English 2 Flashcards
Round Character
Highly developed character with many traits
Character
Individuals who participated the actions of a literary work
Flat Character
Character that exhibits few traits and is not well developed
Static Character
One who remains the same throughout the story
Dynamic character
One who changes throughout the story
Indirect Characterization
An author indirectly tells you about them
- Physical appearance
- Characters own thoughts
- Characters speech and actions of other characters
Direct characterization
The writer tells you exactly what that character is like
Theme
Underlying message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. Usually not directly stated, and must be inferred
Protagonist
Main character in the work of literature who is involved in the central conflict
Antagonist
The principle character that opposes the protagonist
Allusion
Indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work
Diction
The writer or speaker’s choice of words and way of arranging words
Plot
The sequence of events in a story
Setting
Time and place of the action of the work
Foil
Characters that are opposites
Foreshadowing
Writer suggests later events that will happen on the story
Tone
The attitude a writer takes towards a subject
First person point of view
Narrator is part of the story, and we know as they know
Third omniscient
We know the thoughts and feelings of all the characters
Third person limited
Only know what one character thinks and feels
Situational irony
What actually happens is the opposite of what is expected
Verbal irony
Speaker says one thing but means another
Dramatic irony
When the reader knows something important that the character does not know
Flashback
When the author interrupts the story to present events that occurred at a previous time
Imagery
Language that appeals to the senses sight, smell, hearing, touch, tastes
Metaphor
A comparison that does not use like or as
Simile
A comparison of two things using like or as
Rising action
When the conflict develops and builds towards the climax
Climax
The point of maximum interest, usually the turning point of the story
Falling action
The events that follow the climax and show the results of the important decision of the climax
Resolution
How the story ends
Suspense
The uncertainty that the reader feels when they are trying to find out what happens next
Hyperbole
An exaggeration
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory or absurd statement that may nonetheless suggest am important truth
Symbol
Person, place, object, or activity that stands for something beyond itself
Alliteration
Repetition or constant sounds at the beginning of words
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds
Onomatopoeia
The use of words that sound like what they are
Internal conflict
One that occurs within a character
External conflict
One that occurs outside of a character in its environment
