HONORS ENGLISH 1

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PLOT

The sequence of events in a story

What are the 5 “events” of a PLOT

Exposition, riding action, climax, falling action, Resolution

exposition

first stage of a plot in a typical story.

• important background information

• introduces the setting and the important characters.

Rising action

the stage in a plot in which the conflict develops and story events build toward a climax.

• Complications arise that make the conflict more intense.

• Suspense builds as the characters struggle to resolve the conflict.

Climax

The turning point and the moment of greatest suspense.

• It is the point of maximum interest or tension.

• Think of the climax as the “can’t go back” moment. 

Falling Action

Follows the climax and reveals the outcome of the story’s climax.

• Shows how the main character resolves the conflict.

• Eases the suspense

• however, the final outcome of the story is not yet fully worked out in this stage. 

Resolution

Reveals the final outcome and ties up any loose ends.

• stories leave readers with some unanswered questions in the _________. 

Conflict

a struggle between opposing forces.

• There can be multiple conflicts occuring in the same story.

internal Conflict

Occurs within a character’s mind (person vs. Self). 

• The struggle usually centers on a choice or decision the character must make.

external conflict

_______ conflict is a clash between a character and an outside force.

                   Types:

• Person vs. Person

• Person vs. Nature 

• Person vs. Society 

• Person vs. the Supernatural 

Setting

Time and location that a story takes place. When examining how setting contributes to a story, there are multiple aspects to consider: 

• Place - story taking place?

• Time - Historical period, time of day, year, etc.

• Weather conditions

• Social conditions - What is the daily life of the character like?

• Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Cheerful? Eerie?

foreshadowing

Writer’s use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in a story.

• The hints and clues might be included in a character’s dialogue or behavior

• They might be included in details of description.

• Foreshadowing creates suspense. 

Flashback

An account of a conversation, an episode, or an event that happened before the beginning of a story.

• Interrupts the chronological flow of a story to give the reader information needed to understand a character’s present situation.

• Flashbacks also help create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. 

suspense

The excitement or tension that readers feel as they wait to find out how a story ends or how a conflict is resolved.

• Writers create suspense by raising questions in readers’ minds about what might happen next. 

theme

_______, or universal message, is an underlying message about life or human nature that a writer wants the reader to understand. 

• Recurring themes are themes found in a variety of literary works.

• Universal themes are themes that are found throughout the literature of all time periods.

Chracterization

The way a writer creates and develops characters’ personalities is known as _________________.

Direct Characterization

The writer makes DIRECT comments about a character’s personality or nature through the voice of the narrator.

Indirect Characterization

The writer indicates or shows what a character ‘s personality is like through descriptions of their actions, speech, appearance, and interactions with other characters.

Methods of Characterization

• describe the character’s physical appearance.

• present the character’s own thoughts, speech, and actions.

• present pertinent thoughts, speech, and actions of other characters. How do the other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?

Protagonist

• A _________ is the MAIN character in a work of literature - the character who is involved in the central conflict of the story.  

  • Usually, the __________ changes after the central conflict reaches a climax. 

  • He or she may be a hero, but they do not have to be a “good” person

Antagonist

• An __________ is a principal character or force in opposition to a protagonist, or main character. 

• usually another character but sometimes can be a force of nature, a set of circumstances, some aspect of society, or a force within the protagonist.

Unreliable Narrator

Someone who is not always perceptive about what is going on in a story OR someone who is deliberately not telling the whole truth

Dynamic Character

A _______ character is one who undergoes important CHANGES as the plot unfolds. The change is usually internal and may be good or bad, Main characters are usually, though not always, _______.

Static Character

A _______ character is one who REMAINS THE SAME throughout a story. The character may experience events and have interactions with other characters, but he or she is not changed because of them.

Round Character

A _____ character is one who is COMPLEX and HIGHLY DEVELOPED, having a variety of traits and different sides to his or her personality. They tend to display strengths, weaknesses, and a full range of emotions. The writer provides enough detail for the reader to understand their feelings and emotions. 

Flat Character

A ___ character is one who is NOT HIGHLY DEVELOPED. A flat character is a one-sided character: he or she usually has one outstanding trait, characteristic, or role. _____ characters exist mainly to advance the plot, and they display only the traits needed for their limited roles. Minor characters are usually flat characters.

Point of View

______________ refers to the method of narration used in a short story, novel, narrative poem

First Person Point of View

The narrator is a character in the story.

• The narrator refers to himself or herself as I or me. 

• The narrator presents his or her own thoughts and feelings. 

• The narrator does not have direct access to the thoughts and feelings of other characters.

Second Person Point of View

• Story told by a narrator who addresses the reader or some other assumed “you”

•  Ex. You wake up to discover that you have been robbed of all your worldly possessions. 

• This is the least utilized POV

Third Person Point of View

The narrator is not one of the characters. 

third Person omniscient

This is an all-knowing point of view. The narrator sees into the minds of all the characters. 

third Person luminescent

The narrator focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and observations of ONE character. 

Situational Irony

When a character or the reader expects one thing to happen but something else happens instead.  

Verbal Irony

When what is said is the opposite of what is meant.

Dramatic Irony

the audience knows something the character does not know.

Imagery

descriptive words and phrases that recreate sensory experiences for the reader. Usually appeals to one or more of the five senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch - to help the reader imagine exactly what is being described.

Simile

A ______ is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things, using the words like or as.

Metaphor

A ___________ is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that have something in common. Unlike similes, metaphors do not contain the words like or as, but make comparisons directly.

Allusion

An __________ is an indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work.

Symbol/Symbolism

A ________ is a person, a place, an object, or an activity that stands for something beyond itself. For example, a flag is a colored piece of cloth that stands for a country. A white dove is a bird that represents peace. 

Mood

______ is the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader. 

• Descriptive words, imagery, and figurative language contribute to the mood of a work, as do the sound and rhythm of the language used. 

Tone

____ is the attitude a writer takes toward a subject. 

• Unlike mood, which is intended to shape the reader’s emotional response, tone reflects the feelings of the writer.  

• A writer communicates tone through choice of words and details. 

• ______ may often be described by a single word, such as serious, humorous, formal, informal, somber, sarcastic, playful, ironic, bitter, or objective.

Frame Story

A story set within a story, narrative, or movie, told by the main or the supporting character.

• A character starts telling a story to other characters, or he sits down to write a story, telling the details to the audience.

• The technique is also called a frame narrative.