Literary Term

Analogy - An analogy is a point by point comparison between two things that are alike in some respect. Often, analogies are used in nonfiction when an unfamiliar subject or idea is explained in terms of a familiar one 

Antagonist - an antagonist is usually the principal character in opposition to the protagonist. Or main character of a narrative or drama. Sometimes the antagonist is not a character, but something else, like a force of nature, some aspect of society, or an internal force within the protagonist

Character - characters are the people who take part in the action of a story, a novel, or drama. Sometimes characters can be animals or imaginary creatures, such as beings from another planet. The most important characters are the main characters. The other characters in a story, called minor characters, interact with the main characters and help move the story along.  In “where have you gone, charming billy?” by Tim O’Brien, Paul Berlin is the main character and Toby (Buffalo) is a minor character. Often main characters undergo changes as the plot unfolds. Such characters are called dynamic characters, as opposed to static characters, who remain the same. In “The Beginning of Something” by Sue Ellen Bridgers, Roseanne, the narrator, is a dynamic character in that she changes her reaction to her mother and her opinion about Melissa. Characters such as Roseanne, whose many personality traits are revealed by the author, are sometimes referred to as round characters. Characters who are described more simply, such as Cousin Roy or Travis, re referred to as flat characters.

Characterization - Characterization refers to the methods that a writer uses to develop character.s. There are four basic methods of characterization. 

1. A writer may describe a character’s physical appearance. In Beryl Markham’s “Brothers are the same,” the narrator describes Medoto: “He was lean and proud, and upon his level stare he weighed each movement Temas made, though these were hesitant and a few.” 

2. A character’s nature ma be revealed through his or her won speech, thoughts, feelings or actions. In “The Beginning of Something” by Sue Ellen Bridgers, the narrator describes her own feelings: “Ever since late this morning, I’ve had this fever. There’s a cool dampness inside my clothes but my cheeks are burning. I feel like I’ve been on fire inside my face all this time but nobody seems to notice. I have a date!”

3. The speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions of other characters can be used to develop a character. The daughter’s feelings about her father in “Daughter of Invention” help the reader to understand him better. “Probably, if I had thought a moment about it, I would have not have done what I did next. I would have realized my father had lost brothers and comrades to the dictator Trujilio. For the rest of his life, he would be haunted  by the blood in streets and late night disappearances. Even after he had been in the states for years, he jumped if a black Volkswagen passed him on the street” 

4. The narrator can make direct comments about a character. The narrator in “Brothers are the same” comments about Temas: “He did not fear the beast. He was sure that in his bones and in his blood and in his heart he was not afraid.” 

Conflict (internal/external) - The plot of a story always involves some sort of conflict, or struggle, between opposing forces. An external conflict involves a character pitted against an outside force, such as nature, a physical obstacle, or another character. An internal conflict is ne that occurs within a character. 

Connotation and denotation - Connotation refers to the attitudes and feelings associated with a word, in contrast to denotation, which is the literal or dictionary meaning of a word. The connotation of a word may be positive or negative. For example, enthusiastic has positive association but rowdy has negative ones. Connotations of words can have an important influence on style and meaning and are particularly important in poetry. In Gary Sotos’ poem “Oranges,” the connotations of words December, frost, and cracking help to create an image of cold. The connotations of the words orange, bright, and fire help to create an image of warmth. 

Dialect - Dialect is a form of language as it is spoken in a particular geographic area or by a particular social or ethnic group. A group’s dialect  is reflected in its pronunciations, vocabulary, expressions, and grammatical construction. Writers use dialect to establish setting, provide local color, and develop characters. In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, the narrator’s mother uses grammatical constructions that are not common in English and thus speaks a kind of dialect.

Dialogue - Written conversation between two or more characters in either fiction of nonfiction is called dialogue. Writers use dialogue to bring characters to life and to give readers insights into the characters’ qualities, personality traits, and reactions to other characters. Realistic, well-paced dialogue also advances the plot of a narrative. The words each character speaks are commonly set off with quotation marks. The following dialogue between a newspaper editor and Richard, the narrator of the autobiography “Black Boy”, helps to characterize Richard. In a play, the story is told primarily through dialogue. Dramatists use stage directions to indicate how they intend the dialogue to be interpreted by the actors. 

Figurative Language - Figurative language is language that communicates ideas beyond the ordinary, literal meanings of words. Special types of figurative language called figures of speech include personification, hyperbole, simile, and metaphor.

