literation terms

fiction

prose writing that tells about imaginary character and events. Shirt stories and are novels are examples of this type of writing. Some writers base their writing on actual events and people, adding invented characters, dialogue, setting and plots.

novel

a long work of fiction- it contains such elements as characters, plot, conflict, and setting. the writers ( novelist) develops these elements. in addition to a main plot, it may also have several themes.

novella

a work of fiction that if longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

short story

a brief work of fiction. like a novel, it presents a sequence of events, or plot. The plot usually deals with a central conflict faced by a main character, or protagonist. the event usually communicates a message about life or human nature. this message, or central idea, is the story’s theme

plot

sequence of events in which each event results in a previos and causes the next. in most novels, dramas, and short stories, and narrative poems, it involves both characters and central conflict.

expositions

introduces the setting ( the time and place of the story), the characters, and the basic situation ( conflict is often introduced at the end of this part of the plot)

rising action

events that increase the tension.

climax

the turning point in the story. it is the high point in the action of the plot. it is the moment of greatest tension when the outcome of the plot hangs balanced.

falling action

is the part of a story when the conflict lessens; events that follow the climax.

resolution

is the story’s conclusion; final outcome is achieved; loose ends are tied up.

character

a person or animal that takes part in the action of a literary work. the main, or major, one is the most important one in the story, poem, or play. a minor one takes part in the action but is the the focus of attention.

setting

the time or place of the action, it includes all the details of a place time- the year, the time of day, even the weather.

theme

central message, concern, or purpose in a literary work. it can usually be expressed as a generalization, or general statement, about human being or about life. it is not a summary of its plot.

point of view

the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told. it is either a narrator outside the story or a character in the story.

conflict

a struggle between opposing forces. it is one of the most important elements of stories, novels, and plays because it causes the action. there are two type: internal and external.

Flashback

A scene within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to relate events that occurred in the past.

Foreshadowing

The author’s use of clues to hint at what night happen later in the story.

External conflict

One in which a character struggles again some kind of outside force, such as another person. Ana character and some other one my occur between a character and some force in nature.

internal conflict

It takes place within the mind of a character. The character struggles to make a decision, take an action, or overcome a feeling.

First person point of view

Told by a character who uses the first person pronoun “I”.

Third person point of view

There are two kinds, limited and omniscient. This is called “third person” because the narrator uses third person pronouns such as he or she to refer to the character.

Third person limited point of view

The narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only one character, and everything in viewed from thhat character’s perspective.

Dialect

The form of a language spoke by people in a particular region or group. They differ in pronunciation, grammar, and word choice. ( The use of it gives a short story a more authentic feel and helps a character’s words sound more authentic.

Dialogue

conversation between characters. In poems, novels, and short stories, dialogue is usually set off by quotations mark to indicate a speaker’s exact words.

Protagonist

The main character in a literary work. It is often a parson but sometimes it can be an animal.

Antagonist

This is a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

Allittertion

The repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use this device to draw attention to certain words, ideas, to imitate sounds, and create musical effects.

Tone

The writer”s attitude toward his or her audience and subject. It can often be describe by single adjective, such as formal or informal, serious or playful, bitter, or iconic.

Mood

The general feeling or atmosphere that a piece of writing creates within the creator.

Third person omniscient point of view

The narrator know and tells about what each character feels and thinks.

comedy

a literary work, especially a play, which is light, often humorous or satirical, and ends happily. they frequently depict ordinary characters faced with temporary difficulties and conflicts.

drama

a story written to be performed by actors. Although it is meant to be performed, one an also read the script, or written version, and imagine the action

script

made up of diologe and stage directions

dialogue

the words spoken by the actors

acts

this is how drama is divided

stage directions

notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be performed or staged. these are usually printed in italics and enclosed within parentheses or brackets. they describe the movements, costumes, emotional states, and ways of speaking of the character.

scene

a section of uninterrupted action in the act of a drama

playwright

a person who rites plays

tragedy

a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character. In modern drama, the main character can be an ordinary person and the cause of it can be some evil in society itself

set

the scenery used for a play or a movie

theater

a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are given

prop

a portable object other than furniture or costumes used on the set of a play or movie

dynamic character

one who changes or grows during the course of the work

static character

one who does not change

figurative language

is writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally. The many tyoes are known as figures of speech. Common figures of speech include metaphor, personification, and simile. Writers use these techniques to state the ideas in vivid and imaginative ways.

hyperbole

a form of figurative language that uses exaggeration for effect.

imagery

a technique of writing with images

images

words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses. writers use these to describe how their subjects look, sound, feel, taste, and smell.

metaphor

a figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else. It works by pointing out a similarity between two unlike things.

motive

a reason that explains or partially explains a character’s thoughts, feelings, actions, or speech as clear as possible.

narrative

a story. Novels and short stories are fictional examples. Biographies and autobiographies are nonfiction examples

onomatopoeia

is the use of words the imitate sounds. crash, buzz, screech, hiss, neigh, jingle, and cluck are all examples

personification

figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given a human characteristic.

repetition

the use, more than once, of any element of language-a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence.

simile

a figure of speech that uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas. Everyday speech contains these, such as “pale as a ghost,” “good as god,” “spread like wildfire,” and “clever as a fox.”

symbol

anything that stands for or represents something else. these are common in everyday life. A dove with an olive branch is its beak means peace. blindfolded women holding a balanced scale stands for justice.

universal theme

a message about life that is expresses regularly in many different cultures and time periods. Folk tales, epics, and romances often contain these like the importance of courage, the power of love, or the danger of greed.

allusion

a reference to something else. in literary it’s frequently used to reference cultural work (e.g. a Biblical story or greek myth).