storytelling test

allegory

a narrative whose characters, events, and settings serve as symbols that convey a deeper, often moral or political, meaning in addition to the literal storyline.

antagonist

the persons, objects, societal conventions, or inner traits that oppose the protagonist and create the central conflict.

atmosphere

the overall feeling or mood that the reader experiences, created by the setting, the way characters are portrayed, and the narrator’s tone.

direct characterization

the author tells the reader outright about a character’s traits, appearance, or personality through straightforward statements or descriptive adjectives (e.g., “Sam was happy and confident”).

indirect characterization

the author lets readers infer a character’s traits from what the character does, says, thinks, and looks like and how others respond, rather than stating the traits outright.

character foil

a secondary character whose traits contrast with those of the protagonist, thereby emphasizing particular aspects of the main character’s personality.

climax

the story’s turning point of highest tension, where the main character’s situation changes dramatically, usually near the end after the conflict has been fully developed.

conflict

the central tension or problem in a story, expressed as a struggle between opposing force

resolution/denouement

the final outcome or resolution of a story that follows the climax, tying up loose ends and bringing the narrative to its close.

protagonist

the main character

symbol

a material object or sign that stands for, represents, or suggests a larger concept, idea, or abstract meaning.

creation stories

a traditional narrative that explains how the universe, Earth, and humanity came into existence, often featuring deities or supernatural beings and forming a foundational part of a culture’s identity and worldview.

origin/transformer stories

traditional stories set in a distant, mythic past that explain how peoples, plants, animals, natural landmarks, and the special relationships between communities and their land came into being. They attribute the present world’s features to the actions of legendary beings or transformative forces.

trickster character

a clever, mischievous figure who uses wit, deception, and rule‑breaking to subvert norms, challenge authority, and create chaos; often amoral, unpredictable, and capable of both creation and destruction.

oral traditions

the process of passing cultural knowledge, history, and beliefs by spoken word across generations, encompassing stories, myths, songs, proverbs, and other verbal forms.

worldview

a comprehensive philosophy of life or way of understanding the world. In Indigenous contexts, a worldview is a belief‑based system that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the environment, rooted in ancestral land connections and oral traditions. It sees humans as part of a larger web of relationships—including plants, animals, and spirits—and often contrasts with Western perspectives that prioritize individualism.

indigenous regalia

the traditional clothing, adornments, and objects worn by Indigenous peoples during ceremonies, cultural events, and significant life moments; a sacred, personal expression of cultural identity rather than a costume.

elder

an older, respected, and knowledgeable person who holds authority or guidance within a family or community.

cultural appropriation

the process whereby one culture adopts elements (customs, symbols, knowledge, etc.) from another culture and uses them—often for its own benefit—without proper acknowledgment or respect for the originating culture.

colony/colonization

a territory that is under the full or partial political control of a foreign (often distant) nation and is settled by people from that nation.

situational irony

a contrast between what a character (or the reader) expects to happen and what actually occurs.

theme

the central idea, message, or lesson that a story conveys, often something the main character (or the reader) can learn from the events and outcomes.

suspense

a feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next, created by the writer to keep the audience engaged.

stock character

a one‑dimensional figure defined by stereotyped traits (e.g., gender, class, ethnicity) that serves as a familiar, easily recognizable type.

static character

a character who remains unchanged throughout the work, with no development or new insight revealed to the reader.

setting

the time, place, and overall mood in which a literary work occurs.

round character

a well‑developed, many‑sided figure whose behavior is complex and not always predictable.

point of view

the combination of who tells the story (the narrator) and how the story is told (the point of view or narrative mode).

plot

the organized sequence of incidents in a story, composed of episodes and conflict, typically following a rising action, climax, and falling action.

omniscient point of view

the narrator has god‑like knowledge, able to enter any character’s mind and reveal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

objective point of view

the narrator reports only what can be seen or heard from outside the characters, without access to their thoughts or feelings.

narrator

the person or voice that tells the story; identifying the narrator is essential for determining the point of view.

narrative

the story or account itself, encompassing the events, characters, and structure that convey the plot.

limited point of view

the narrator uses “he/she/they” and follows only one character’s experiences, showing that character’s thoughts and feelings while keeping other characters’ inner lives hidden.

internal conflict

the psychological struggle that occurs within a character’s mind, often expressed as a person‑versus‑self tension. It involves the character wrestling with doubts, fears, desires, or moral dilemmas that drive the story’s emotional core.

genre

a category of literary work defined by its style, subject matter, or form (e.g., horror, comedy, tragedy, science fiction).

foreshadowing

a subtle hint that anticipates future events.

flat character

a minor figure with limited depth or development.

flashback

a narrative technique that presents a scene or event occurring earlier than the current point in the story, revealing background information or prior circumstances.

first person point of view

a narrative perspective in which the story is told by a narrator who uses “I” or “we” to relate events.

external conflict

a struggle between two opposing characters or forces.

exposition

the opening portion of a narrative that supplies essential background information about the characters, setting, and situation.

dynamic character

a character who undergoes development or change over the course of the story.

dramatic irony

a narrative situation in which the audience possesses knowledge that the characters lack, creating tension or humor as the story unfolds.

dialogue

the spoken lines exchanged between characters in a literary work.