AP English Literature – Plot and Dramatic Situation

Question-and-answer flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and examples about plot, dramatic situation, conflict, and narrative structure from the Part 3 lecture notes.

What is the definition of plot in a narrative?

The progression or sequence of connected events—often linked by cause-and-effect—through which a story unfolds.

How do Alan Cheuse and Nicholas Delbanco famously describe plot?

As “an artful arrangement of incidents.”

What does the dramatic situation of a story include?

The setting, the action of the plot, and the way those elements place characters in conflict.

Why is conflict considered the heart of a dramatic situation?

Because it pulls readers into the story and drives characters’ changing fortunes.

Name three common types of conflict mentioned in the notes.

Character vs. character, character vs. self, and character vs. environment/society.

In Richard Wright’s Native Son, what inciting incident propels the entire plot?

Bigger Thomas accepting a job with the wealthy White Dalton family.

According to the notes, what would happen to Native Son if Bigger Thomas were removed?

The story would not move forward, because his choices drive the plot.

List the five labeled parts of the plot diagram provided (A–E).

A) Incitement, B) Opening exposition, C) Rising action, D) Dénouement, and E) Resolution.

What is exposition in the context of plot?

Background information that introduces characters, setting, and basic situation to focus readers’ attention on what matters most to the narrative.

What does the ‘butterfly effect’ metaphor illustrate about plot?

Small initial causes can trigger large, cascading effects in a story’s sequence of events.

What are the AP skill codes associated with understanding plot structure in these notes?

STR-1.A and STR-1.B (Unit Skill 3.A and 3.B).

What essential question guides Part 3 of the AP Course and Exam Description?

“How does the plot order the events of the narrative, and how does a particular sequence of events in a plot function?”

According to the notes, what function does the beginning sequence of events usually serve?

It provides the impetus for the story—the initial situation or conflict that sets events in motion.

What is the primary function of the middle sequence of events in a narrative?

To show how characters encounter conflicts or challenges and attempt to resolve them.

How does the final sequence of events function in most stories?

It brings the story to a close, resolving conflicts and tying up loose ends.

On Kurt Vonnegut’s story graph, what do the x-axis and y-axis represent?

The x-axis represents time (beginning to end), and the y-axis represents the character’s fortunes (from misery to happiness).

Describe the basic shape of Vonnegut’s “Man in the Hole” story.

The protagonist starts at moderate fortune, falls into bad fortune due to conflict, struggles upward, and ends better off than at the start.

What ultimately determines the ‘shape’ of a story, according to Vonnegut and these notes?

The characters’ responses to conflict and the resulting changes in their fortunes.

How can removing or altering one element of a dramatic situation affect a story, as illustrated by Native Son?

It can significantly change or even eliminate the entire story because the elements are tightly interconnected by cause-and-effect.

Why do experienced readers pay close attention to connected, sequenced events in a plot?

Because understanding how each event builds on previous events helps them grasp character development, conflict escalation, and thematic complexity.