Literary Elements Notes

Question 1

5 Stages of the Plot

Answer 1

1. Exposition
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
4. Falling Action
5. Resolution

Question 2

Types of Character

Answer 2

1. Protagonist
2. Antagonist
3. Foil
4. Dynamic
5. Static
6. Round
7. Flat
8. Stock

Question 3

Protagonist

Answer 3

main character in the work

Question 4

Antagonist

Answer 4

the character or force who directly opposes the protagonist

Question 5

Climax

Answer 5

This is the turning point of the story The protagonist makes a decision that cannot be reversed. usually the point of greatest suspense

Question 6

types of external conflicts

Answer 6

1. Man v. Man
2. Man v. Supernatural
3. Man. v. Machine
4. Man v Society
5. Man v. Nature

Question 7

Exposition

Answer 7

Background information needed for understanding: creates tone gives setting introduces characters

Question 8

Rising action

Answer 8

Complications that intensify the situation, continues through the conflict to the crisis.

Question 9

Falling action

Answer 9

Emphasizes the activity of forces against the protagonist. it is usually shorter than the rising action the end is a result of the decision made by the protagonist during the climax

Question 10

Resolution

Answer 10

Literally unknotting. it is the final unraveling of the plot; the solution of a mystery; the explanation or outcome

Question 11

Character

Answer 11

An imagined person in the story

Question 12

Dynamic

Answer 12

Changes in someway throughout the story

Question 13

Static

Answer 13

Changes little if at all. The reader’s view of this character may change although the character itself does not

Question 14

Flat

Answer 14

A character which is constructed a round a single idea or quality

Question 15

Round

Answer 15

A complex and multifaceted character

Question 16

Stock

Answer 16

Conventional character types a.k.a. stereotypes. Readers can identify these characters because they’re familiar with the path

Question 17

Foil

Answer 17

These occur in pairs. Literally a leaf of bright mental placed under a jewel to increase its brilliance. A character, who through contrast, emphasizes the distinct characteristics of another character

Question 18

Characterization

Answer 18

The creation of imaginary person so that they seem lifelike. There are two major types

Question 19

Direct characterization

Answer 19

The author tells the reader directly with the character is like

Question 20

Indirect characterization

Answer 20

The author uses one of the following methods to convey information to the reader about the character. 1. Speech

2. actions 3. private thoughts 4. appearance
3. responsive of other characters

Question 21

Motivation

Answer 21

The reasons and justifications and explanations for the action of a character. Results form a combination of a character’s moral nature with the circumstances in which the character is placed. Understanding the motivation helps the reader effectively analyze the character

Question 22

Conflict

Answer 22

The struggle between two opposing forces. There are two major types, but readers will rarely see just one

Question 23

Point of view

Answer 23

Refers to who tells the story and how it’s told. Point of view can contribute to meeting and review the author’s attitude toward a subject

Question 24

Internal conflict

Answer 24

Man versus himself. Struggles with his personality

Question 25

Narrator

Answer 25

The person who's telling the story

Question 26

Third person narrator

Answer 26

1. Omniscient 2. Limited omniscient 3. Objective

Question 27

Omniscient narrator

Answer 27

1. Narrator is all-knowing 2. Reports the characters thoughts feelings and actions 3. Can move from place to place, time to time, character to character

Question 28

Editorial omniscience

Answer 28

Narration that gives evaluative statements about the character

Question 29

Neutral omniscience

Answer 29

Narration that allows the characters' actions and thoughts to speak for themselves

Question 30

Limited omniscient narrator

Answer 30

1. Often restricted to the perspective of one character maybe two 2. The reader will see people events and places as the way they appear to the chosen character 3. The reader will have access to the thoughts and feelings of the chosen character

Question 31

Objective narrator

Answer 31

1. Employs a narrator who does not see into the mind of any character 2. Detached and impersonal perspective 3. The narrator reports action and dialogue without giving any thoughts or feelings. 4. Places a heavy premium and dialogue, actions, and details to reveal a character.

