Plot Flashcards
Plot
Sequence of events; focuses on major happenings
Conflict
Clash of actions, desires ideas or wills
Kinds of Conflict
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Environment
Man vs. Self
Protagonist
Central character in the conflict ; good or bad
Antagonist
Forces working against the protagonist; can be persons, things, society, traits of the protagonists’ own character
Suspense
“What’s going to happen next?” quality; compels reader to read on for answers
Two devices used to create suspense
Mystery: Unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation
Dilemma: A choice between two courses of undesirable action
Surprise
Unexpected twist or turn in ending; must be fairly achieved; must serve a useful purpose
Indeterminate ending
No definite conclusion reached in terms of conflict
Unhappy ending
Reflects a real life situation; Compels reader to examine results, analyze story; More likely to raise significant issues about life
Artistic unity
Nothing is irrelevant; various stages of the story link together in a chain of cause and effect
Plot manipulation
Author gives story a turn unjustified by the situation or characters involved; Could rely too heavily on chance; coincidence cannot be used to solve conflict
