Conflict
A struggle between two opposing forces
internal conflict
A struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character
man vrs self
an example of internal conflict and is a struggle between the character and some internal battle that he/she faces inside the mind.
external conflict
A struggle between a character and an outside force
Man vs. Man
conflict of one person against another
Man vs. Nature
character vs natural forces
Man vs. Society
character vs group of people
Characterization
A method an author uses to let readers know more about the characters and their personal traits.
indirect characterization
The character is revealed through their personality, appearance, words, actions, and effect on others
dynamic character
A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action
flat character
A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story
round character
A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work
Static character
A character who does not change during the story.
Satire
A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.
Flashback
A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events
Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
Motif
A recurring theme, subject or idea
Metaphor
A comparison without using like or as
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
First Person POV
The point of view is told by the character that uses the first person pronoun "I".
3rd person POV
The narrator is not in the story and uses pronouns "he", "she", or "it".
3rd person POV limited
The narrator uses an outside perspective. The narration uses the pronouns "she", "he", "it", "they". The reader gets insight to ONE character's thoughts and feelings.
3rd person POV omniscient
The narrator uses an outside perspective. The narration uses the pronouns "she", "he", "it", "they". The reader gets insight to TWO OR MORE character's thoughts and feelings.
unreliable narrator
a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, or otherwise distorted
symbol
A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
symbolism
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
simile
A comparison using "like" or "as"
Theme
Central idea of a work of literature
Diction
A writer's or speaker's choice of words
Mood
How the reader feels about the text while reading.
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.
Foreshadowing
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
Irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
dramatic irony
Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.
situational irony
irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
verbal irony
irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more characters
Scenery
Onstage decoration to help establish the time and place of a play
pantomiming
Acting without words
Breaking the 4th wall
when a character on stage addresses the audience directly, shattering the invisible wall between the fictional world of the play and the real world of the audience.
Juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
Paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
Geneology
the study of family history
Chronology
the study of historical records to establish the dates of past events
Apathy
a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest
Anarchy
absence of government
elocution
art of speaking out or reading effectively in public
Extol
to praise highly
extemporaneous
improvised; done without preparation
amorphous
shapeless, formless, vague
anonymous
of an unknown source or unrevealed name
Atheist
without god
Evacuate
move out of an unsafe location into safety
Extricate
To free from a difficult or tangled situation
exonerate
to free from blame
geology
Study of the earth
Astrology
study of the stars
Zoology
the study of animals
An/A/Il,im,in,ir
not, without
E/Ex/Extra
out, beyond
Ology/Logy
study of
Exposition
A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.
rising action
the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax.
climax
Most exciting moment of the story; turning point
Falling action
Events after the climax, leading to the resolution
Conclusion
The end or finish of an event or story.