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30 question quiz 8/26
allegory
a story in which characters, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts
allusion
a reference to a person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or pop culture
ambiguity
an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way
anachronism
assignment of something to a time when it was not in existence
anecdote
a brief recounting of a relevant episode. they are often inserted into fictional or nonfiction texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor
antagonist
character in a story or play who opposes the protagonist; while not necessarily an enemy, the antagonist creates or intensifies a conflict
apostrophe
a form of figurative language when the speaker directly addresses a dead person, absent person or abstract quality as if living and able to respond
archetype
a “primordial image” of character, plot pattern, symbols that are part of the collective unconscious which recur in literature and evoke profound emotional responses
aside
private words that a character in a play speaks to the audience or to another character that are not supposed to be overheard by others on stage
atmosphere
the mood or feeling of a literary work
catharsis
the emotional release felt by the audience at the end of a tragedy
climax
the point of greatest emotional intensity or suspense in a plot when the outcome of the conflict becomes known
comic relief
humorous speeches and incidents during the serious action of a tragedy; frequently comic relief widens and enriches the tragic significance of the work
conflict
tension or struggle that drives the plot
deus ex machina
any artificial or contrived device used at the end of a plot to resolve or untangle the complications
dialogue
conversation between two or more characters
direct characterization
the personality of a character revealed through directly stating the character’s traits
dramatic irony
when a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a character’s perception of reality
dynamic character
a character that changes a major way because of the story’s action
epigraph or epigram
a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of a theme
ephiphany
a major character’s moment of realization or awareness
exposition
background information provided by a writer to enhance a reader’s understanding of the context of a fictional or nonfictional story
external conflict
a character struggles against some outside force: another character; society as a whole; or some natual forcefal
falling action
the fallout or result of the climax or turning point
frame story
one or more characters tell individual stories within a narrative
Freytag’s plot pyramid
this is an evenly balanced plot development, often used in drama
first person narrator
the narrator is a character in the story using the first-person pronoun I to tell his or her story
flashback
a scene that is set in an earlier time than the main actionf
foil
a character whose traits are the opposite of another and who thus points up the strengths and weaknesses of the other character
foreshadowing
the use of clues to hint at events that will occur in a plot
heroic journey
a three-act journey that includes: departure, initiation, and return
Inciting incident
the main conflict that sets the plot in motioni
indirect characterization
the writer reveals the personality of a character through description, dialogue, private thoughts and feelings; the effect on others; and the character’s actions
in medias res
latin for “middle of things” a technique in which a narrative begins in the middle of the action
internal conflict
a character’s struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotionsm
mood
an atmosphere created by a writer’s word choice (diction)
monologue
a long, formal speech made by a character in a playm
moral
the lesson drawn from a fictional or nonflictional story
motif
a recurrent image, idea, or symbol that contributes to the big idea
narrator
the character, or persona, that the author uses to tell a story
novel
an extended piece of prose fiction, normally 50,000+ words
omniscient narrator
an all-knowing narrator who tells the story from outside the story, like as a god-like observer
parable
an allegorical short story that teaches a moral or religious lesson
parody
an exaggerated imitation of a usually more serious work for humorous purposespe
perspective
how narrators, characters, or speakers see their circumstances
plot
series of related events that make up a story or drama
point of view
the vantage point from which a fictional or nonfictional story is told. first person, limited third person, or omniscient points of view are commonly used
protagonist
the main character in a dramatic or narrative work, usually trying to accomplish some objective or working toward some goal
resolution
all the problems in the story are resolved and the story ends (denouement)
sarcasm
the kind of particularly cutting irony, in which praise is used tauntingly to indicate its opposite meaning
satire
a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. it’s purpose is customarily to inspire change
setting
the location, cultural standards, and time in which the action occurs
situational irony
something takes place that is different or the opposite of what is expected to happen
soliloquy
when a character in a play speaks his inner thoughts aloud
static character
a character who does not change much in the story
suspense
the uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen next in a story
symbol
an object, event, or person that represents an idea
theme
a central idea of a work of fiction, or nonfiction, revealed and developed in a story or explored through argument
limited third person narrator
an outside narrator who knows everything about the characters and tells the story for the vantage point of one character
tragic flaw
tragic error in judgment, a mistaken act which changes the fortune of the tragic hero from happiness to misery
verbal irony
when the reader is aware of a discrepancy between the real meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the writer’s wrods