Flashback - A flashback is a conversation, an episode, or an event that happened before the beginning of a story. Often a flashback interrupts the chronological flow of a story to give the reader information to help in understanding a character’s present situation. In “Marine Corps Issue” by David McLean, the narrator interrupts the flow of the story to look back at his first memory of his father.

Foreshadowing - Foreshadowing is a writer’s use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in a plot. The use of this technique creates suspense while preparing the reader of what is to come. In the Stephen King play “Sorry, Right Number,” the opening camera closeup and the first line of dialogue seem to indicate that the telephone and Bill’s health will be important to the drama. 

Hyperbole - Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect. 

Imagery - Imagery consists of descriptive words and phrases that recreate sensory experiences for the reader. Imagery usually appeals to one or more of the five senses, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch-- to help the reader imagine exactly what is being described. The imagery in the poem “Incident in a Rose Garden” by Donald Justice helps the reader to see Death, wearing a black coat, black gloves, and a black hat. (not done) 

Irony (situational, dramatic, verbal) - Irony is a special kind of contrast between appearance and reality -- usually one in which reality is the opposite from what it seems. One type of irony is situational irony, the contrast between what a reader or character expects and what actually exists or happens. The unexpected twist at the end of “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzeula is an example of situational irony. Another type of irony is dramatic irony, where the reader or viewer knows something that a character does not know. For example, in Susan Glaspell’s play “Trifles”, the audience knows that Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale have discovered evidence leading to a motive for the crime, and therefore the guilty person, while the men int he play are still clueless. Verbal irony occurs when someone knowing exaggerates or says one thing and means another. In “The Great Taos Bank Robbery,” when Tony Hillerman refers to a “litany of notable events” in Taos, the reader knows that he does not really mean that the events are notable, since at least one, a Great Flood, was managed without a river.

Metaphor - A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike but that have something in common. Unlike similes,

metaphors do not use the word like or as. In these lines from the poem known as "The Seven Ages of Man," the world and the people in it are compared to a stage and actors.

Mood - The feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader is called mood. Descriptive words, the setting, and figurative language contribute to the mood of a work, as do the sound and rhythm of the language used. In "The Cask of Amontillado," Edgar Allan Poe creates a mood of dread and horror.

Narrator - The character or voice from whose point of view events are told. In "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst, the narrator is a character in the story, Doodle's brother. In "The Great Taos Bank Robbery," the narrator is the author, Tony Hillerman.

Paradox - A statement that seems to contradict itself but is, nevertheless, true, as in the beginning of this poem: ”Much Madness is divinest Sense To a discerning Eye;

Much Sense the starkest Madness”.

Personification - A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea. In "Incident in a Rose Garden" by Donald Justice, death is ad personified as someone who wears black and grins. In this line, morning is personified: to

Plot - The sequence of events in a story is called the plot. Generally built around a conflict, the plot tells what happens, when, and to whom. A story's plot usually includes four stages: exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action.

Point of view - The method of narrating a short story, novel, narrative poem, or work of nonfiction. Point of view is usually either first person or third person. In first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story, as in "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. In third-person point of view, the story is told by a narrative voice outside the action, not by one of the characters. If a story is told from a third- person omniscient, or all-knowing, point of view, as in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, the narrator sees into the minds of more than one character. If events are related from a third-person limited point of view, as in Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel," the narrator tells only what one character thinks, feels, and

observes.

Protaganist - the central character or hero in a narrative or drama,

usually the one with whom the audience tends to identify.

Setting - The time and place of action of a story. Some stories, such as “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” have only a minimal description of setting. In other literary works, such as Doris Lessing’s “Through the Tunnel,” Eugenia Collier’s “Marigolds,” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” setting is described in detail and becomes a major contributor to the story’s total effect.

Stereotype - Symplified or stock characters who conform to a fixed pattern or are defined by a single trait are called these. Such characters do not usually demonstrate the complexities of real people

Symbol - A person, place, or an activity or, object that stands for something beyond itself

Symbolism - (No definition)

Theme - The main idea in a work of literature. It is a perception about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. In most cases, the theme is not stated directly but must be inferred. A statement of theme may, but does not usually, tell one how to live and should not be confused with a moral

Tone - 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. To identify tone, you might find it helpful to read the work aloud. Try to decide what emotions you feel as you read. For example, The Devil and Daniel Webster has a light, humourous tone. The tone of “Grape Sherbet” by Rita Dove is tender and loving.

Understatement - A technique of creating emphasis by saying less than is actually or literally true. It is the opposite of hyperbole or exaggeration. One of the primary devices of irony, understatement can be used to develop a humorous effect, to create satire, or to achieve a restrained tone.