a narrative in verse or prose in which the literal events consistently point to a parallel sequence of symbolic ideas
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allusion
a brief reference in a text to a person, place, or thing, fictitious or actual
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antagonist
the most significant character or force that opposes the protagonist in a narrative or drama
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anticlimax
an unsatisfying and trivial turn of events in a literary work that occurs in place of a genuine climax
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antihero
a protagonist who is lacking in one or more of the conventional qualities attributed to a hero
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bildungsroman
genre that depicts a youth who struggles toward maturity, forming a worldview or philosophy of life
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climax
the moment of greatest intensity in a story, which almost inevitably occurs toward the end of the work
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connotation
an association or additional meaning that a word, image or phrase may carry, apart from its literal denotation or dictionary definition
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denouement
the resolution or conclusion of a literary work as plot complications are unraveled after the climax
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dialect
a particular variety of language spoken by an identifiable regional group of social class of persons
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diction
word choice or vocabulary
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dramatic point of view
a point of view in which the narrator merely reports dialogue and action with minimal interpretation or access to the characters' minds
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editorial point of view
the effect that occurs when a third-person narrator adds his or her own comments (which presumably represent the ideas and opinions of the author) into the narrative
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epigraph
a brief quotation preceding a story or other literary work
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epistolary novel
novel in which the story is told by way of letters written by one or more of the characters
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exposition
the opening portion of a narrative or drama
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fable
a brief, often humorous narrative told to illustrate a moral
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falling action
the events in a narrative that follow the climax and bring the story to its conclusion, or denouement
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first person narrator
a story in which the narrator is a participant in the action
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flat character
a character with only one outstanding trait
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folktale
a short narrative drawn from folklore that has been passed down through an oral tradition
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foreshadowing
in plot construction, the technique of arranging events and information in such a way that later events are prepared for, or shadowed, beforehand
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gothic fiction
a genre that creates terror and suspense, usually set in an isolated castle, mansion, or monastery populated by mysterious or threatening individuals
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impartial omniscience
refers to an omniscient narrator who, although he or she presents the thoughts and actions of the characters, does not judge them or comment on them
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in media res
latin meaning "in the midst of things" that refers to a narrative device of beginning a story midway in the vents it depicts (usually at an exciting or significant moment) before explaining the context or preceding actions
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interior monologue
an extended presentation of a character's thoughts in a narrative
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irony
a literary device in which a discrepancy of meaning is masked beneath the surface of the language
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limited omniscience
also called third-person limited point of view, in which the narrator sees into the minds of some but not all of the characters
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magic realism
a type of contemporary narrative in which the magical and the mundane are mixed in an overall context of realistic storytelling
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monologue
an extended speech by a single character
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motif
an element that recurs significantly throughout a narrative
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myth
a traditional narrative of anonymous authorship that arises out of a culture's oral tradition
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novella
a prose narrative longer than a short story but shorter than a novel
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omniscient narrator
a narrator who has the ability to move freely through the consciousness of any character
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parable
a brief, usually allegorical narrative that teaches a moral
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parody
a mocking imitation of a literary work or individual author's style, usually for comic effect
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persona
a fictitious character created by an author to be the speaker of a poem, story, or novel
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picaresque
a type of narrative, usually a novel, that presents the life of a likable scoundrel who is at odds with respectable society
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plot
the particular arrangement of actions, events, and situations that unfold in a narrative
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point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
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protagonist
the central character in a literary work
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realism
an attempt to reproduce faithfully the surface appearance of life, especially that of ordinary people in everyday situations
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rising action
that part of the play or narrative, including the exposition, in which events start moving toward a climax
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round character
a complex character who is presented in depth and detail in a narrative, and they change significantly during the course of a narrative
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satirical comedy
a genre using derisive humor to ridicule human weakness and folly or attack political injustices and incompetence
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selective omniscience
the point of view that sees the events of a narrative through the eyes of a single character
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setting
the time and place of a literary work
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situational irony
where the opposite of what is thought to happen happens
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stream of consciousness
not a specific technique, but a type of modern narration that uses various literary devices, especially interior monologue, in an attempt to duplicate the subjective and associative nature of human consciousness
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symbol
a person, place, or thing in a narrative that suggests meanings beyond its literal sense
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theme
a generally recurring subject or idea conspicuously evident in a literary work
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third-person narrator
a type of narration in which the narrator is a nonparticipant
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tone
the attitude toward a subject conveyed in a literary work
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total omniscience
a type of point of view in which the narrator knows everything about all of the characters and events in a story
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unreliable narrator
a narrator who, intentionally or unintentionally, relates events in a subjective or distorted manner
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verbal irony
a statement in which the speaker or writer says the opposite of what is really meant
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vulgate
the lowest level of formality in language, the diction of the common people with no pretensions at refinement or elevation
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Allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
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Omniscient narrator
a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters
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Allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
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Antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character- villain
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Anticlimax
a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events
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Antihero
a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
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Bildungsroman
A coming of age story that deals with the main character's spiritual, social, and emotional development
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Climax
Most exciting moment of the story; turning point
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Diction
word choice
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Connotation
an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
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Denouement
outcome, result, ending of story
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Dialect
a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or social group
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Dramatic point of view
point of view in which the narrator is not a character and can only report what is seen and heard
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Editorial point of view
A third person narrator adding in their own comments to the story.
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Epigraph
a quotation or saying at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.
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Epistolary novel
A novel that tells its story through letters
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Exposition
First part of story arc, generally gives context and background information about setting and characters.
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Fable
A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters
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Falling action
Events after the climax, leading to the resolution
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First-person narrator
a narrator within the story who tells the story from the "I" perspective
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Flat character
A character who is not very well developed; has few identifiable characteristics.
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Folktale
A story that is usually passed down orally and becomes part of a community's tradition
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Foreshadowing
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
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Gothic fiction
A genre that creates terror and suspense, usually set in an isolated castle, mansion, or monastery populated by mysterious or threatening individuals.
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Impartial Omniscience
Point of view employed when an omniscient narrator, who presents the thoughts and actions of the characters, does not judge them or comment on them.
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In media res
a piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action
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Interior monologue
a piece of writing expressing a character's inner thoughts
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Irony
A contrast between expectation and reality-usually direct opposites, with a comedic effect.
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Limited omniscience
occurs when an author restricts a narrator to the single perspective of either a major or minor character
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Magic Realism
a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.
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monologue
A long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.
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motif
A recurring theme, subject or idea
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myth
A traditional story about gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world or the customs and beliefs of a society.
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novella
short story
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Parable
A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson
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Parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
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Persona
an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting
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picaresque
involving clever rogues or adventurers
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Plot
Sequence of events in a story
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point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
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Protagonist
main character
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realism
A literary movement that stressed the depiction of life as it actually was.
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rising action
Events leading up to the climax, increase in tension/stress
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Flashcard (95)