1. Literary Terminology Grade 9 Term Review

2. Allusion

3. A reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is known from another piece of lit, history, etc.

4. Analogy

5. analogy A parallel story used as an example

6. antagonist

7. Force or character versus the main character

8. Characterization Direct Indirect

9. Characterization The way the author creates and reveals the character.

10. Direct and Indirect Characterization Direct—author gives character traits, tells reader what to think, etc. Indirect—author gives the character through appearance, dialogue, actions and thought

11. Climax

12. Highest emotional point for the main character (protagonist vs. antagonist)

13. complication

14. Obstacle to the solution of the conflict

15. Conflict

16. A struggle between opposing forces Person vs. person Person vs. nature Person vs. society Person vs. self Internal vs. external

17. dialect

18. A way of speaking characteristic of a particular region or group of people Grammar non-standard usage “That boy don’t never have no sense.” Pronunciation non- standard + or – of sounds stompin’ or idear

19. Exposition

20. Basic background information necessary to understand the story.

21. Figurative Language

22. Statements that compare unlike items

23. hyperbole

24. Extreme exaggeration I could eat a horse!

25. metaphor

26. Direct comparison of two things that are not alike Tom’s a bear before having his coffee. X=Y

27. personification

28. Personification Giving human characteristics to an inanimate object The willow danced in the wind.

29. Simile

30. Comparison of two things that are not alike that uses like or as The book is as old as dirt. She sings like a nightingale.

31. flashback

32. Flashback Tells what happened at an earlier time, breaks normal chronological order

33. Foil

34. Character in contrast to protagonist to illustrate hero’s temper, personality, etc.

35. Foreshadowing

36. Hints of events to come

37. imagery

38. Language that appeals to the senses Creates pictures for the reader

39. Point of View

40. Position from which a story is told First person Third person limited Third person omniscient

41. Plot

42. A Series of events that make up a story

43. Précis

44. A brief summary of a story

45. Protagonist

46. Main character, one who has the most to gain or lose

47. Resolution/denouement

48. Final part of the story, struggle is over, know the outcome, ties up lose ends Surprise ending – resolution comes from a climax but unexpected Indeterminate ending – resolution fails to fully tie up the situation

49. Setting

50. Time and place Time is often called the temporal setting

51. Situational irony

52. Situational Irony Contrast between what would seem appropriate and what really happens; sudden twist of fate, opposite and unexpected

53. Suspense

54. Arouses curiosity What will happen next? It keeps us turning the pages.

55. symbolism

56. Using one object as a symbol to stand for another.

57. Title analysis

58. Explaining the literal and figurative meaning of a phrase

59. theme

60. Main idea; general truth, author’s comment on life

61. tone

62. Author’s attitude toward the audience, subject, character. It is tied into the author’s purpose in writing and helps to establish that purpose.