1. Literary Terms
We use these terms to discuss literature, but, remember, literature is the telling of stories, which we’ve done even before writing.

2. Literary Terms Protagonist: main character, not necessarily the hero
Antagonist: thing in conflict with the main character
Foil Character: character that has opposite qualities of another character, used to bring out the qualities of a major character

3. External conflict: a conflict in which two opposing forces are present
Internal conflict: an argument or decision-making process within a character’s mind.

4. This matters to story, because it matters to people.
Narrative point of view:
--First Person: “I” tells the story and is a character
--Second Person: “You” the reader are asked to play a character in the story.
--Third Person: A narrator tells the story. Narrator is not a character in the story.
Objective: narrator doesn’t know the thoughts of any character, and has no knowledge of events other than what happens as the story unfolds
Limited: narrator knows the thoughts of one character.
Omniscient: narrator knows all the facts about all characters and events

5. Unreliable Narrator: narrator who believes he or she is being truthful while giving false information.

6. Plot Structure (Freytag’s Analysis):
Exposition: background information on characters, setting, and conflict
Rising Action: Conflict is developed, obstacles are introduced to frustrate the protagonist; characters are developed
Climax: emotional high point of the story, marks a change for better or worse in the protagonist’s affairs
Falling Action: when it is being made clear how the protagonist has fared against the antagonist, may still be moments of suspense
Resolution or Denouement: the final sequence in which it is revealed how the protagonist has fared.

7. Characterization: how the author tells the reader about a character:
Direct Characterization: the narrator tells the reader what a character is like
Indirect Characterization: using hints or clues (what the character says and how he/she says it, how he acts including body language, what he looks like, or what other characters say about a character) to tell what a character is like

8. Round Character: a character having many, sometimes conflicting personality traits
Flat Character: a character having only one personality trait.
Dynamic Character: character that experiences change at some point in the narrative.
Static Character: character that does not experience change

9. Irony: the opposite of what one would expect to happen
Suspense: not knowing what will happen next and the anxiety that comes from that.
Foreshadowing: indications or clues of events to come
Epiphany: a moment of insight or revelation which changes a character

10. Setting: time and place of the story
Tone: the author’s attitude about the character, events, or ideas.
Mood: the emotional quality or feel of the story
Symbol: some thing or situation that suggests a further meaning.
Motif: recurring idea in a story
Theme: the central message you get from the story, what you learn about life from reading the story

11. Allegory: a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.
Metaphor: comparing unlike things by stating that one thing is another. Ex. He’s cool.
Simile: comparing unlike things using “like” or “as” Ex. the surface of the moon described as being “Like sand.”
hyperbole: an exaggeration used for effect. Ex. his mouth is so big you could park your car in it.