Short Story Terms Flashcards
Plot
The events and actions that make up a story
Short story
A fictional tale that is short enough to be read in a single sitting
Introduction
- The reader meets the characters and discovers the setting
- reader’s interest is aroused
Rising Action
Builds up the story, giving us more information about conflict and characters
Climax
Reader finds out how the conflict might be resolved
Falling Action
The brief section of the story where the plot begins to wrap up
Denouement/conclusion/resolution
Provides last pieces of info for the reader/wraps up the plot
Expository Happy
All loose ends are tied up and explained & the ending is resolved in favour of protagonist
Expository Sad
All loose ends are tied up and the ending is resolved in favour of the antagonist
Surprise or Twist
Something happens that the reader doesn’t expect at all
Unresolved/indeterminate/cliffhanger
The reader is left with questions and has to supply the ending himself. Some loose ends are left - conflict is not resolved
Anti-Climax
A dull or disappointing ending to something after increasing excitement (it’s anti-climactic)
Plot Diagram
Aka: Freytag’s pyramid, a visual representation of the 5 plot parts. Modern stories may or may not fit in with the pyramid
Characterization
The collection of characters in a story
Protagonist
The main character (usually the good guy, but not always)
Antagonist
The force against the protagonist (not always another character)
Flat
A character with minimal sides to their personality. May not seem realistic because so little is known about them.
Round
Believable, complex characters with several sides to their personality. Behave like real people would.
Dynamic
Aka: kinetic character, changes in an important way due to plot events
Static
Don’t change through the course of the story
Stereotypical
Easily recognized as “types”
- ex. The smart Asian
Cliche
An over-used expression
Character foil
When two characters balance each other in some way or help emphasize one another’s characteristics
Caricature
A character with very exaggerated characteristics for comic effect
Hero
A main character with only admirable traits
Anti-hero
A main character having none of the traits of a traditional hero; easy to dislike
Character analysis
Author reveals character through…
- physical appearance
- what the character says
- what the character does (actions)
- what the character thinks
- what other characters say about that character
- author information
Character sketch
- A description of a character’s moral and personality qualities
- written in paragraph form
- uses specific examples from the story
Setting
- Can be stated clearly or inferred through textual clues
- 2 parts: emotional setting & physical setting
Emotional setting
- the mood/atmosphere
- words evoke feeling/emotion
Physical setting
Time, place, and season: physical details
Theme
Message of the story; what can be learned; insight into life
Conflict
Drives plot forward, discovered during initiating incident
Internal conflict
Struggle within a character
- man vs self
External conflict
Conflict is outside the character
- man vs man
- man vs environment
- man vs supernatural/machine
Point of view
Author picks POV that best suits their intentions for the story
1st person POV
- “I”
- character tells own story
2nd person POV
- “you”
3rd person omniscient
- “he/she”
- reader knows all characters thoughts
3rd person limited omniscient
- “he/she”
- reader can see into the mind of some characters, others are objective
3rd person objective
- “he/she”
- reader can’t get into the heads of any character
Deus ex Machina
Improbable plot event that allows for an easy resolution of conflict
In medias res
Beginning in the middle of the action
Flashback
When the character thinks back to an event that happened before the story began
Foreshadowing
Hinting at events to come
Suspense
- Anxiety/apprehension resulting from an uncertain situation
- Created by:
- mystery/unknown
- dilemma
- setting/atmosphere
- dangerous situations/crisis
- suspense & surprise endings
- coincidence
Dilemma
When a character must make a decision between two choices that aren’t ideal
Style
Techniques used by writers to attract readers attention and accomplish literary purposes
Antithesis
- use of contrast for effect
- ex. “Give me liberty or give me death”
Chronological order
Events are told one after another in the order they occurred
Dialect
The style of speaking used by a particular character, influenced by where they’re from
Diction
The arrangement of words in a literary work
Direct presentation
When writers provide information about their characters directly to the reader
Epiphany
When a character makes a sudden realization about something critical
Indirect presentation
Information about characters is shown, not told, to the readers, who must then infer it
Types of Irony
- verbal irony
- situational irony
- dramatic irony
Verbal irony
The opposite of what is said is meant (ex sarcasm)
Situational irony
When an event occurs that is the opposite of what one might expect
Dramatic irony
When the readers know more about other characters/events than the character does
Narration
- noun: something that is narrated…a story
- verb: to tell the story
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory statement that, upon further examination, reveals a truth
Satire
- Writing that mocks/scorns a person or society
- angry/bitter: Juvenalian satire
- gentle mockery: Horatian satire
Sarcasm
When a character uses verbal irony to express bitterness/anger
Stream-of-consciousness
When a characters thoughts are presented in random form, without logical sequence or conventional word order, to mimic the way people really think
Symbol
Something with a literal and figurative meaning - represents something beyond itself
Symbolism
The collection of symbols in a story
Universal symbol
Recognized by many people
Ex. Lightbulb represents an idea
Personal symbol
Recognized by an individual, family, or friends
Cultural symbol
Recognized by a particular culture
Ex. Black symbolizes death in Western society
Allegory
A story with a deeper meaning in addition to its surface meaning
Ex. Lord of the Flies
Legend
A story of a hero, with a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material
Ex. King Arthur
Myth
A tale of unknown origins that explains a natural phenomenon
Fable
A brief narrative that illustrates a moral truth
Ex. Tortoise & the hate
Proverb
A short popular saying offering a piece of advice
Folk tale
A traditional story handed down in either oral or written form
Ex. Fairy takes
Graphic text
Combination of a novel and a comic book
Crisis
Turning point in action where character must make a decision that will determine an outcome
Plot manipulation
When a writer gives a story an unjustified turn
Coincidence
Chance occurrence of two events that have a peculiar correspondence/relationship
Chance
Occurrence of an event which has no apparent cause in preceding events
Artistic unity
Everything in the story is relevant, contributes to meaning, and advances intention of the story
Dramatis personae
All characters in a story (human or non-human)
Archetype
Original model from which copies are made and used over and over
Ex. Epic hero
Stock character
- immediately recognized & predictable
- often used as character foils
Ex. Damsel in distress, evil scientist
Parody
A work that imitates the style of another work for comedic effect/ridicule
Tone
The manner, atmosphere, or attitude that conveys a feeling
Mood
The feeling conveyed by the tone of a piece
Motif
Recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that help develop the major themes of a story
