AP Literature Fiction Terms

antagonist

The character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story.

denouement

A French term meaning "unraveling" or "unknotting," used to describe the resolution of the plot following the climax.

epiphany

In fiction, when a character suddenly experiences a deep realization about himself/herself.

flashback

A narrated scene that marks a break in the narrative in order to inform the reader or audience member about events that took place before the opening scene of a work.

foil

A character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character.

foreshadowing

The introduction early in a story of verbal and dramatic hints that suggest what is to come later.

narrative frame

The result of inserting one more more stories within the body of a narrative that encompasses the smaller ones

plot

An author's selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus.

point of view

The perspective from which the writer tells the story (first person, third person limited, third person omniscient, third person objective).

protagonist

The central character of a literary work.

round character

A fully developed character

setting

The physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs.

stock character

A fictional character that relies heavily on cultural types or stereotypes for its personality, manner or speech, and other characteristics. Stock characters are instantly recognizable to members of given cultures.

suspense

The anxious anticipation of a reader or an audience as to the outcome of a story.

symbol

A figure of speech in which something (object, person, situation, or action) means more than what it is. A symbol may be read literally and metaphorically.

theme

The abstract concept explored in a literary work.

conflict

A struggle between opposing forces

exposition

A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.

rising action

Events leading up to the climax

climax

the turning point of the story

falling action

the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved

in medias res

in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things

bildungsroman

A coming of age story

flat character

A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

direct characterization

The author directly states a character's traits

indirect characterization

Author subtly reveals the character through actions and interactions.

first person point of view

the narrator is a character in the story

unreliable narrator

a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, or otherwise distorted

third person point of view

someone on the outside is looking in and telling the story as he/she see it unfold.

omniscient narrator

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

limited omniscient narrator

The third person narrator relates the thoughts and feelings of only one character.

objective narrator

a third person narrator who only reports what would be visible to a camera; thoughts and feelings are only revealed if a character speaks of them

stream of consciousness

a style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind