LITERARY TERMS

Plot- the series of events in a story 

Character- the person or animal in a story    

protagonist- major character; usually the “good guy”

antagonist- principal opponent of the main character                                                  

Point of View -The relationship of the narrator, or storyteller, to the story

First Person-The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal  

          thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. 

          He can’t tell us the thoughts of other characters.                          

-Ex.)  The dog chased me across the street, and I ran up the nearest tree.  I was so scared!

Third-Person Objective-The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he 

         or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he 

         can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.                                    

-Ex.) The dog chased the cat across the street.  The cat ran up the tree.

Omniscient-The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds

          of more than one of the characters.                                                            

             -Ex.)  The dog was aggravated by the cat.  He knew his chance would come 

                    soon.  He chased the cat.  The cat was so scared as she climbed up the 

                    tree.  She thought that the dog would never stop barking.

Conflict- the central struggle between opposing forces. It creates the plot. 

Setting -This tells when and where the story takes place. 

Dialect- Characteristic language of a region

Dialogue- Conversation between two or more characters

Flashback- Technique used by the author to tell about an earlier event

Foreshadowing-A technique used by the author hinting that something is going to happen

Suspense- a  feeling of growing tension created by the author

Simile- a figure of speech that involves a direct comparison between two unlike 

           things, usually with the words like or as 

                 Example: The muscles on his brawny arms are as strong as iron bands.

Metaphor- a figure of speech that involves an implied comparison between two relatively unlike 

           things using a form of be. The comparison is not announced by like or as.                                                                                                

                 Example: The road was a ribbon of moonlight.