Literary Terms

Short Story  a relatively brief, fictional narrative written in prose. It became a true literary form in the 19th century under the direction of Edgar Allan Poe and others. To understand its elements and those of novels, you must be able to understand and apply literary terms.

Novel  fictional prose narrative usually consisting of more than fifty thousand words. In general, the novel uses the same basic literary elements as the short story (plot, character, setting, theme, and point of view) but develops them more fully. Many novels contain several subplots.

Plot series of related events that make up a story. Consists of the following: Exposition: the beginning; gives information about the characters and their problems or conflicts Rising Action: the main events and complications leading to the climax Climax: moment of greatest emotional intensity or suspense; marks the moment the conflict is decided one way or another Falling Action: the main events and complications leading to the resolution Resolution: the way the conflict is resolved

Plot Chart

Setting  the time and place of a story. Often contributes to the atmosphere, conflict, or characterization.

Character  person (usu.) in a story

 Static Character: one who does not change much during the course of the story  Dynamic Character: one who changes as a result of the story’s events

 Flat Character: a character with no depth. Has only 1 or 2 traits that can be described in a few words.  Round Character: a character who is much like a real person. Has many different character traits, which sometimes contradict one another.

 Protagonist: the main character. Most often round and dynamic. Usu. the hero.  Antagonist: the character or force that blocks the protagonist. Often the villain.

 Subordinate/ Stock Character: often static or flat characters. May play important roles but do not serve as the main characters

 Foil: character who is used as a contrast to another character to accentuate the distinct qualities of the two characters

Point of View  vantage point from which the author tells a story

 First Person: one of the characters is telling the story using the pronoun I. We know only what this character knows and observe only what this character observes.

 Third-person Omniscient: “all-knowing” and “all- seeing” narrator is not a character in the story. Almost like a god telling the story as they know past, present, and future and can tell us what any character is thinking or feeling at any time.

 Third-person Limited: the narrator, who is not a character in the story, zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of just one character.

Theme  central idea the author wishes to reveal about the subject of a piece of literature. May or may not be a moral or lesson but not usually directly stated. My dog is smarter than most people.

Conflict  struggle, clash, or problem between opposing characters or opposing forces

 External Conflict: character struggles against an outside force such as another character (person vs. person), society as a whole (person vs. society), or something in nature (person vs. nature)

 Internal Conflict: takes place entirely within the character’s own mind. A struggle between opposing needs or desires or emotions within a single person (person vs. him- or herself)