The Landscape of Philippine Fiction

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key literary terms, concepts, and figures from the lecture notes.

Fiction

A story that is made up and not literally true; it may resemble reality and is a fundamental form of storytelling.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story; it reveals the conflict, crisis, and resolution.

Exposition

The beginning of a story where the scene is set, characters are introduced, and background is provided.

Inciting Incident

An event that signals the conflict will begin; sometimes called the complication.

Rising Action

The part where the conflict develops and the story becomes more exciting.

Climax

The point of greatest tension in the story; the turning point that often determines the ending.

Falling Action

The events after the climax where conflicts start to resolve and things fall into place.

Denouement

The ending of a story, often including an explanation of what happened and how characters feel.

Freytag's Diagram

A plot-structure diagram showing exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.

Gustav Freytag

German novelist who proposed the Freytag pyramid and observed common patterns in plots.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

Character

A person or thing in a narrative; the reason readers engage with the story.

Character traits

Descriptive qualities of a character (e.g., kind, confusing, annoying, bratty, rich, complicated).

Symbolism

The use of symbols to signify something beyond their literal meaning, often highlighting conflict or social themes.

Irony

A contrast between appearance and reality used to emphasize a central idea.

Verbal Irony

When what is said differs from what is meant; often sarcastic.

Situational Irony

When the actual outcome differs from the expected outcome.

Dramatic Irony

When readers know more than the characters about what is really going on.

Conflict

The central struggle in a story; there are four major types.

Man vs Man

A character's conflict with another character.

Man vs Society

A character's conflict with societal norms or institutions.

Man vs Nature

A character's conflict with the natural world.

Man vs Self

A character's internal conflict or struggle.

Dead Stars

A short story by Paz Marquez Benitez about Alfredo Salazar, Esperanza, and Julia Salas; the title symbolizes a love that dies.

Alfredo Salazar

Protagonist in Dead Stars; engaged to Esperanza; secretly loves Julia; often described as indecisive.

Esperanza

Alfredo's fiancée; homely, faithful, principled.

Julia Salas

The other woman in Dead Stars; sister-in-law to Judge Del Valle; portrayed as impassioned and principled.

Don Julian

Old man; father of Alfredo and Carmen.

Paz Marquez Benitez

Filipina short-story writer, dubbed 'mother of us all,' who wrote Dead Stars as one of the first Filipino modern English-language stories.

Mara Clara

One of the most popular Philippine telenovelas on television.