Summer Vocab - Literary Terms

allegory

a story within a story. “surface” story, but then a hidden story.

allusion

a reference to something else.

Alter ego

a secondary self.

anecdote

a very short story that is significant to the topic at hand.

antagonist

the opposite of the protagonist or main character. Usually villain, BUT not always.

anthropomorphism

given human traits or attributes to animals, inanimate objects, or other non-human things

antithesis

the opposite of a statement, concept, or idea

archetype

an idea, symbol, pattern, or character-type in a story. Usually universal idea.

bildungsroman

a tale in which the main character transforms from child to adult, or a least takes some major steps in that direction.

characterization

any time the author uses details to teach us about a character

climax

the highest point of tension or drama in a narratives’ plot

comic relief

jokes to ease the burden or difficult circumstances

connotation

a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning

denouement

the very end of a story, the part where all the different plot lines are finally tied up and all remaining questions answered

deuteragonist

the secondary character, right behind the protagonist in importance. Can be love interest or can be the villain/main rival.

dialect

any particular form of a language spoken by some group of people

doppelganger

a twin or double of some character, usually in the form of an evil twin

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something that characters don't

dystopia

a horrible place where everything has gone wrong

epilogue

an optional final chapter of a story

extended metaphor

a metaphor that is developed in great detail

irony

the difference between expectations and reality

juxtaposition

the placement of two or more things side by side, often in order to bring out their differences

motif

a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story

nemesis

an enemy, often a villain

parody

a work that’s created by imitating an existing original work in order to make fun of or comment on an aspect of the original

protagonist

another word for “main character”

satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices

trope

any type of figure of speech, theme, image, character, or plot element that is used many times

verisimilitude

the quality of resembling reality