Literary Terminology Flashcards
Fiction
Writing that is not based on fact.
Short Story
A brief work of prose fiction.
Setting
When and where the story takes place.
Internal Conflict
Conflict within one character’s mind (man v. himself).
External Conflict
Conflict between a character and an outside force (man v. nature, man v. man, man v. supernatural, man v. society).
Direct Characterization
A specific, direct description of a character.
Indirect Characterization
Insight into a character using word, thoughts, or actions of that character.
Flat Character
A character that is NOT well-described.
Round Character
A character that is well-described.
Dynamic Character
A character that changes or grows (learns a lesson) during the story.
Static Character
A character that does NOT change or grow throughout the story.
Plot
The events of the story.
Exposition
The beginning of a story that sets up a “situation.”
Rising Action
The events of a story that lead to the climax and build suspense.
Climax
The “turning point” in the story.
Falling Action
The events that lead to the resolution of the story.
Resolution
The ending of the story and how conflicts are resolved.
Theme
The underlying meaning or concept of a story.
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent concepts.
Irony
The discrepancy between appearance and reality.
Dramatic Irony
When the audience knows something that a character does not (leads to more suspense and drama).
Situational Irony
When a plot is resolved in an unexpected manner (twist ending).
Verbal Irony
When a character says one thing, but means another (sarcasm).
Protagonist
The main character.
Antagonist
The one who opposes the main character.
