Elements of a Story

Question 1

setting

Answer 1

where and when a story takes place

Question 2

character

Answer 2

a person in a story or poem

Question 3

flat

Answer 3

one-sided characters that don’t change

Question 4

round

Answer 4

have many sides; grow and change in the story

Question 5

protagonist

Answer 5

main character or hero in the story

Question 6

antagonist

Answer 6

the character (or force) that opposes the protagonist

Question 7

plot

Answer 7

the sequence of events in a story

Question 8

conflict

Answer 8

the “problem” in the story which triggers the action

Question 9

internal conflict

Answer 9

a struggle within a character

Question 10

external conflict

Answer 10

a struggle between a character and some outside force

Question 11

point of view

Answer 11

the vantage point from which a story is told

Question 12

1st person

Answer 12

the narrator is a character in the story: uses I

Question 13

2nd person

Answer 13

the narrator tells the story to another character using “you”

Question 14

3rd person

Answer 14

the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of

one character

Question 15

omniscient

Answer 15

the narrator tells what all of the characters are thinking and feeling, as well as what happens in other places

Question 16

exposition

Answer 16

occurs at the beginning of the story: introduces the reader to characters, the conflict, and the setting.

Question 17

rising action

Answer 17

all of the events leading up to the climax of the story

Question 18

climax

Answer 18

the point of highest emotional intensity

Question 19

falling action

Answer 19

the events that follow the climax and lead towards the resolution

Question 20

denouement/resolution

Answer 20

the way a story ends

Question 21

theme

Answer 21

the central idea or insight in a story

Question 22

mood/atmosphere

Answer 22

the feeling created by the text tone: the attitude of the author toward his audience and characters

Question 23

author’s purpose

Answer 23

the reason for writing (e.g. persuade, inform, entertain,

describe, summarize)

Question 24

flashback

Answer 24

action that interrupts to show an event that happened at an earlier time which is necessary to better understanding

Question 25

foreshadowing

Answer 25

the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature

Question 26

irony

Answer 26

contrast between expectancy and reality

Question 27

imagery

Answer 27

imagery

language that appeals to the senses

Question 28

symbolism

Answer 28

using any object, person, place, or experience that means more than what it is