To kill mockingbird Unit Two Literary Terms and Devices

Diction Diction is the author's choice of words, taking into account correctness, clearness, and effectiveness. There are typically recognized to be four levels of diction: Formal: impersonal and elevated use of language. It is often characterized by complex words. Informal: Language that is correct, but conversational. It is the type of language used everyday.

Diction Colloquial: Refers to the way things are said in a local area, that might be different to other parts. It is a local slang. Slang: type of speech characterized by humor, exaggeration or shortened words.

Characterization Characterization: the way an author develops characters in a story. Direct: the writer makes direct statements about a character's personality, physical appearance, and what the character is like Indirect: the writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him. The reader has to infer more about the character when the author uses indirect characterization

Theme Theme: the message/lesson that the author wants the reader to get from reading his or her piece. Stated: is a theme that is directly told to the reader by a character in the story or the narrator. Implied: is a theme that is revealed to the reader through the actions, thoughts and feelings of the characters. This happens over the course of the plot.

Point of View Point of view: the perspective from which the events of the plot are being told to the reader. There are 4 types: 1st person point of view: when a character within the story presents the events to the reader. This narrator only gives his/her thoughts and feelings- so it is a very limited perspective, but you get to know the narrator very well. 3rd person limited: this narrator sits outside of the story and presents the information to the reader. This narrator only gives the thoughts and feelings of ONE of the characters in the story.

Point of view 3rd person objective : this narrator sits outside of the story and presents the information to the reader. This narrator gives NONE of the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story- he/she just presents the plot-therefor he/she is considered a reliable narrator. Omniscient : this narrator sits outside of the story and presents the information to the reader. This narrator gives ALL of the thoughts and feelings of every character in the story.

Simile Figurative language that uses like or as to directly compare two unlike things Example : the nurse is like an angel.

Extended Metaphor Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things; a metaphor implies the comparison by stating one thing IS another thing. Example- Your room is a pig sty. Extended Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem. Example- Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--without the words, And never stops at all

Motif A motif in literature is a recurrent image, idea or theme. An author may use an object, a color or an emotion to symbolize an idea.

Parallel Plots Parallel Plots: Two storylines that happen at the same time in one novel. In the parallel plot, the characters might start out together and separate to follow their own paths. Or they may not connect until the end. Their story lines are related and the climax occurs when the two come together at the end.

Symbol/ Symbolism Symbolism: the use of symbols (something concrete) to give meaning or represent something that is abstract. Example: Abstract= Love Concrete= Heart