Literary Device Study Guide (The Outsiders)

1st Person POV

the narrator is a character in the story

3rd Person POV

the story is told from a person who is not in the story

Flashback

an interruption in the action of a story to tell about something that happened earlier in time

Idiom

a slang expression or a coded message communicating a special meaning to those who know the code

Characterization

the methods used to present the personality of a character

Foreshadowing

the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest action that is to come

Setting

the time and place in which the events of a story take place

Mood

the emotional response a reader has to a scene

Simile

a figure of speech using like or as to compare two things

Conflict

the struggle that takes place between opposite forces

Metaphor

a figure of speech which suggests or implies a comparison

Suspense

the quality in a literary work which makes the reader tense

Dynamic Character

a character who undergoes an important change

Static Character

one that doesn't change from the start of the story through to the end. Although the character may go on an adventure, the character's personality, situation and physical appearance will remain the same

Symbol/Symbolism

any person, place or thing which has meaning in itself, but which is made to represent or stand for something else