Literary Elements Flashcards
CHARACTER:
the people or animals in the story
Protagonist:
the main character
Antagonist:
the person or force against the protagonist
Dynamic character:
a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change (a change in personality or beliefs)
Static character:
a character who undergoes little or no inner change or growth in the story
SETTING
time, place, and culture/environment in which the story takes place
PLOT:
the sequence of events in the story
Conflict
problem faced by the characters
Internal conflict:
conflict within the character (Man vs. Himself) Examples: insecurity, fear, jealousy, deciding whether or not to cheat on a test, a competitive drive to beat your own record
External conflict:
conflict the character has outside of themselves (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society)
Exposition
the background information on the characters and setting often explained at the beginning of the story. The exposition gives information about the characters’ history that is important to understanding their personality, relationships, and present lives. It is important that readers know some of these details in order to understand a story.
Rising Action
the stage of the plot that develops the conflict or struggle. Events occur that make the conflict more complicated and build toward a climax or turning point.
Climax
the critical ‘turning point’ of the story, when the plot changes for better or for worse for the main character(s); this may sometimes be the most exciting part of the story
Falling Action
the story begins to draw to a close. Events in the falling action show the results of the important decision/action that happened at the climax. Tension eases as the final action begins.
Resolution
the conflict is resolved/finalized
FORESHADOWING
the author’s use of written hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story
FLASHBACK
When a story starts out in the present setting (this does not mean our present time) and goes back in time through a character
SYMBOLISM
In writing, symbolism is the use of a word, a phrase, or a description, which represents a deeper meaning than the words themselves.
THEME:
Themes touch on the moral aspect of the story and how we as readers can learn lessons about life through literature. The reader has to come up with what he or she thinks is the message of the story. Theme is a generic lesson that can also be the lesson of another story.
Main Idea:
Similar to theme, but main idea is SPECIFIC to that story. The main idea will include a character’s name.
POINT OF VIEW:
the perspective from which the story is told
First Person
The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters. Uses pronouns like I, me, my, myself, and us, our, we, ourselves.
Second Person
uses personal pronouns like you, your, and yours. It is often used for giving directions, offering advice, or providing an explanation. This perspective allows the writer to make a connection with his or her audience by focusing on the reader.
Third-Person Objective
The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.
