Literature Units 1 and 3 Flashcards
plot
a sequence of events in a story NOT analytic
conflict
the struggle b/w two opposing ppl or forces as a protagonist struggles with one or more antagonists
friction that requires action to be taken
protagonist
the main character of a story
the action of the story revolves around the protagonist and the conflict he/she faces
antagonist
the character/force the protagonist struggles against & must overcome
5 major types of conflict
- protagonist vs. nature
- protag vs. society
- protag vs. another person
- protag vs. supernatural being (god-like force, technological creation, etc.)
- protag vs. him/herself (internal)
what does the setting reveal?
mood, plot, characters, and theme
setting and mood
sets overall mood of the story
setting and plot
the setting is important at each point in the plot
setting and characters
shows the characters’ physical & psychological strengths/weaknesses as they interact w/ the setting
setting & theme
says something about life
chronological order
events in the order in which they occurred
flashbacks
an account of a conversation, episode, or event that happened before the beginning of a story or at an earlier point
interrupts the main action
shows how the past led to the present
provides background info
en media res
begins in the middle of a crisis or conflict
circular/framing structure
parallel opening & closing
Ex: A House on Mango Street begins & ends at the same address
foreshadowing
a writer’s use of hints or clues in early scenes to suggest events that will occur later
prepares the reader for events to come later - often in the climax/resolution
creates suspense
makes readers eager to keep reading
how do writers build characters?
reveal STEAL
Speech
Thoughts (private/spoken)
Effects on others (reaction)
Actions
Looks (appearance)
1st person
tell their own stories (using PN’s like I, me, and we)
tell us what they think and feel
not always reliable
limited understanding of other characters
story seems more real
dramatic monologue
a type of poem in which a speaker addresses one/more silent listeners
narrator often discusses a specific prob/situation, talks abt his/her life & values, reveal his/her relationship w/ the audience
soliloquy
a long speech in which a character who is onstage alone expresses his or her thoughts aloud
character may discuss specific prob/situation, or reveal his/her deepest private thoughts
dialogue
conversation b/w characters.
pay attention to: what characters say & don’t say; how characters respond to each other
Thoughts
note whether the characters’ thoughts & feelings match their speech & actions
what is revealed thru the character’s thoughts and feelings?
Effect on Others
Note what the others say abt the character/how characters behave in the character’s presence
Actions
Observe to determine:
what their personality is like
what motivates them
how they deal w/ conflict
What draws readers into a story?
vivid, complex characters whose problems & triumphs draw forth our emotions & reveal some truth abt humankind
subordinate characters
add depth & complication to the plot. sidekicks
flat characters/2-dimensional characters
a character who reveals only one, maybe two, personality traits in a story or novel, and the trait(s) do not change.
round characters
a well developed character who demonstrates varied and sometimes contradictory traits.
usually dynamic
background characters
add to the truth/believability/versimilitude of the story.
“narrative furniture”
less than subordinate
dynamic characters
change or grow as a result of the story’s actions
learn something abt thmselves, other ppl, or the world as they struggle to resolve their conflicts
the changes that a dynamic character undergoes contribute to the meaning of the story
Ex: Ebenezer Scrooge
static characters
a character that remains primarily the same throughout a story or novel. Events in the story do not alter a static character’s outlook, personality, motivation, perception, habits, etc.
motivation
drives a character’s actions
explains behaviors, reveals personality
often based on character’s fears, conflicts, needs
can be observed from characters’ behavior, speech, actions
author’s characterization tools
clues to communicate characters to the reader:
- the character’s name
- the character’s physical appearance
- the character’s occupation
- what the character’s home or surroundings are like
- the character’s habits
- what others say about the character
- what the narrator says about the character
direct characterization
the writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality and tells what the character is like
telling
shorter, less imagination
indirect characterization
the writer reveals info abt a character and his personality thru STEAL
showing
third person
narrator is not a character in the story
may not be an identifiable person but merely a voice
limited, omniscient, objective
often know more abt more characters
might not feel as connected to the story
limited 3rd person
the thoughts and feelings of ONE person r discussed
omnisicient 3rd person
he/she knows the thoughts & feelings of ALL of the characters
objective 3rd person
no thoughts & feelings r discussed
2nd person
the writer takes control of the reader, using pronouns such as you, your, and you’re
instructive if giving directions
speechwriting
letterwriting
bossy if told what to think or how to feel
motif
reoccurring theme or device
theme/thesis
the meaing of the work as a whole, the message the author is trying to convey
central symbol
a person/place/obj/gesture/image that stands for something else or that has a greater meaning in addition to what it really is
exposition
info the audience needs about what has occurred before the action starts
climax
the turning point (often in the most dramatic part)
falling action
the part following the climax (different from resolution - not all stories have a resolution)
important for analysis?
EVIDENCE
internal conflict
the struggle occurring within a character’s mind
external conflict
a struggle occurring outside the mind of a character
tone
the writer’s attitude toward the material and/or readers. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc.
diff b/w static and flat characters
static character doesn’t change from beginning to end of book.
flat character is a character that has only one side, and is unimportant to the story.
Speech
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
