TERMS TEST

Deus Ex Machina

A sudden, unexpected solution to a seemingly impossible problem that resolves the story.

Example: A character is about to die, but a completely unexpected person suddenly appears and saves them.

Discriminated Occasion

A specific situation or circumstance that helps explain why a character behaves a certain way at a particular moment.

Epilogue

A section after the main ending that tells what happens to the characters afterward.

Flashback

A scene that goes backward in time to show something that happened earlier.

Flashforward

A scene that jumps forward in time to show something that will happen later.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about something that will happen later.

Example: A character notices that the brakes on their car aren't working properly → this may foreshadow an accident.

In Medias Res

Latin for “in the middle of things.”

A story begins in the middle of the action rather than at the chronological beginning.

Pacing

The speed at which a story's events unfold.

• Fast pacing: short sentences, action, urgency

• Slow pacing: description, reflection, dialogue, detailed scenes

Freytag's Pyramid

Exposition

The beginning of the story where we learn about:

• characters

• setting

• situation

• background information

2. Inciting Incident

The event that starts the main conflict.

Think: “What happens that gets the story going?”

Quest

A journey undertaken by a character to accomplish an important goal.

A quest usually involves:

1. A goal

2. Obstacles

3. Challenges

4. Transformation or discovery

Tragedy

A serious story in which a protagonist experiences suffering or downfall, often because of a flaw, mistake, or unavoidable circumstances.

Auditor

The person or audience who is being addressed by a narrator.

Think of the auditor as “the person the narrator is telling the story to.”

First-Person Narration

The narrator uses I, me, my, we, our.

The narrator is usually a character in the story.

“I walked into the house.”

Second-Person Narration

The narrator addresses the reader using you.

“You walk into the house and hear a strange noise.”

Less common in traditional fiction.

Third-Person Narration

The narrator refers to characters as he, she, they, or by their names.

“Maria walked into the house.”

Implied Author

The version of the author that the reader infers from the text.

It is not necessarily the same as the actual, real-life author.

Internal Narrator

A narrator who is a character within the story's world.

Objective Narrator

A narrator who reports events without giving us characters' private thoughts or judgments.

Think of it like a camera recording what happens.

Omniscient Narrator

A narrator who knows everything about the story and its characters, including their thoughts and feelings.

Omniscient = all-knowing.

Limited Narrator

A narrator who gives us information from a restricted perspective, usually knowing the thoughts of only one character.

Verbal Irony

Someone says something different from what they actually mean.

Example: During a hurricane, someone says, “What beautiful weather!”

Situational Irony

What actually happens is different from what we expect.

Example: A fire station burns down.

Dramatic Irony

The audience knows something the characters don't know.

Example: We know the murderer is hiding in the house, but the character doesn't.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told.

Example: first-person vs. third-person.

Focus

Whose experience or perspective receives the most attention?

Even in third-person narration, the story may focus primarily on one character.

Voice

The distinctive personality or identity expressed by the narrator's language.

Style

The author's particular way of writing.

Includes:

• word choice

• sentence structure

• imagery

• diction

• syntax

• literary techniques

Tone

The narrator's or author's attitude toward the subject.

Examples:

• serious

• sarcastic

• humorous

• angry

• hopeful

• gloomy

• nostalgic

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose version of events cannot be completely trusted.

Reasons might include:

• lying

• ignorance

• insanity

• misunderstanding

• bias

• limited knowledge

Test question: Ask, “Does the narrator's account match what the reader can determine is actually happening?”

Antihero

A protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities.

They might be:

• selfish

• morally questionable

• cowardly

• cynical

• dishonest

But they are still the central character.

Direct Characterization

The narrator directly tells us what a character is like.

“John was extremely selfish.”

Indirect Characterization

We figure out what a character is like from:

• actions

• dialogue

• thoughts

• appearance

• relationships

• reactions

Easy trick: Direct = author tells you. Indirect = you figure it out.

foil

A character whose qualities contrast with another character, highlighting the other character's traits.

Example: A brave character paired with a cowardly character makes the bravery more obvious.

hero/heroine

A character who possesses traditionally admirable qualities and/or acts as the central heroic figure.

Villain

A character who deliberately opposes the protagonist and often causes harm.

Major Character

A character who is important to the story and appears frequently.

Minor Character

A less important character who supports the story or major characters.

Protagonist

The central character whose goals and struggles drive the story.

Round Character

A complex character with multiple qualities, emotions, and motivations.

Flat Character

A relatively simple character built around a small number of traits.

Static Character

Does not significantly change during the story.

Dynamic Character

Experiences a significant internal change.

Stock Character

A stereotypical character whose traits are immediately recognizable.

Examples:

• the wise old mentor

• the evil villain

• the clueless sidekick

• the damsel in distress

particular and general setting

Particular setting: Specific and detailed.

“A two-story Victorian house on Elm Street in Boston.”

General setting: Broad or nonspecific.

“A small town.”

Symbol

A person, object, place, action, or image that represents a meaning beyond its literal meaning.

Example: A dove → peace.

A symbol can have multiple meanings depending on context.

Allegory

A story in which characters, events, and/or settings consistently represent larger abstract ideas.

An allegory operates on both:

• a literal level

• a symbolic level

Think: The entire story is functioning as a metaphor for something else.

Archetype

A recurring, recognizable pattern in literature.

Character Archetype

Examples:

• Hero

• Mentor

• Trickster

• Villain

• Innocent

Setting Archetype

Examples:

• Garden/paradise

• Wilderness

• Underworld

• Journey

Plot Archetype

Examples:

• Quest

• Fall

• Rebirth

• Death and resurrection

Symbol Archetype

Examples:

• Light = knowledge/goodness

• Darkness = ignorance/evil

• Water = rebirth/renewal

Myth

A traditional story that explains something significant about:

• the world

• human existence

• nature

• gods

• culture

Myths often involve supernatural beings or events.

Traditional vs. Archetypal

Traditional = associated with a particular culture, historical tradition, or established story.

Archetypal = a recurring pattern that appears across many cultures and stories.

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known:

• person

• place

• event

• text

• myth

• historical event

Example: “He met his Waterloo.”

This alludes to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.

Metonymy

Replacing something with something closely associated with it.

“The White House announced...”

“The White House” means the U.S. presidential administration.

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole or the whole to represent a part.

“All hands on deck.”

“Hands” means sailors.

Key distinction:

• Metonymy: association

• Synecdoche: part ↔ whole

Oxymoron

Two contradictory terms placed together.

Examples:

• “deafening silence”

• “bittersweet”

• “jumbo shrimp”

Fable

A short story, often involving animals, that teaches a moral lesson.

Theme

The larger idea or message about life, humanity, or society that a work explores.

A theme is usually not just one word.

❌ “Love”

✅ “Love can cause people to make irrational decisions.

Moral vs. Theme

Moral: What you should learn/do.

Theme: What the story suggests about life or human experience.