7th grade lit terms

fiction

prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events short stories and novels are examples of this type of writing some writers base their writing on actual events and people adding invented characters dialouge settings and plots other writers rely on imagination alone

novel

a long work of fiction it contains such elements as characters plot conflict and setting the writer {novelist] devolops these elements in addition to a main plot it may contain one or more subplots or independent related stories it may also have several themes

novella

a work of fiction that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel

short story

a breif work of fiction like a novel it presents a sequence of events or plot the plot usally deals with a central conflict faced by a main character or protagonist the events usually comunnicate a message about life or human nature this message or central idea

plot

sequence of events in which each event results from a previous one and causes the next in most novels dramas short stories and narative poems it inolves both characters and a central conflict

exposition

introduces the setting the time and place of the story the characters and the basic suituation comflict is often introduced at the end of this part of the plot

rising action

events that increase the tension

climax

the turning point in the story it is the high point in the action of the plot it is the moment of the greatest tension when the outcome of the plot hangs in the balance

falling action

is the part of the story when the conflict lessens events that follow the climax

resolution

is the storys conlusion final outcome is acheived loose ends are tied up

character

a person or an animal that takes part in the action of a literary work the main or major one is the most important one in a story poem or play a minor one is one who takes part in the action but is not the focus of attention

setting

the time and place of the action it includes all the details of a place and time the year the time of day even the weather

theme

central message concern or purpose in a literary work it can usally be expressed as a generalization or a general statement about human beings or about life it is not a summary of its plot

point of view

the perspective or vantage point from which a story is told it is either a narator outside the story or a character in the story

conflict

a struggle between opposing forces it is one of the most important elements of stories novels and plays because it causes the action there are two types external and internal

flashback

a scene within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to relate events that occured in the past

foreshadowing

the authors use of clues to hint at what might happen later in the story

external conflict

one in which a character struggles against some kind of outside force such as another person another one may occur between a character and some force in nature

internal conflict

it takes place within the mind of a character the character struggles to make a decision take an action or overcome a feeling 

first person point of view

told by a character who uses the first person pronoun “I.”

third person point of view

there are two kinds limited and omniscient they are called third person because the narrator uses third person pronouns such as he or she to refer to the characters

omniscient point of veiw

in stories told from this point of view the narrator knows and tells about what each character feels and thinks

limited point of view

in stories told from this point of view the narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only one character and everything is viewed from this characters perspective

dialect

the form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group. they differ in pronuciation grammar and word choice. the use of it gives a short story a more authentic feel and helps a characters words sound more realistic

dialogue

a conservation between the characters in poems voels and short stories it is usually set off by quotation marks to indicate a speakers exact words

protagonist

the main character in a literary work it is often a person but sometimes it can be an animal

antagonist

this is a character or a force in conflict with a main character

alliteration

the repition of intitial consonat sounds writers use this device to draw attention to certain words ideas to imitate sounds and to create musical effects

tone

the writers attitude toward his or her audience and subject it can be often be described by a single adjective such as formal or informal serious or playful bitter or ironic

mood

the feeling created in the read by a literary work or passage it is also known as atmosphere