English Finals - Lit Terms

Theme

An insight about human life that's revealed in a literary work.

Story-telling Arc

The traditional structure of a story: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Exposition

Introduction to the story including primary characters, setting, mood, and time.

Mood

The atmosphere and emotion created by the setting and tone.

Conflict

The primary problem that drives the plot. The goal for the protagonist to overcome.

Protagonist

Main character, often the hero, who works toward resolving the conflict.

Rising Action

All events leading to the climax, building suspense and developing characters.

Climax

The most exciting, turning point of the story.

Falling Action

Events following the climax, tying up loose ends.

Resolution

How the story ends; may leave the reader satisfied, frustrated, or thoughtful.

Literal Language

Language that means exactly what it says.

Figurative Language

Language that creates imagery and uses figures of speech like simile or metaphor.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as."

Metaphor

A direct comparison not using "like" or "as."

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds (e.g., buzz, crash).

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things.

Idiom

A phrase with a meaning different from its literal meaning (e.g., “kick the bucket”).

Alliteration

Repetition of beginning consonant sounds.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds.

Point of View (POV)

Perspective from which the story is told (1st person, 3rd person limited, omniscient, etc.).

First-Person

Uses I and We pronouns

Third-Person Limited

Focuses on one character only

Third-Person Omniscient

All-knowing

Third-Person Objective

Journalistic/No inner thoughts

Antagonist

The character or force opposing the protagonist.

Antihero

When the protagonist is actually a villian of the story, but we empathize anyway.

Foil

A character who contrasts with the protagonist to highlight traits.

Symbol

An object that represents a larger idea.

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

Allegory

A story with two levels of meaning - literal and symbolic, often conveying a moral.

Archetype

A typical example of a character, theme, or setting repeated across cultures.

Hero’s Journey

A narrative pattern where a hero goes on an adventure, faces a crisis, and returns transformed.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that continues beyond the first comparision sentence. Could be an entire work.

Diction

The words a writer chooses, or enunciation of words

Dialect

A particular way of speaking that is unique to a social class or region.

Dialogue

The words a character in a story speaks, or a fancy word for discussion.

Figures of Speech

Non-literal language used for effect (includes idioms, metaphors, etc.) (“I’ve got your back”)

Pun

A humorous play on words.

Paradox

A statement with two contradictory ideas that may still be true.

Characterization

How a character is developed.

Direct Characterization

Directly telling the character’s attributes

Indirect Characterization

The author revealing the character by showing throughout certain scenes in a book or movie. Not directly stated.

Static Character

Does not change over the course of the story.

Dynamic Character

Undergoes a significant internal change.

Flat Character

Simple, one-dimensional.

Round Character

Complex/Lifelike and multi-dimensional.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

Flashback

Interrupting the narrative to show past events.

Rhetoric

The art of persuasion.

Ethos

Credible sources/your credibility

Pathos

Touching reader's emotions

Logos

Using logical arguments/facts to prove point

Denotation

Literal meaning of a word.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose.

Parody

An imitation with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Motif

A recurring element (image, idea, symbol) that supports the theme.

Pathetic Fallacy

A type of personification that attributes human emotion to nature or weather.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

Situational Irony

When the opposite of what is expected occurs.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not.

Aposiopesis

A sudden breaking off in speech due to emotion.

Literary Present

Using present tense to discuss events in literature.

Euphemism

A polite or mild expression used to refer to something harsh or unpleasant.

Euphony

Pleasant, harmonious sound.

Litotes

Understatement using double negatives or a negation to affirm (e.g., "not bad" = good