Literary Terms 11 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core literary terms including short story forms, plot structure, character types, points of view, story devices, elements of style, and forms of fiction based on the provided review sheets.

Short Story

A fictional tale of a length that is too short to publish in a single volume like a novel, usually between five and sixty pages that can be read in a single sitting and concentrates on a single event with only one or two characters.

Novel

A narrative work that is longer and more complex than a short story, requiring several sittings to read in its entirety.

Play

A lengthy and complex work meant to be acted out or performed, divided into Acts (major sections) and Scenes (smaller sub-sections within each Act).

Plot

The events of the story or the series of actions that make up what happens in the story, traditionally divided into five parts.

Introduction

The first part of a plot where the reader meets characters, discovers the setting, and learns of the conflict through the initiating incident.

Initiating Incident

An event at the end of the introduction that demonstrates the conflict to the reader and begins the rising action.

Rising Action

The longest part of a plot that builds up the story through a series of steps leading to the climax, providing additional conflict and character information.

Climax

The part of a plot where the reader finds out what happens to the conflict or how it might be resolved.

Falling Action

The usually brief section of a plot following the climax where the story begins to wrap up.

Denouement

The conclusion or resolution following the climax that provides the last pieces of information; derived from French for 'unknotting'.

Expository Happy Ending

A conclusion where all loose ends are tied up and explained, and the ending is happy.

Expository Sad Ending

A conclusion where all loose ends are tied up and explained, and the ending is sad.

Surprise / Twist Ending

A conclusion where something happens that the reader does not expect at all.

Unresolved / Indeterminate / Cliffhanger Ending

A conclusion where the reader is left with questions, loose ends dangle, and the reader must supply part of the ending themselves.

Anti-Climax

A dull or disappointing ending to something after increasing excitement, failing to measure up to the preceding plot events.

Freytag's Pyramid

A story or plot diagram invented in 1864 by Gustav Freytag to visually represent the five plot parts and their relationships.

Characterization

The collection of characters, or people (and sometimes animals), in a short story or novel.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, who is usually, but not always, a 'good guy.'

Antagonist

The force against the protagonist, which is usually another character, but can also be self or environment.

Flat Character

A minor character with only one or two sides to their personality who may not seem realistic or life-like.

Round Character

A believable and complex character with several sides to their personality who behaves like a real person.

Dynamic Character

Also known as a kinetic character, a character who changes in an important way because of plot events.

Static Character

A character who does not change through the course of a story and retains the same personality throughout.

Stereotypical Character

Also known as a stock character, an easily recognized character 'type' who remains the same across different stories.

Character Foil

A character whose traits contrast with another character's traits when placed side by side to emphasize specific characteristics.

Caricature

A character with highly exaggerated characteristics, usually used for comic effect as an extreme form of stereotype.

Mood

The emotional setting or atmosphere of a story, created using words that evoke feeling and emotion.

Physical Setting

The combination of time, place, and season in a story described using physical details.

Theme

The message of the story stated in one or two complete sentences, describing what can be learned about life and/or people.

Internal Conflict

A struggle inside a character involving secret conflicting fears and goals that drive their behaviour.

External Conflict

A struggle outside a character involving adversities that are obvious to both the other characters and the reader.

First Person Point of View

A perspective where 'I' is the central character telling their own story.

Second Person Point of View

A perspective where the story is told directly about 'you'.

Third Person Omniscient

A third-person perspective where characters are referred to as 'she' or 'he' and the reader knows the thoughts of all characters in a 'God-like' fashion.

Third Person Limited Omniscient

A third-person perspective where the reader knows what is going on in the heads of some characters while remaining characters are treated objectively.

Third Person Objective

A third-person perspective where the author records action objectively like a movie camera without revealing any character's internal thoughts.

Deus Ex Machina

From Latin meaning 'God out of the machine,' an artificial or improbable plot event that allows for an easy and unbelievable resolution of conflict.

In Media Res

A technique of beginning a story right in the middle of the action.

Flashback

A scene or section where a character thinks back to an event that occurred before the story began.

Foreshadowing

A hint or clue provided in the story about events to come.

Suspense

Anxiety or apprehension resulting from an uncertain or mysterious situation that creates excited anticipation of an approaching climax.

Chronological Order

Describing plot events in sequence as they happen one after another following typical time order.

Dialect

The style of speaking used by a character, influenced by geographic origin, pronunciation, and regional linguistic history.

Diction

An author's specific choice and arrangement of words in a literary work.

Direct Presentation

A technique where writers state information about characters directly in the text for readers to locate.

Epiphany

A sudden realization by a character of something critical, representing a life-changing moment where new knowledge is gained.

Indirect Presentation

A technique where information about characters is shown rather than told, requiring readers to infer traits.

Verbal Irony

A form of irony occurring when the opposite of what is stated is actually meant.

Situational Irony

A form of irony occurring when an event turns out to be the opposite of what was expected by the character or reader.

Dramatic Irony

A form of irony where the audience or reader knows crucial information about characters or events that a character does not know.

Narrator

The teller of the story or person speaking in the literary work.

Paradox

A statement or situation that appears contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer examination reveals a truth.

Satire

A style of writing intended to mock or scorn an individual, institution, or society.

Symbol

An object, character, event, or setting that carries both a literal meaning and a figurative meaning representing something beyond itself.

Allegory

A story composed of multiple symbols or metaphors that carries a deeper or more general meaning beyond its surface meaning.

Legend

A story about a national or folk hero that is rooted in historical fact but incorporates imaginative material.

Myth

An anonymous traditional tale of unknown origins created to explain natural phenomena, origins, or feats of gods and goddesses.

Fable

A brief narrative in prose or verse, often featuring animal characters, that illustrates a moral truth.

Proverb

A short popular saying, usually from folklore, expressing a general observation or piece of advice.

Folk Tale

A traditional story handed down in oral or written form, encompassing forms from ancient myths to fairy tales.