Midterm review Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of first consonants in a group of words as in “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”
Antagonist
A major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play.
Characterization
The means by which an author establishes character. An author may directly describe the appearance and personality of a character or show it through action or dialogue.
Climax
The point at which the action in a story or play reaches its emotional peak.
Conflict
The elements that create a plot. Traditionally, every plot is built from the most basic elements of a conflict and an eventual resolution. The conflict can be internal (within one character) or external (among or between characters, society, and/or nature).
Figurative Language:
Language that does not mean exactly what it says. For example, you can call someone who is very angry “steaming.” Unless steam was actually coming out of your ears, you were using figurative language.
First Person Point of View:
The point of view of writing which the narrator refers to himself as “I.”
Foreshadowing
A technique in which an author gives clues about something that will happen later in the story.
Genre
A kind of style usually art or literature. Some literary genres are mysteries, westerns, and romances.
Hyperbole
A huge exaggeration. For example, “Dan’s the funniest guy on the planet!” or “That baseball card is worth a zillion dollars!”
Imagery
The use of description that helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or taste. Most of the time, it refers to appearance. For example, “The young bird’s white, feathered wings flutter as he made his way across the nighttime sky.”
Irony
The language that conveys certain ideas by saying just the opposite.
Metaphor
A comparison that doesn’t use “like” or “as”—such as “He’s a rock” or “I am an island.”
Mood:
The emotional atmosphere of a given piece of writing.
Onomatopoeia:
The use of words that sound like what they mean such as “buzz.”
Personification:
Giving inanimate object human characteristics. For example, “The flames reached for the child hovering in the corner.”
Plot
The action in the story
Protagonist
The main character of a novel, play, or story.
Simile
A comparison that uses “like” or “as” For example, “I’m as hungry as a wolf,” or “My love is like a rose.”
Theme
The central idea of a work; the author’s message.
Tone
The author’s attitude toward his or her subject. For example, a tone could be pessimistic, optimistic, or angry.
Static Character:
A character who remains the same and does not go through internal growth.
Dynamic Character:
A character who goes through an internal, dramatic change.
Setting
The time and place
Point of View
The narrative point of view whether it’s in the first (I as narrator), second (You), or third person-limited (only able to go into one character’s mind) or third-person omniscient (able to know what every character is feeling).
third person omniscient
the narrator knows all of the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in a work
third person limited
the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character
