Unit 2: Narrative Vocabulary

author’s purpose

the reason a text exists; what the author or speaker hopes to accomplish through a text and why the audience is willing to engage with it

direct characterization

when an author directly describes what a character is like

indirect characterization

when character traits are NOT explicitly stated by the author and are instead are inferred based on speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, and looks

conflict

the driving event in a story that causes a struggle between two opposing forces

syntax

the arrangement of words and phrases within a sentence, which is often viewed through the lens of sentence structure and punctuation patterns

connotation

the feeling (positive, negative, or neutral) associated with a word in addition to its explicit meaning

denotation

the dictionary definition of a word independent of other associations that the word may have

flashback

literary device that interrupts the chronological action of a narrative by returning to a moment in the past

foreshadowing

a literary device where the author or speaker provides hints as to what might happen later in a narrative

symbolism

the use of objects, characters, actions, events, etc. to represent or signify something more profound or abstract than its literal existence

suspense

a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen

tension

the mental or emotional strain resulting from conflict or plot events in a narrative

point of view

the type of narrator used to tell a story (1st, 2nd, 3rd Objective, 3rd Limited, 3rd Omniscient)

perspective

the author’s/speaker’s/narrator’s/character’s attitudes, beliefs, inner thoughts, and/or feelings about something

diction

an author’s intentional choice of words or vocabulary when crafting text

style

the how that makes a text effective, sets it apart from other texts, and makes it worth the audience’s time; can be thought of as the presence of the text’s creator

descriptive details

writing that appeals to the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell)

dialogue

a conversation between characters usually set off by quotation marks to indicate the speaker’s exact words

pacing

the rate or speed of how events unfold within a piece of writing

reflection

the moment in a narrative where the reader is able to look back on plot events with serious thought and consideration

theme

central message, concern, or purpose in a literary text expressed as a complete sentence

organizational structure

the way a narrative is arranged, including the order of events, dialogue, and plot structure to enhance reader understanding and interest

establish context

introduce a character, a plot line, or other concept into a literary text so that the reader understands what is happening

tone

writer’s attitude towards the audience and subject

mood

feeling created in a reader by a piece of writing

linear narrative

narrative structure of a story that tells plot events in a consecutive order until the resolution

fractured narrative

a non-linear narrative structure; the events of the plot are not presented to the reader in chronological order as scenes may jump back and forth in time

frame narrative

a subset of fractured narratives; the narrator in one setting tells a story set in another time or place (a story within a story)