Part B Review Flashcards
Indirect characterization
The process of revealing a character’s traits through their actions, speech, appearance, and interactions with others, allowing readers to infer the character’s personality.
Direct Characterization
The explicit and straightforward presentation of a character’s traits by the narrator or through descriptive adjectives, eliminating the need for inference by the reader.
Dynamic Character
A character who undergoes significant internal changes or development throughout the course of a story.
Static Character
A character who remains unchanged and exhibits the same traits and characteristics throughout the story.
Stock Character
A character that represents a conventional or stereotypical type, often used to fulfill a specific role in a narrative.
Round Character
A complex and multifaceted character with depth and the capacity for growth and change.
Flat Character
A one-dimensional character with limited traits and depth, typically serving a specific purpose in the plot.
Foil Character
A character whose qualities and attributes contrast with those of another character, often highlighting the differences between them.
Theme
The central idea or underlying message explored in a literary work, often conveying a universal truth or insight about human nature.
Mood/Atmosphere
The emotional tone or ambiance created by a literary work, influencing the reader’s feelings and perceptions.
Tone
The author’s attitude or emotional stance towards the subject matter or audience, conveyed through the writing style.
Setting
The time and place in which a story unfolds, providing context for the narrative.
First Person
A narrative perspective where the story is told from the viewpoint of one of the characters, using first-person pronouns like “I” or “we.”
Second Person
A narrative perspective where the narrator addresses the reader directly, using second-person pronouns like “you.”
Third Person
A narrative perspective where the story is told by an external narrator who is not a character in the story.
Omniscient
A narrative perspective where the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
Limited Omniscient
A narrative perspective where the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character.
Exposition
The introduction of background information, setting, and characters at the beginning of a story.
Inciting Incident
The event or circumstance that sets the main action of a story into motion.
Rising Action
The series of events that build tension and develop the plot leading to the climax.
Climax
The turning point or the most intense moment in a narrative, where the conflict reaches its peak.
Falling Action
The events that follow the climax and lead to the resolution.
Resolution/Denouement
The conclusion of the story where loose ends are tied up, and the conflict is resolved.
Antecedent Action
Events or situations that occur before the main events of the story.
Conflict
The struggle or clash between opposing forces that drives the plot.
Anachronism
Something out of its proper historical or chronological order.
Soliloquy
A speech delivered by a character alone on stage, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings.
Monologue
An extended speech by one character addressing others.
Aside
A character’s brief remark or comment, typically directed at the audience and unheard by other characters.
Thesis Statement
A concise statement that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay or piece of writing.
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, adding depth and layers of meaning to a literary work.
Motif
A recurring theme, image, or idea that contributes to the overall meaning of a work.
Blank Verse
Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.
Free Verse
Poetry without regular rhyme or meter
Stanza
A grouped set of lines in a poem
Sonnet
A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme, often dealing with themes of love
Iambic Pentameter
A metrical pattern in poetry consisting of five iambs (unstressed followed by stressed syllables)
Suspense
The intense feeling of uncertainty or anticipation about the outcome of events in a story
Foreshadowing
A literary device used to give hints or clues about what will happen later in the story
Irony
A literary device where there is a discrepancy between expectation and reality
Dramatic Irony
The audience knows something that the characters do not
Situational Irony
There is a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs
Verbal Irony
A person says something but means the opposite
Personification
Giving human characteristics to non-human entities or abstract concepts
Antagonist
The character or force that opposes the protagonist
Protagonist
The main character or hero of the story
Allegory
A narrative in which characters, events, and settings symbolize abstract ideas or moral qualities
Colloquial
Informal language and conversational expressions, often specific to a particular region or group.
Dialogue
The conversation between characters in a literary work.
Diction
The choice and use of words in writing or speech.
Figurative Language
Language that uses figures of speech to convey meaning beyond the literal interpretation.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things.
Simile
A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
Narrative
A story or account of events.
Suspension of Disbelief
The reader’s willingness to accept the implausible or fantastical elements in a narrative for the sake of enjoyment.
