reveals the personality of a character in a story

Four types of characterization “Jim and Della were foolish.” Four types of characterization What a character himself says, thinks, does, feels Physical description of a character What other characters say, think, or feel Narrator’s direct comments