Short Story Terminology: EXAM

Question 1

Plot

Answer 1

Events that happen in a story

Question 2

Introduction

Answer 2

Section of plot where characters/setting are established
Conflict is generally established
Exposition occurs here

Question 3

Rising action

Answer 3

Main body of plot
Conflict is explored in more depth; characters are developed more fully

Question 4

Climax

Answer 4

Most intense part of narrative

Question 5

Falling action/denoument

Answer 5

Conclusion of story

Question 6

Foreshadowing

Answer 6

When author hints of actions that will occur later on in story

Question 7

Flashback

Answer 7

When author presents scenes that have occurred before

Question 8

Exposition

Answer 8

Writing/speech that explains or informs
First part of story where characters, setting and basic situation are established

Question 9

Indeterminate ending

Answer 9

Ending to story where central conflict is left unresolved

Question 10

Internal conflict

Answer 10

When a character struggles with their own emotions or sense of right or wrong

Question 11

External conflict

Answer 11

When character is threatened by a character or force other than themselves

Question 12

Protagonist

Answer 12

Hero of story, good guy, main character, sympathetic

Question 13

Antagonist

Answer 13

Bad guy/villain, doesn’t like protagonist, unsympathetic, may be human or non human

Question 14

Flat character

Answer 14

Only 1 or 2 identifiable traits, easily seen as stereotype/stock character

Question 15

Round character

Answer 15

Many personality traits, seems more real

Question 16

Static character

Answer 16

Character that remains same throughout story

Question 17

Dynamic character

Answer 17

Character that changes throughout story

Question 18

Stereotype

Answer 18

Character that has expected traits of a group rather than being an individual

Question 19

Direct presentation

Answer 19

Character is described by author, narrator or other characters. Told directly what the character is like

Question 20

Indirect presentation

Answer 20

Characters traits are revealed through actions/speech. Not told directly what the character is like

Question 21

Motivation

Answer 21

Forces that compel the characters to act as they do

Question 22

Theme

Answer 22

Central idea/purpose in a literary work; insight that the author wants to pass to the reader

Question 23

Setting

Answer 23

Where the story takes place

Question 24

The 4 points of view

Answer 24

First person
Third person omniscient
Third person limited omniscient
Third person objective

Question 25

First person POV

Answer 25

Story is told in voice of one of the characters using “I”.

Question 26

Third person omniscient POV

Answer 26

Author tells the story, reader can enter the thoughts of all characters involved and see all action

Question 27

Third person limited omniscient POV

Answer 27

Author tells the story, reader can enter thoughts/actions of only 1 character

Question 28

Third person objective

Answer 28

Author tells the story, reader can enter nobody’s thoughts

Question 29

Moral

Answer 29

Lesson of the story, author implies judgement in actions,

Question 30

Suspense

Answer 30

The feeling of growing curiosity and anxious uncertainty about outcome of events in a narrative

Question 31

Irony

Answer 31

Literary technique that involves surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions (opposites)

Question 32

Humour

Answer 32

The quality that makes something laughable or amusing

Question 33

Mood

Answer 33

Feeling created in reader by the literary work.

Question 34

How is mood created

Answer 34

Writers choice of words
Events in work
Physical setting
Authors tone

Question 35

Dialogue

Answer 35

Conversation between characters, punctuated using quotation marks