Short Story Unit Test

short story

protagonist

the person around whom the conflict revolves

antagonist

the most prominent of the characters who oppose the protagonist

characterization

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

character

a person in a text

flat character

a character who has few personality traits (they can be summed up by a single phrase: the loyal sidekick, the buffoon, the nosy neighbor)

round character

a character who has more dimensions to their personalities— they are more complex, just as real people are

static character

a character who does not change much in the course of the story

dynamic character

a character who changes in some important way as a result of the story’s events

direct characterization

the author’s stated opinion about the character

indirect characterization

character development through:

• physical description

• the character’s thought, feelings, and words

• the comments and reactions of others

  • the actions of the character

foil

a character whose qualities or actions serve to emphasize those of the protagonist by providing a strong contrast with them

internal conflict

the problem lies within the main character

external conflict

outside forces act upon the main character

setting

the where/geography, when/time, weather, and season, AND how it affects plot and character

theme

1. the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

2. themes are rarely stated directly in literature

3. most often, a reader has to infer the theme of a work after considerable thought

plot

1. the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story

2. made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another

3. it doesn’t just tell what happened; it tells why it happened

exposition

1. this usually occurs at the beginning of a short story— here the characters are introduced

2. we also learn about the setting of the story

3. most importantly, we are introduced to the main conflict (main problem)

rising action

this part of the story begins to develop the conflict(s). A building of interest or suspense occurs

climax

1. this is the turning point of the story in which the main character is forced to change as a result

2. usually the main character comes face to face with a conflict

3. the main character will change in some way

falling action

all loose ends of the plot are tied up. The conflict(s) and climax are taken care of

denouement/resolution

the story comes to a reasonable ending

mood

the feeling a text arouses in its reader

tone

the author’s stance toward the subject

foreshadowing

a literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot decelopments to come later in the story

flashback

a move back in time to an earlier incident

point of view

the vantage point from which the writer tells a story

first-person

1. one of the characters in the story tells the story

2. the narrator uses first person pronouns such as I and we

3. readers can know only what the narrator knows

third-person limited

1. an unknown narrator (usually thought of as the author) tells the story

2. the narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts and feelings of only one character

3. in the case of third-person limited point of view, the narrator can tell us many things about the character, things that the character himself (or herself) might be unaware of

third-person omniscient

1. an “all-knowing” narrator tells the story

2. this narrator often tells us everything about many characters: their motives, weaknesses, hopes, childhoods, and sometimes their futures

(third-person) objective

1. an impersonal and objective narrator

2. no opinionated comment on any characters or events

3. like the point of view of a movie camera

4. readers can know only what the camera might see

5. the narrator does not reveal the unspoken thoughts of the character

figurative language

1. words and expressions used figuratively, words that mean in a particular context something more than any dictionary definition would lead us to expect

2. the figures of speech that create these extra meanings

simile

a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles

metaphor

a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of specific words of comparison

personification

a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase

allusion

an implied or indirect reference especially in literature and film; references are often made to Greek gods or goddesses, Shakespeare, the bible, specific historical events or figures, and widely known aspects of popular culture

symbol

a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself

dramatic irony

• a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

• when words and actions possess a significance that the listener or audience understands, but the speaker or character does not

verbal irony

• words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

• when a speaker says one thing but means another, or when a literal meaning is contrary to its intended effect. An example of this is sarcasm.

situational irony

• an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

• when the result of an action is contrary to the desired or expected effect. Likewise, cosmic irony is disparity between human desires and the harsh realities of the outside world (or the whims of the gods)

feminist lens

analyzing literature through the eyes of a feminist. To look for examples of inequality of treatment or opportunity among genders

historical lens

analyzing literature through the eyes of an historian. To look for how literature can inform readers about history and how history has had an impact on the literature of the time