Literary devices Flashcards
Flat character
A character whose personality traits can be described in only a few words (ex. all the kids in The Lesson, besides Sylvia and Sugar)
Round character
A character whose personality traits are complex and multi-faceted (Sylvia, Miss. Moore)
Antagonist
The person or force that works against the protagonist (ex. wealth gap in society - The Lesson)
Setting
Place & time (year, season, time of day) in which a story’s action takes place
Also includes culture, ways of life, shared beliefs (the atmosphere)
Context of place and time
Point of view
The mode of narration that an author employs to let the reader “hear” and “see” what takes place in the story or poem
Narrator is a character in the story=first person
Inner thoughts and feelings of multiple characters=third person omniscient
Inner thoughts and feelings of one character=third person limited (A Jury of Her Peers)
No inner thoughts and feelings of characters, like a roving sound camera=third person objective (The Lottery)
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
Static character
A character who stays the same from the beginning to the end (Dee/Wangero the same outlook, despite changing things to be trendy)
Dynamic character
A character who goes through a permanent change in moral qualities, personal habits, outlook (Slyvia realizes the significance of the wealth gap)
Protagonist
Central character, we care about them and follow their struggle with interest (ex. Sylvia - The Lesson)
Theme
A main idea or an underlying message of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly
Irony
Situation/use of language involving some kind of discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens
Simile
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind
Symbol
An object or action that signifies something beyond its literal meaning
Foreshadowing
Gives the audience hints or signs about what is to come through imagery, language, and/or symbolism. Does not give away the outcome, just suggests it. Used to create suspense, curiosity, or unease
Alliteration
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Imagery
Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work
Stock character
A personified stereotype, whose nature is familiar to us from prototypes in literature (ex. the private detective, Prince Charming, the damsel in distress), copy and paste character
Suspense
The quality in a story that makes the reader eager to discover what will happen next (that feeling of being “on the edge of your seat”)
5 types of conflict
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Environment
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Supernatural
Person vs. Society
Personification
The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.
Tone
An attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience, generally conveyed through the authors diction (choice of words) - ex. happy, sad, angry
