elements of fiction

Question 1

first person

Answer 1

I, me, my

Question 2

second person

Answer 2

you, your, yours

Question 3

third person

Answer 3

they, he, she, etc.

Question 4

third person objective

Answer 4

narrator doesn’t know character’s thoughts, just observations

Question 5

third person omniscient

Answer 5

narrator knows all and sees all

Question 6

third person limited

Answer 6

narrator is limited to one person’s thoughts and feelings

Question 7

protagonist

Answer 7

• main character/central character
• drives story forward
• not always good guy

Question 8

antagonist

Answer 8

• chief opponent
• force working against protagonist
• create main conflict
• not always a person, may be exist within protag, be nature, society, etc.

Question 9

what is the order of plot events in a story?

Answer 9

1. exposition
2. inciting incident
3. rising action
4. climax
5. falling action
6. resolution

Question 10

inciting incident

Answer 10

thrusts protag into action, sets plot in motion

Question 11

exposition

Answer 11

• introduces setting, characters, background info
• establishes POV
• first part of plot diagram

Question 12

verbal irony

Answer 12

sarcasm; character says opposite of what they mean

Question 13

situational irony

Answer 13

unexpected happens or expected doesn’t

Question 14

dramatic irony

Answer 14

we know something character doesn’t

Question 15

conflict

Answer 15

• opposition of forces
• central conflict introduced by inciting incident
• can be multiple conflicts

Question 16

external conflict

Answer 16

struggle w/ force outside one’s self

i.e. person vs person, society, nature

Question 17

internal conflict

Answer 17

struggle within one’s self

i.e. person vs self

Question 18

red herring

Answer 18

something to mislead or distract

Question 19

checkov’s gun

Answer 19

• dramatic principal suggesting that details in story will contribute to overall narrative
• noticeable details integrated in plot, character development, mood
• suggests that those details must come full circle

Question 20

character arc

Answer 20

• the path a character takes over the story, involving adversity, challenges and changes, that ultimately leads to a resolution
• usually starts at inciting incident that sets up stakes and central conflict facing character

Question 21

direct characterization (or explicit characterization)

Answer 21

descriptions thru physical characteristics, line or work, passions, and pursuits

Question 22

indirect characterization

Answer 22

descriptions thru thoughts, actions, speech, and dialogue

Question 23

dynamic character

Answer 23

• personality, attitudes, or beliefs changed by events or interactions w/ other characters
• respond to events as unfold

Question 24

static character

Answer 24

character who stays the same

Question 25

round character

Answer 25

complicated character exhibiting numerous qualities/traits

Question 26

flat character

Answer 26

a character who only has one or two characteristics

Question 27

metaphor

Answer 27

making comparisons between two unrelated things, stating that one thing IS another
i.e. she is a monster

Question 28

simile

Answer 28

stating one thing is LIKE another

i.e. she’s like a flower

Question 29

onomatopoeia

Answer 29

words take actual sound of what they describe

i.e. bang, sizzle

Question 30

hyperbole

Answer 30

intentional exaggeration to emphasize importance or create comic effect
i.e. her heart was bigger than the entire world

Question 31

personification

Answer 31

inanimate objects described as human-like

Question 32

mood

Answer 32

• overall feeling or emotional effect the text creates for the audience
• often created by author’s use of imagery and word choice
  i. e. cheerful, dreamy, peaceful

Question 33

tone

Answer 33

the attitude of a writer towards a subject

• conveyed thru word choice and the style of writing
  i. e. hopeful, humorous, nostalgic

Question 34

motif

Answer 34

• an element, symbol, or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature
• often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes

Question 35

foreshadowing

Answer 35

• hinting at future events

- let viewers know something is going to happen w/o giving away too many details