Elements of prose fiction

omniscient

third person story; narrators knowledge is unlimited

limited omniscient

third person; narrative voice is associated with a character who cannot see all/know al

interior monologue

first person; train of thought is overheard by the reader

subjective narration

first person; narrator seems unreliable and tries to get reader on their side

memoir or observer narration

first person; narrator is observer and not main participant (eyewitness or chorus); narrator can be reliable or unreliable

innocent eye/naive narrator

story told by a child; different judgemet than an adult

stream of consiousness

author traces his or her thoughts into the text; author’s exact thoughts

objective or dramatic*

opposite of omniscient; displays an objectivity; very little of past or future; most action and dialogue

framed narrative

explains genesis and gives perspective on the main narrative or narratives that follow (frankenstein)

integral setting

setting is fully described - tima and place; usually in historical fiction

backddrop setting

vague and general setting - universal, timeless take

local color

use of regional details to add interest and meaning to the story

regionalism (regional literature)

description of a region vecomes a necessary part of the work

conflict

parallel plot

follows multiple storylines which are tied together through an event (finding nemo)

exposition

introduces charaters and setting

inciting incident

creates central conflict or struggle

rising action

events leading up to the climax; introduces subplots

diversion

any episode prior to climax not contributing directly to climax

climax

crisis reaches its highest; turning point

falling action

resolution begis

denouement

resolution of events

rags to riches

plucky but downtrodden hero meets his or her true potential

tragedy

riches to rags; brave but downtrodden hero fails to meet his or her potential

man in a hole, icarus, cinderella, oedipus

f

flashbacl

foreshadowing

happy ending

tragic or unhappy endings

many life events sdo not end peacefully —> unhappy endings emulate life better; forces reader to contemplate

suspense

excitement or tension as the plot unforld

artistic unity

nothing in the story is irrelevant

deus ex machina

plot device in which something appears out of the blue to help a charater overcome a difficulty

expository/direct presentation

described and explained by the narrator; characteriation

dramatic/indirect presentation

actions show the kind of person a character is

flat

two dimensional characters

used as vessels to carry out plot

stock

borrowed personage or archetype; related to steryotype

steryotype

character so little individualized to show qualities of a group

universal

characters with problems and triats common to all humanity

individual

a more eccentiric and unusual rep of character

protagonist

principle figure

antaginist

character with whom the protagonist is engaged in a struggle

confident for confidante

chafacter in whom (usually protagonist) confides

foil

secondary character serving as a backdrop for a more imp character

anthromorphic characterization

characterizatio of animals, ojects, or natural phenomena as ppl

animal charactaer

personified to create particular effects; metaphoric connections to human traits

diction

word choice; formal/informal

sentence struction

simple/complex

syntax

sentence patterns of language; grammatical and ungrammatical arrangements of words

language

abstracr or concrete

dialogue

either more dialogue than description or dialogue limited to certain characters

imagery

allegory

second meaning beneath the surface

editorializing

narrator’s commenting on the story to instruct the reader how to feel or respond to a situation in the story

poeticising

narrator’s use of heightened and distended language to accomplish particular effects

sentimentality

cheap way of trying to create emotion w/ the reader