Question 32

First- Person Narrator

Answer 32

1. The I presents the point of view of only character's consciousness, so the reader is restricted to the thoughts and feelings of that single character 2. Can be from the perspective of a major or minor character

Question 33

Unreliable Narrator

Answer 33

a narrator whose interpretation of the events is different from the author's.

Question 34

Naive Narrator

Answer 34

these narrators lack the sophistication to interpret accurately what they see. They are unreliable because the reader must go beyond their understanding to comprehend the situations described

Question 35

Setting

Answer 35

the background against which action takes place

Question 36

elements of the setting

Answer 36

1. the geography location its topography, scenery, and such physical arrangements 2. the occupation and daily manner of living of the characters 3. the time period in which the action takes place, for example,epoch in history or season in the year 4. the general environment of the characters, for example, religious, mental, moral, social, or emotional conditions

Question 37

Irony

Answer 37

A device that reveals a reality different from what appears to be true

Question 38

verbal irony

Answer 38

a person saying one thing but meaning the opposite. In literature, verbal irony is usually not openly aggressive, it is usually more subtle and restrained

Question 39

sarcasm

Answer 39

verbal irony that is calculated to hurt someone, false praise

Question 40

situational irony

Answer 40

exists when there is an incongruity between what is expected to happen and what does happen. The ironic situation creates a distinction between appearances and realities, leading the reader closer to the central meaning of the story (THEME)

Question 41

Dramatic Irony

Answer 41

creates discrepancy between what a character believes or says, and what the reader understands to be true. can be effective way for an author to have a character unwittingly reveal himself/herself

Question 42

symbol

Answer 42

a person, object, or event, that suggests more than its literal meaning

Question 43

conventional symbols

Answer 43

symbols that are widely recognized by a society or culture

Question 44

Example of an object as a symbol

Answer 44

christian cross, star of david, a swastiska

Question 45

example of an experience as a symbol

Answer 45

(winter, setting sun, black)=death, (spring rising sun, green) = life

Question 46

literary symbols

Answer 46

1. can include traditional, conventional, or public meaning, but it may also be established internally for the context of the literary work. 2. can be setting, character's actions, objects, names, or anything else that maintains its literal significance while suggesting other meanings. 3. are economical devices for evoking complex without explaining every nuance.

Question 47

allegory

Answer 47

when a character, object, or incident, indicates a single, fixed meaning. the primary focus in an allegory is the abstract idea identified by the concrete object

Question 48

flashback

Answer 48

a literary device that informs the reader about events that happened before the opening scene of a work. Various methods may be used including recollections of characters, narration by characters, dream sequences, and daydreams.

Question 49

Foreshawdowing

Answer 49

a suggestion of what is coming. Can result from the mood or atmosphere, an event that suggests the later actions. the appearance of physical objects, facts(like clues in a detective story), or from the revelation of a specific character trait. Its purpose is to prepare the reader for action to come.

Question 50

Suspense

Answer 50

Anticipation of the outcome of events particularly as they affect the character for whom the reader has sympathy.

Question 51

Two methods of suspense

Answer 51

1. The outcome is uncertain and the suspense resides in the question of who what or how 2. The outcome is inevitable based on previous events and the suspense is in the readers anxious or frightened Anticipation of the when

Question 52

Theme

Answer 52

The main idea or meaning of the story. It is what unifies the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a story.

Question 53

Guidelines to determining theme

Answer 53

1. Pay attention to the title of the story 2. Look for details that have potential symbolic meaning 3. Decide whether the protagonist changes or develops some important insight as a result of the action 4. They should be expressed in one sentence 5. The theme statement should be generalized 6. Don't use clichés 7. Some stories emphasized themes less than others

Question 54

Basic procedure of determining theme

Answer 54

1. List the subjects of work 2. Decide what statement the story is making about one subject 3. Express that is a complete sentence or two. Make sure the statement is a generalization not specific to the story