Short Story Terms

Dramatic Irony

Reader knows more than the characters do.

Situational Irony

Outcome is the opposite of what’s expected.

Internal Conflict

Struggle within a character (choices, guilt, fear).

External Conflict

Struggle against outside forces (others, society, nature).

Exposition

Introduces setting, characters, background.

Inciting Incident

Event that launches main conflict.

Rising Action

Complications and tension build.

Climax

Turning point; peak of tension.

Falling Action

Events after climax, heading toward closure.

Resolution/Denouement

Final outcome, tying up loose ends.

First Person Central

Narrator is main character.

First Person Peripheral

Narrator observes the main character.

Third Person Omniscient

Narrator knows thoughts/feelings of all characters.

Third Person Limited

Narrator follows thoughts of one character.

Objective Narrator

Reports only observable actions/speech, no thoughts.

Protagonist

Main character, drives the story.

Antagonist

Opposes the protagonist.

Dynamic Character

Changes significantly over time.

Static Character

Remains essentially the same.

Round Character

Complex, multi-sided personality.

Flat Character

One-dimensional, little depth.

Character Development

Growth and change over story.

Character Regression

Decline or loss of qualities over story.

Foreshadowing

Hints at future events.

Flashback

Past event shown to give context.

Metaphor

Direct comparison without “like” or “as.”

Simile

Comparison using “like” or “as.”

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things.

Symbolism

Object, character, or event stands for a larger idea.

Allusion

Reference to another text, event, or figure.

Diction

Word choice and style.

Tone

Author’s attitude toward subject.

Mood

Feeling created for the reader.

Atmosphere

Overall emotional effect, often linked to setting.

Connotation

Emotional/associative meaning of a word.

Denotation

Literal dictionary definition.

Theme

Central idea or message of the story.

Epiphany

Sudden realization or insight for a character.

Setting

Time, place, and social environment of the story.