Short Story Elements & Terminology

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ELA - Test is March 8th

54 Terms

1
Plot
series of events that make up the story (based on conflict)
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2
Exposition
the beginning action and dialogue which tells the reader the setting, who the characters are, what events happened before, and what the situation is now.
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3
Antecedent Action
Action that has occurred before the opening of the story
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4
Atmosphere
is the overall emotional effect or mood of a literary work
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5
Mood
is the feeling or emotional state created in the reader
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6
Foreshadowing
An early hint or suggestion of a future event or circumstance.
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7
Initiating Incident
Begins the central conflict.
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8
Rising Action
a sequence of events following each other with logical development through cause and effect
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9
Conflict
is a struggle between two opposing forces (People or Ideas)
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10
External Conflict
conflict or struggle with forces outside oneself
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11
Man vs. man
the main character is in conflict with some other person or groups of persons
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12
Man vs. environment
the main character is in conflict with nature, animals or weather
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13
Man vs. society
the main character is in conflict with law, government or discrimination
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14
Internal Conflict
conflict or struggle within oneself
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15
Man vs. self
the main character is in conflict with fear, conscience or morals
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16
Suspense
the quality in a novel/story that makes the audience uncertain or tense about what is going to happen next.
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17
Dilemma
a situation necessitating a choice between two equal, often equally undesirable, alternatives;
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18
Crisis/turning point
a moment of intense conflict which forces the character to make a decision which directly affects the outcome.
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19
Climax
point in the struggle where the problem must be resolved one way or the other. (highest point of interest and emotion)
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20
Falling action
the action of a novel/story which works out the decision arrived at during the climax.
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21
Resolution or Denouement
the section of the novel/short story which occurs after the climax.
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22
Direct character
the author or someone in the story tells us directly by exposition or analysis, what a character is like.
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23
Indirect character
the author shows us the character in action; we infer what he is like from what he thinks or says or does.
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24
Protagonist
the central character in a novel/story who is most responsible for bringing the conflict to an end.
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Antagonist
the force that opposes the central character, which can be another person(s), the character’s own weakness, desire, or belief, circumstances, nature, or environment.
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26
Dynamic Character
one who undergoes significant change in some aspect of his character, personality or values.
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27
Static Character
one who does not change in personality, outlook or values throughout the text.
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28
Round Character
one who has a number of personality traits.
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29
Flat Character
one who is characterized by one or two personality traits.
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30
Stereotype Character
one who is familiar and predictable.
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31
Stock Character
One who occurs repeatedly in a particular literary genre.
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32
Character Foil
a character that contains the opposite traits to another and serves to highlight the good / evil
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33
Consistent Character
One who does not change without motivation.
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34
Motivated Character
One who has believable reasons for a change in values or behaviour.
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35
P.O.V
The vantage point from which the author tells the story.
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36
First Person Narrator
when he/she does not understand the implications of what he/she is telling. Often the reader sees more about the characters and situations that this narrator does.
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37
Omniscient Narrator
The author is all knowing
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38
Limited Point of View
The author tells as it is seen and understood by a single character, and restricts information to what that character sees, hears, feels and thinks.
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39
Objective Point of View
The story by an external narrator. The narrator tells in an objective fashion what is said and done, and makes no attempt to explain or interpret.
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40
Stream of Conscious Narration
the author attempts to duplicate the unbroken flow of thought and awareness in a character’s mind. The technique puts on paper what is going on in the mind of a particular character.
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41
Theme
The central or dominating idea in a literary work, illustration of a basic truth of human life.
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42
Symbol
something that means more that what it is or that stands for something else.
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43
Allegory
A narrative or description which has a second meaning beneath the surface one
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44
Tone
An author’s attitude toward his or her subject and audience
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45
Satire
The ridicule of something
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46
Irony
a term with a range of meanings
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47
Verbal irony
is a statement in which the implied meaning differs sharply from the meaning that is expressed. (Saying one thing but meaning another)
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48
Dramatic Irony
is a situation in which the reader or audience knows more about the circumstances or events of a story than a character within it
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49
Situational irony
occurs when what takes place contrasts with what is expected or appropriate.
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50
Form
Refers to the shape and structure of a story
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51
Techniques
sections in short story are linked through combinations of the following devices: narrative episode, exposition, dialogue, description and flashback.
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52
Style
the individual manner in which an author expresses his or her thoughts and feelings.
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53
Deus Ex Machina
describes the entry of a coincidence or implausible event that comes just in time to solve a problem in a story.
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54
In Medias Res/Verisimilitude
a story which contains no introduction. Instead, the reader is plunged directly into the action
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