English 9 Short Story and Literary Elements Quiz Study List

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key literary terms, plot pyramid stages, conflict categories, and focus stories for the English 9 Short Story and Literary Elements Quiz.

Plot Pyramid

The structural arrangement of events in a narrative, encompassing exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Exposition

The beginning stage of the plot pyramid where background information, setting, and main characters are introduced.

Inciting Incident

The essential plot event that introduces the primary conflict and initiates the rising action.

Rising Action

A series of complications and events in a story that build tension leading up to the climax.

Climax

The turning point or highest moment of tension and intensity in the plot pyramid.

Falling Action

The events following the climax that wrap up narrative threads and move toward the resolution.

Resolution

The final conclusion of the plot where remaining conflicts are settled.

Characterization

The methods an author uses to develop and reveal the personality and traits of a character.

Direct Characterization

Characterization where the author explicitly describes or tells the reader a character's traits.

Indirect Characterization (S.T.E.A.L.)

Characterization where a character's traits are revealed implicitly through Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, and Looks.

Protagonist

The main character or central figure around whom the story revolves.

Antagonist

The main character, force, or obstacle that opposes the protagonist.

Static Character

A character who remains largely unchanged throughout the course of the story.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change, development, or growth in the narrative.

Internal Conflict

A psychological or moral struggle taking place within a character's own mind.

Person vs. Self

A specific type of internal conflict where a character struggles against their own thoughts, decisions, or emotions.

External Conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside, external force.

Person vs. Person

A type of external conflict involving a direct confrontation or struggle between two characters.

Person vs. Natural World

A type of external conflict where a character struggles against nature, weather, or environmental forces.

Person vs. Society

A type of external conflict in which a character faces challenges from societal rules, laws, or cultural standards.

Point of View

The narrative perspective from which a story is communicated to the reader.

Setting

The overall context of a narrative, including time, place, historical/cultural context, feeling of place, imagery, and mood.

Historical/Cultural Context

The specific time period, social environment, and cultural values surrounding a story's setting.

Feeling of Place

The specific atmosphere or emotional resonance evoked by a location within the setting.

Mood

The overall atmosphere or emotional feeling created for the reader through descriptive setting details.

Diction

An author's intentional word choice and patterns of language.

Connotation

The underlying feelings, associations, or ideas connected to a word beyond its strict literal definition.

Denotation

The exact, literal dictionary definition of a word.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to physical senses to help create vivid mental representations.

Simile

A literary figure of speech comparing two distinct things using the words "like" or "as".

Metaphor

A literary figure of speech that directly compares two unalike things by stating one is another without using "like" or "as".

Personification

A figure of speech where human qualities, traits, or actions are given to non-human objects or ideas.