Unit 2 - The Thrill of Horror

Analysis

Close examination and discussion of something.

Characterization

The way an author reveals the personality traits and perspectives of characters in a story.

First-Person Narrator

The narrator is a character and uses the pronouns, I, me, and we.

Foreshadowing

Occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in the story.

Horror

A genre that is meant to scare, shock, and even disgust audiences. The key focus of horror is to create a sense of dread in the reader through frightening images, themes, and situations.

Literary Elements

Essential characteristic of all works of fiction. Literary elements include setting, plot, theme, characterization, and tone.

Mystery

The nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains mysterious until the end of the story.

Plot

A series of events that occur in stages of development.

Point of View

The method of narration used in short story, novel, poem, or work of nonfiction.

Reading Signposts

Common techniques that authors use to signal the reader to pay attention and to help them analyze literary elements.

Second-Person Narrator

In this uncommon narration technique, the narrator addresses the reader or readers. This is the "you" perspective. The biggest indicator of the second person is the use of second-person pronouns: you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves.

Setting

The time and place of a story.

Suspense

The growing sense of tension, fear, and excitement felt by the reader. When a story is suspenseful, the reader becomes increasingly curious about what will happen next.

Technique

A way of carrying out a particular task, especially the creation of an artistic work or a scientific procedure.

Theme

A story's message or lesson about human life.

Third-Person Narrator

The narrator is an outside observer.

Mood

The emotion or atmosphere that a work of literature conveys in a reader.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose story cannot be trusted for some reason - he or she might be purposefully lying, mentally unstable, or too young to fully understand events.