Lit Term

Exposition

the beginning of the plot where the author introduces the reader to characters, setting, narrator, and point of view

rising action

the second part of a plot diagram where events begin and build suspense and create conflict

Climax

the third part of a plot diagram; the turning point of the story

Falling action

the fourth part of a plot diagram with no new events or plot points; after crisis and before the resolution

Resolution

the fifth part of a plot diagram where conflict is resolved and the story concludes

Foreshadowing

a hint of things to come

Internal conflict

 a character struggles with his or her own opposing desire, beliefs, or needs (man vs self)

External conflict

a character struggles against an outside force (man vs man, man vs nature, man vs society

Mood/atmosphere

the feeling the reader gets from a piece of literature

Point of View

the perspective from which a story is told

First Person

the narrator is a character who participates in the action of the story and uses I and me to describe himself or herself

Third person omniscient

the narrator knows everything (all-knowing), including the thoughts and feelings of ALL the characters

Third person limited

the narrator sees things through ONE character’s eyes and reveals that character’s feelings and thoughts

Symbolism

a symbol is an object, person, place, etc. that means more than what is actually is

Setting

time and place in which a story occurs

Hyperbole

figure of speech that uses exaggeration to excess string emotion

Metaphor

comparison between two objects without using like or as

Allusion

reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Juxtaposition

an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

Euphemism

a mild word substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

Colloquiasm

informal speech that people use in everyday language

Broad generalization

a statement mostly based on limited knowledge about a large group of things, places, or people

Protagonist

main character or hero of story

Antagonist

a character or force in conflict with a main character or protagonist

Allegory

a story with two or more levels or meaning - literal level and one or more symbolic levels

Analogy

1. comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but other ways unalike

Direct characterization

a method of indicating what a character is like by directly stating their personality traits

Indirect characterization

a method of indicating what a character is like by revealing their personality through descriptions of their actions, speech, appearance, and interactions with other characters

Foil

a character who provides a strong contrast to another character

Motif

recurring subject, theme, idea, etc

Narrator

speaker or character who tells the story

Testimonial

formal statement testifying to someone or something’s character

Tone

reflection of a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject of literary work

anecdote

Brief story told to entertain or to make a point

Author’s purpose

An author’s main reason for writing

Dynamic character

A character who experiences physical or mental change throughout a work

Static character

A character who remains the same throughout the week

Round character

A character who has many different qualities

Flat character

A character a reader knows for having one main quality

Context

Set of facts or circumstances surrounding an event or a situation in a piece of literature

Archetype

Type of character, detail, image, or situation that appears in literature throughout history

Onomatopeia

Use of words that imitate sounds

Symbol

An object, person, place, etc. that means more than what it is

Theme

Central message of a work

Simile

Comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Fallacy

Erroneous reasoning that renders arguments logically unsound

Paradox

Statement that seems to say two opposite things, but may be true