Literary Terms Flashcards
Characters
The people y meet in a story, poem, or play.
Protagonist
The main character that the readers focus on.
Antagonist
The person in conflict with the protagonist of the story.
Round Character
A character similar to a real person and has many character traits (admirable and non-admirable traits).
Flat Character
A character that has only one or two traits that can be described in one or two words.
Static Character
A character that does not change in the course of the story. Their main function is to provide a contrast to the story’s main character.
Dynamic Character
A character that seems to live and breathe, and grows and changes throught the story.
Motivation
The reqson a character behaves a certain way.
Characterization
When writers reveal a character’s personality (can be direct & indirect).
Direct Characterization
When writers olainly tell us qbout the people who inhabit their fictional worlds.
Indirect Characterization
When the writer does not plainly state factw about the people and you must infer them.
Dialogue
The conversqtion between characters in a story or play.
Appearance
Well-placed descriptions of a character’s physical traits that help bring them to life.
Private Thoughts
Thoughts from the character’s mind.
Actions
What we see the characters doing.
