literary elements

Question 1

allusion

Answer 1

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or a work of art.

Question 2

conflict

Answer 2

A struggle between opposing forces. External and internal. man vs. nature, self, society, another character.

Question 3

characterization

Answer 3

The act of creating and developing a character. In direct characterization, the author states a character’s traits. In indirect characterization, they are implied.

Question 4

plot

Answer 4

The sequence of events. It involves characters and a central conflict.

Question 5

antagonist

Answer 5

A character or force in conflict with a main character or protagonist.

Question 6

dialogue

Answer 6

a conversation between characters

Question 7

figurative language

Answer 7

Speech or writing that shouldn’t be taken literally. It is used to create vivid impressions by comparing things. Imagery, metaphor, and similes can all be examples.

Question 8

flashback

Answer 8

A way that authors present material that occurred earlier than present tense that appears through a character’s dream or memory.

Question 9

foil

Answer 9

A character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with the objective to highlight the traits of the other character.

Question 10

foreshadowing

Answer 10

The use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. This creates suspense.

Question 11

hero/heroine

Answer 11

The principal character, especially one who plays a vital role in plot development and solves the conflict.

Question 12

hyperbole

Answer 12

A deliberate exaggeration.

Question 13

imagery

Answer 13

Descriptive or figurative language that creates word pictures for the reader and is created by details of the senses.

Question 14

inference

Answer 14

A conclusion drawn from evidence or reasoning.

Question 15

irony

Answer 15

Portrays differences between appearance and reality or expectation and the result.

Question 16

irony

Answer 16

When words are used that suggest the opposite of what is meant (sarcasm).
When something is said that has another meaning or that it contradicts something.

Question 17

irony

Answer 17

When the opposite of what you expect to happen is what happens.

Question 18

irony

Answer 18

When the reader knows something the character does not know

Question 19

theme

Answer 19

The central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work.

Question 20

metaphor

Answer 20

When one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. A comparison that does NOT use like or as.

Question 21

simile

Answer 21

A figurative comparison that uses like or as.

Question 22

mood

Answer 22

The atmosphere or feeling that the reader experiences when reading a passage. It is suggested by descriptive details.

Question 23

moral

Answer 23

A lesson taught by a literary work, especially a fable.

Question 24

motivation

Answer 24

A reason that explains why a character behaves in a certain way

Question 25

Narrative

Answer 25

a story

Question 26

novel

Answer 26

A long work of fiction that has a plot with characters in conflict. It may also have subplots and several themes

Question 27

narrator

Answer 27

The speaker or character who tells a story. In a poem, this is referred to as the “speaker.”

Question 28

point of view

Answer 28

First person:
A character in the story is the narrator; readers see only what this character sees.
Second person:
The point of view is the reader (“you”).
Third person omniscient:
The story is told through many characters’ eyes, and many characters’ thoughts are known.
Third person limited omniscient:
The story is told through one character’s eyes and reveals only that character’s thoughts.
Third person objective:
Tells a story without detailing thoughts - a “fly on the wall” point of view.

Question 29

protagonist

Answer 29

The main character who experiences the conflict.

Question 30

setting

Answer 30

The time and place of the action.

Question 31

suspense

Answer 31

The feeling of uncertainty about an outcome.

Question 32

symbol

Answer 32

Anything that represents or stands for something else.

Question 33

tone

Answer 33

The writer’s attitude toward his/her audience and subject.