Gothic Lit Vocab

Question 1

Narrative prose about characters and events from an author’s IMAGINATION

Answer 1

Fiction

Question 2

A BRIEF narrative with carefully limited action

Answer 2

Short Story

Question 3

The TIME AND PLACE in which a story happens

Answer 3

Setting

Question 4

The SEQUENCE of related EVENTS in a story

Answer 4

Plot

Question 5

A STRUGGLE between opposing forces

Answer 5

Conflict

Question 6

A STRUGGLE a character faces WITH HIMSELF OR HERSELF

Answer 6

Internal Conflict

Question 7

A character’s STRUGGLE against an OUTSIDE force

Answer 7

External Conflict

Question 8

The portion of the story that establishes BACKGROUND of characters and events

Answer 8

Exposition

Question 9

Events that INTENSIFY the conflict

Answer 9

Rising Action

Question 10

The HIGHEST POINT OF TENSION at which the outcome of the conflict is revealed

Answer 10

Climax

Question 11

Events BETWEEN the climax and the resolution

Answer 11

Falling Action

Question 12

Any remaining issues are RESOLVED and the story ends

Answer 12

Resolution

Question 13

The narrator is ONE OF the characters

Answer 13

First Person Point of View

Question 14

The narrator is ALL KNOWING about the thoughts and feelings of the characters

Answer 14

Third Person Omniscient Point of View

Question 15

The NARRATOR’s knowledge is RESTRICTED

Answer 15

Third Person Limited Point of View

Question 16

The underlying MEANING OR INSIGHT that an author conveys in a story (the “take-away”)

Answer 16

Theme

Question 17

Expresses an author’s ATTITUDE toward the subject

Answer 17

Tone

Question 18

The FEELING that the writer creates in the reader of a story

Answer 18

Mood

Question 19

The MAIN CHARACTER in a literary work

Answer 19

Protagonist

Question 20

The character or force IN CONFLICT WITH the main character

Answer 20

Antagonist

Question 21

DOES NOT CHANGE throughout the story

Answer 21

Static Character

Question 22

DEVELOPS AND GROWS through the course of the story

Answer 22

Dynamic Character

Question 23

A character, place, thing, or event that has MEANING IN ITSELF, but STANDS FOR SOMETHING ELSE (often an abstract idea)

Answer 23

Symbol

Question 24

The use of a person, place, object, or event to REPRESENT SOMETHING ELSE

Answer 24

Symbolism

Question 25

Literary technique that portrays DIFFERENCES between appearance and reality, or expectation and result

Answer 25

Irony

Question 26

The CONTRADICTION between what a CHARACTER thinks / knows / believes and what the AUDIENCE knows to be true

Answer 26

Dramatic Irony

Question 27

WORDS / SPEECH used to suggest the OPPOSITE of what is meant

Answer 27

Verbal Irony

Question 28

An EVENT that directly CONTRADICTS the EXPECTATIONS of the characters, readers, or audience

Answer 28

Situational Irony

Question 29

Details in a work that hint at UPCOMING events

Answer 29

Foreshadowing

Question 30

Interruption in the plot sequence to describe an action in the PAST

Answer 30

Flashback