6th grade flash cards

Exposition

 the portion of a story that introduces important background information to the reader (introduces characters and setting, sets mood and tone of story)

Rising action

a series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest, where the main conflict unfolds, builds suspense, raises questions, and where the plot develops

Climax

the most exciting/intense part of a story, is the turning point of a story, usually results in some kind of change for the main character, and sometimes ends the story

Falling action

 the sequence of events that follow the climax

Resolution

the part of the story’s plot line in which the problem(s) of the story is/are resolved or worked out, ties up loose ends

Setting

the time and place in a story

Character

a person, animal, or an imaginary creature that takes part in the action of the story

Protagonist

the main character in a novel. We are cheering this character on, and we want to see good things happen for this character.

Antagonist

the person/situation/opposing force working against the protagonist. There can be more than one antagonist in a story. An antagonist isn’t always a person, and `sometimes it’s a situation or opposing force working against the protagonist.

Theme

 a life lesson (sometimes a theme is directly stated in a text and sometimes it is indirectly stated. There can be more than one theme in a text)

Subplot

 a secondary sequence of actions in a literary work, a plot subordinate to the main plot of a story (sometimes the subplot will support or connect main events in a story)

Parallel episodes

 repeated elements or recurring events throughout the course of the story

Mood

 the atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader to evoke certain feelings

Tone

a writer’s attitude toward a subject, audience, or self; the expression of the attitude of the writer conveyed through word choice and the viewpoint of the writer on a subject

Conflict

the struggle between opposing forces

External conflict

the character struggles against another character or against some outside force

Internal conflict

the struggle within a character

Inference

a logical guess or conclusion based on evidence

Symbolism

when one thing represents something else

Point of view

 the perspective in which events in a story are conveyed to the reader

First person point of view

the narrator is a character in the story using first person pronouns such as I, me, we, and us

Third person point of view

 the narrator is not a character in the story, and the narrator uses third person pronouns such as he, she, it, and them

Third person limited point of view

 the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of a single character

Third person omniscient point of view

an all-knowing narrator that not only reports the facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any character

Foreshadowing

a warning or indication of a future event

Flashback

a scene in a novel, movie, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story (a character might remember something that happened before the action in the story)

Allusion

an indirect or passing reference; an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly

Dialogue

a conversation between two or more characters in a book, movie, or play

Allegory

a story or poem that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one