Literature Terms – McDaniel

 

1.      Plot – sequence of events in a literary work.

 

 

somewhere               someone                  wanted                    but                      so

 

   setting                   character(s)              goal                       conflict                solution

 

   “The Three Little Pigs”

 

      countryside              three pigs                  to build               wolf hassles                wolf gets  

       daytime                                                  houses                  the pigs                       hurt

 

                                               Jurassic Park

 

        island                     the professor           a dinosaur               dinosaurs              they had

     modern day                                             theme park               get loose           to leave island

 

 

 

 

  1. Plot graph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.       Exposition ~ author introduces

a.       character(s)

b.      setting (time and place)

c.       situation

d.      narrative hook (problem is introduced)

2.      Rising action ~ character struggles with the problem

3.      Climax ~ greatest emotional point; turning point

4.      Falling action ~ closing events

5.      Resolution ~ final outcome

 

                                                                               

  1. Foreshadowing – hint or clue of a coming event.

 

4. Flashback – going back in time to give background information to

    better understand characters or the present situation.

 

5. Mood – emotional feeling influencing behavior or thoughts.

i.e. A dark, stormy night with the power out evokes a suspenseful mood.

 

6. Tone – manner of speaking or writing that shows a certain attitude on the part of the speaker or writer.

 

  1. Theme – main idea, lesson, or moral of the story.  The meaning the

         author is trying to communicate to the reader.

         i.e. The theme of Jurassic Park is that there are severe consequences to tampering

           with genetics.

 

  1. Setting – time and place of a story.

 

  1. Simile – compares two different things by using “as” or “like”.

i.e. Her hair was like golden strands of sunlight.

 

  1.  Metaphor – compares two different things using “is”, “was”, or “are”.

i.e. He was a rock.

 

  1. Personification – inanimate  (non-living things) or abstract ideas are given human qualities or action.

i.e. Cartoon characters, your family car, or “Claude” the overhead projector!!!

    

  1. Onomatopoeia – the sound of a word suggest its meaning.

i.e. The bacon sizzles.     The bell bongs.     Bang!      Pop!     Zoom!

 

  1. Hyperbole – exaggeration for effect; not meant to be taken literally.

i.e. This story is as old as time!      If you say that one more time, I’ll explode!

 

14. Oxymoron – opposite or contradictory ideas or terms that are

combined.

          i.e. thunderous silence, sweet sorrow, or respectable tabloid.

 

15.  Irony – humorous or sarcastic expression in which the intended

    meaning is the opposite.

     i.e. The irony of calling a stupid plan “clever”.  It’s ironic the firehouse burned!

16.  Satire – using wit, humor, sarcasm, irony, etc., to make fun of, expose,

    or attack human behavior such as vices (serious moral failures,

    corruption, wickedness) or one’s foolishness.

     i.e. Political cartoons!!!

 

17.  Imagry – mental pictures created by words.

i.e. The small calf totters as its mother licks it vigorously.

 

18. Literal language – when words mean exactly what they say.

i.e. An angry person says, “Get lost!”  So you’d actually go somewhere and become lost!

 

19.  Figurative language – when words are not meant literally, or exactly

         as the dictionary definition would indicate.

          i.e. “Get lost!”  This simply means to go away!

         *similes and metaphors are other examples of figurative language.

 

    20. Symbolism – when something represents or stands for something else.

          i.e. A dove symbolizes peace.   A door in the wall can symbolize that there is always

          a way to overcome obstacles and problems in one’s life.

 

21.Conflict – struggle between opposing forces (external and internal).

i.e. person verses person                          physical, mental, emotional, moral

         “          “     nature

         “          “     society

         “          “     self

         “          “     fate  

 

 

22.    fiction – fake ; false

 

23.    non-fiction – not fake;  not false;  true

 

24.    narrative – story

 

25.    reference –something that refers a reader to another source of information

 

26.    biography – story of someone’s life written by another

 

27.    autobiography – story of one’s own life written by oneself

 

28.    short story – prose narrative (story) shorter than a novel, usually dealing with few characters

 

29.    essay – short piece of writing on one subject, giving writer’s personal point of view

 

30.   novel – an invented prose narrative that is long and complex.  It deals with human experiences usually through a sequence of events.

 

31. novella – story with a compact and pointed plot; shorter than a novel; less complexity than a novel.

 

32.   composition – written piece of work

 

      33. prose – speech or writing that is not poetry; ordinary language

 

      34. poetry – writing having rhythm (and sometimes rhyme), usually in   language that shows

      more imagination and feelings than ordinary speech

 

 

Point of View – refers to how a story is narrated or the voice the author uses to tell a story.

 

  1. First person (point of view) – (I, me, mine, etc.) When a character in the story tells the story in his/her own words.

 

  1. Third person limited – The story is told from the limited view point of one character. The thoughts and feelings of the character are revealed. (he, she, name)   

 

  1. Third person omniscient – The most common point of view in which the narrator can see into the minds of characters. (all-knowing/ he, she, name)

 

  1. Objective – The narrator describes the action objectively (not thoughts and feelings) 5 “w’s” (who, what, where, when, why). Just the facts.

 

 

Characterization  Types

 

  1. Round                                               3. Flat

*well-developed                                      *one-dimensional

          *many traits                                           *only one or two traits

          * believable

          *complex  

 

 

 

  1. Dynamic                                            4. Static

* personality and/or                                          *character’s personality

       attitude changes                                      changes very little.

       as a result of the action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characterization Categories

 

 

1.    Protagonist - the central character on which the action centers and with whom the reader sympathizes most.

 

 

2.    Antagonist - “to struggle against” (Greek) – the character (or thing) that causes problems for and opposes the main character.

 

   Example: In Moby Dick Captain Ahab is the protagonist.  The antagonist

   is the great white whale.

 

 

3.    Foil- a character who sets another off by definite contrast.

 

    Example: good cowboy/ bad cowboy

 

 

4.    Stock- or stereotype - character type that is so familiar that they are predictable.

 

    Example: absent-minded professor

                  villain with waxed mustache

 

Voice

 

        Active- the subject of the sentence performs the verb’s action.

        ie: We knew the answer.

 

        Passive- the subject of the sentence receives the action of the

        verb.

        ie: The team has been eliminated.