short story theory Flashcards
colloquial
more casual than formal- how you would speak out loud
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antecedent action
events that have occurred before the story begins
atmosphere (mood)
the tone an author gives to the story. atmosphere is the changing moods a reader is put into while reading
readers learn about characters in what 5 ways?
dialogue (what they say), action (what they do), what they thinks, what others say about the character, and the author’s direct statements about the character
motives/ character motivations
the reason why a particular character behaves the way he does
direct presentation of character
author tells the reader about the character
indirect presentation of character
author shows read what they’re like; reader left to make judgements
2 ways the author can present characters
direct and indirect
flat (type) character
built around a single quality or idea (not much detail)
round characters
as complex as real people. motives are complicated
static characters
remain essentially the same from beginning to end of the story
dynamic/ developing characters
undergo a change from the start to end of story
plausible characters
believable for the reader
stock (stereotypical) characters
occur repeatedly in literature (eg. humble hero)
dilemma
character faces 2 choices, both are undesirable
escape literature
written purely for entertainment (magazine)
interpretive literature
written to provide entertainment but also serve to deepen a reader’s awareness of life. has a theme, while escape lit. does not