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English 20-1 > Short Story Theory (Simple Version) > Flashcards

Short Story Theory (Simple Version) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a prose?

A

All words (spoken/written) taht aren’t patterned into recurring metric or rhythmic verse. In sentence or paragraph form.

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2
Q

What are the two main types of prose literature?

A

Nonfiction- real facts, meant to inform or explain

Fiction- creative/imaginative, meant to inform or explain

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3
Q

What are the four main elements of short stories?

A
  • theme
  • plot
  • setting
    characters
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4
Q

What is interpretive literature?

A

Written for entertainment but also aims to deepen and sharpen a reader’s interpretation of life.

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5
Q

What is escapist literature?

A

Written purely for entertainment, mean to give the reader pleasure and take them away from the world and help escape their daily problems.

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6
Q

What is theme?

A

The controlling idea/central insight of a piece of fiction; a unifying generalization about life stated/implied by the story.

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7
Q

What is plot?

A

Sequence of related incidents or events outlining the protagonist’s conflict in the story

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8
Q

Who is the protagonist?

A

Central character, but not necessarily good

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9
Q

Who is the antagonist?

A

Forces against the main character (doesn’t have to be human)

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10
Q

What is teh order of plot?

A
  • introduction
  • rising action
  • climax
  • falling action
  • conclusion
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11
Q

What happens in the introduction?

A

The reader’s attention is captured, antecedent action may be given, POV established, setting shown, main characters introduced, mood set

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12
Q

What is medias res?

A

Starting in the middle of the action

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13
Q

What is antecedent action?

A

Events that happen before teh story starts

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14
Q

What happens in the rising Action?

A

conflict starts

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15
Q

Whast is the complicating/initial incident?

A

It initiates the conflict

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16
Q

What are complications?

A

Any events within the plot which stops the protagonist from reaching their goal

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17
Q

What is Man vs Man conflict?

A

Character in conflict with another person or group of people

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18
Q

What is Man Vs. Supernatural conflict?

A

Character in conflict with some supernatural force

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19
Q

What is Man Vs. Environment Conflict?

A

Character in conflict with external forces such as nature, fate, technology

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20
Q

What is teh Man Vs. Himself conflict?

A

Main character in conflict with some element of their own nature

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21
Q

What is suspense?

A

Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about the outcome

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22
Q

What is surprise?

A

Violates expectations

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23
Q

What is crsis?

A

Moment of intense conflict where the protagonist meets the antagonist

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24
Q

What is teh climax?

A

The turning point in conflict, the point of no return

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25
Q

What is falling action?

A

The series of events that help to resolve the loose ends of the story

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26
Q

What is denoument?

A

Unkotting or untying of teh conflict following the climax

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27
Q

What is the conclusion?

A

Protagonist’s conflict is resolved

28
Q

What are teh different types of endings?

A
  • happy (teaches goal)
  • unhappy (doesn’t reach goal)
  • surprise (ends with unexpected event)
  • undeterminate (cliffhanger, ends without resolving teh conflict
  • deus ex machina (god out of a machine; to resolve conflict in a highly unlikely way)
29
Q

What is setting?

A

Involves the time and place of teh plot

30
Q

What is chronological time?

A

Month, day, year

31
Q

What is historical time?

A

A particular time in history or the future (no specific date)

32
Q

What is specific place?

A

A room, street, (no name is given)

33
Q

What is geographical place?

A

LOcation can be found on map

34
Q

What is mood?

A

the reader’s feelings created by the combination of details and methods the writer has used

35
Q

What is atmosphere?

A

The writer’s description of the physical surrounding environment

36
Q

What is tone?

A

The writer’s attitude towards their subject adn audience

37
Q

What is direct characterization?

A

The author clearly states it

38
Q

What are the types of indirect characterization?

A
  • based on what the character says
  • Based on what the character does
  • based on waht the character thinks
  • based on what others say or think about that character
  • based on the character’s appearance
39
Q

What are plausible characters?

A

convincing and believable characters

40
Q

What is motive/motivation?

A

The reason why characters behave the way they do

41
Q

What is versimilitude?

A

The appearance of being real, true, or life-like

42
Q

What are flat characters?

A

They have few personality traits

43
Q

What are round characters?

A

Have many personality traits

44
Q

What are stock characters?

A

Are streotyped so bad they are known immediately

45
Q

What are static characters?

A

Do not change their viewpoint or personality

46
Q

What are dynamic characters?

A

Undergo a significant change in viewpoint/personality

47
Q

What is situational irony?

A

The opposite of what is expected happns

48
Q

What is dramatic irony?

A

A character says, thinks, or does the opposite from waht the audience knows is true. We know, but the characters don’t know.

49
Q

What is cosmic irony?

A

A supernatural force tricks a character and sets the character up for a fall

50
Q

What is verbal irony?

A

There is a difference between what is meant and said, like sarcasm

51
Q

What is First person major?

A

Narrator is a major character directly involved in key events

52
Q

What is First person minor?

A

Narrator is a minor character who isn’t directly involved

53
Q

What is Third person/Non-paricipant objective?

A

No thoughts are revealed, like a camera view

54
Q

What is Third person/Non-paricipant omniscient?

A

Knows the thoguhts of all major and minor characters at some point in time

55
Q

What is Third person/Non-paricipant limited omniscient>

A

Know the thoughts of some characters at some point in time

56
Q

What is Third person/Non-paricipant centered omniscient?

A

Know the thoughts of all main characters at some point in time

57
Q

What is the second person POV?

A

YOU are doing things in the story

58
Q

What is a symbol?

A

Somethig represents something else

59
Q

What are flashbacks?

A

Story will focus on the present and periodically move back to key moments in the past

60
Q

What is motif?

A

A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature

61
Q

What is foreshadowing?

A

Clues in the story that hint of something positive or negative to happen later

62
Q

What is foreboding?

A

Clues in the story which hint at somethig negative to happen later

63
Q

What is science fiction?

A

Story reflects the impact of imagined science and/or technology upon society or individuals

64
Q

What is fantasy?

A

Story has events occuring as a result of magic or some unexplaned phenomena which is unrelated to science (real or imagined) or technology

65
Q

What is dramatic/character foil?

A

Similarities between two or more characters are establisehd to emphasie their differences

66
Q

What is poetic justice?

A

A literacy outcome where characters recieve their just reward or punishment for deeds done

67
Q

What is the hero/anti-hero?

A

Heroes are protagonists which poissess typical heroic qualities; Anti-Heroes are protagonists which are given “unheroic” qualities

English 20-1 (7 decks)

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