Narrative Terminology Flashcards
First person
Writing from the authors point of view or perspective using personal pronouns such as ‘I’
In Gatsby, Nick is the author of Gatsby’s story ( even tho Fitzgerald is the actual author)
Third person
Writing from the point of view of an outsider looking in
Omniscient narrator
Knowing everything
Unreliable narrator
Not to be trusted / believed
Symbol
A mark, sign or word that signifies or represents and idea
The green light is a symbol of Gatsby’s hope
Motif
A recurring idea throughout a narrative
Foil
A character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character
Gatsby and Tom eg
Idiolect
The speech habits of a particular person
Prolepsis
A figure of speech in which future development is represented as if already accomplished or existing
Analepsis
Literary device in which a past event is narrated at a point later that it’s chronologically placed in the story
Michaelis’ account of Myrtles death later in chapter 8
Foreshadowing
An indication of what is to come /a warning
Climax
The most intense, exciting or important moment of a narrative
Exposition
The insertion of background information within a story or narrative
Denouement
The final part of the narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved
Rising action
Rising action in a plot is a series of events that create suspense, interest and tension in the narrative; leads to climax
Falling action
The parts of the story after the climax and before the end
Characterisation
The representation of a person in the narrative
Archetype
A typical character, action or situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature
Juxtaposition
Two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
Direct dialogue
A report of the exact words used by a speaker or writer
Speech tags
They are like sign posts which describe the speech, each containing a noun or pronoun such as ‘she’ and a verb indicating a way of speaking ‘whispered’
Indirect dialogue/speech
Where the report of words said by another person are not exact like direct speech:
“I’m coming” he said = direct speech
‘He said he was coming’= indirect speech
