Theory Flashcards
What is a prose?
Sentence/ pharagraph form
What is non fiction? What’s its main purpose?
It is real, facts, current events, history, literature
Main purpose is to inform
Includes textbooks, journals, articles, biographies
What is fiction? What’s its main purpose?
Created or made up
Does not relate to pure fact
Dramatic, creative
Main purpose to entertain
What are the four basic elements that make up short stories?
1.characters
2.setting
3.plot
4.theme
What are the seven basic characteristics of short stories?
- Generally read in 1 sitting
- 1 main incident which causes 1 main conflict
- Usually 1 or 2 main characters
- Usually one main setting
- Usually one main theme
- Captures the readers attention right away
- Should have a definite ending
Who believed that a short story should leave the reader, feeling satisfied in, therefore, should have a definite ending?
Edgar Allen Poe, a poet and short story writer of fantasy
What is a short story?
A work of prose fiction, which can generally be read in one sitting
Short stories can either be mainly _________ or _________
Escapist literature or interpretive literature
What is escapist Literature?
Written for purely entertainment
Main purpose is to give readers pleasure
What is interpretive literature?
Written for entertainment and to sharpen a readers awareness
Main purpose to give readers pleasure and understanding
Gives insight into some aspect of human life or behaviour
What is the theme?
Controlling idea or central insight
Unifying generalization about life
Universally applicable to other human beings and situations
May deal with real life problems or make readers aware of what’s important
What determine theme?
-The title
-the conflict and the result
-whether or not the protagonist has learned something
-whether or not the protagonist changed
- what insight into life is revealed
What does the plot refer to?
Sequence of related issues or events
Plot is the ______ and/or ________ action of a story
Verbal, physical
What are the two main forces in the plot?
Protagonist and antagonist
What the protagonist?
The main character
What is the antagonist?
The force against the main character
The five main stages of plot are?
- Introduction/motivation/exposition
- Rising action/complication
- Climax
- Falling action/denouement/resolution
- Conclusion
What occurs in the introduction/motivation/exposition?
-The readers interest is captured
-antecedent action may be given
-background information may be given
-POV is established
-setting is introduced
-mood is set
-atmosphere is created
-main characters are introduced
What is antecedent action?
Event which occurred before the story begins
What is the rising action/complication?
-The complicating or initial incident, which starts the main conflict
-gradual increase of events leading to the climax
What are complications?
Events within the plot, which prevent the protagonist from reaching their goal
What’s a conflict?
Actions, ideas or desires of two opposing forces, clash, and a struggle between these two forces result
The conflict can be _______, _______, ________, ________.
Physical, mental, emotional, or
Moral
What are the different kinds of external conflicts?
Man versus man, man versus supernatural, man versus the environment
What is an internal conflict?
Man versus himself
What is the climax?
The turning point in the conflict
What is the falling action/denouement/ resolution?
Series of events that being to help to resolve the conflict in the story
What is denouement describe?
A French term to describe the unravelling or untying of the conflict
What is the conclusion?
Protagonist conflict has been resolved
What are the five main types of endings/conclusions?
-Happy
-unhappy
-surprise(unexpected)
-indeterminate(cliffhanger)
-deus ex machina(implausible, contrived, extremely coincidental)
What is the setting?
Involves the time and place of the plot
The settings time can include:
-Chronological time (month, day, year)
-historical time (time famous in history)
Settings places include:
-Specific place (room, street)
-geographic place(location found on a map)
What is the atmosphere? How is it created?
-The description of the physical surroundings
-created through dialogue, description, diction, or imagery
What is the mood?
The readers feelings
What is tone? How can it be manipulated by the author?
-The writers feelings towards the subject matter and audience
-Yusuf, sharp contrast, certain words, ironic statements, figurative language, point of view and punctuation
What is characterization?
The process of creating a characters, personality
How is characterization done directly?
By what the writer says
How is characterization done indirectly
Interpreted based on what the character says, does, thinks, what other characters think/say about that particular character and their appearance
What are plausible characters?
A convincing and believable character
What is a motive/motivation?
The reasons why characters behave the way they do
What is verisimilitude?
The appearance of being real, true or life like
What are the five main Character types?
- Flat characters
- Round characters
- Stock characters
- Static characters
- Dynamic/developing characters
What are flat characters?
Characters with few personality traits
What are round characters?
Characters with many personality traits
What are stock characters?
Are so stereotype that the reader immediately recognizes them
What are static characters?
Characters who don’t change their viewpoint
What are dynamics/developing characters?
Characters who change their viewpoint and personality in the story
What is a character sketch?
A description of a characters qualities
What things are included to create a character sketch?
-physical appearance
-physical ability
-mental ability
-social abilities
-moral qualities
What are the four main types of irony?
- situational irony
- dramatic irony
- cosmic irony
- Verbal irony
What is situational irony?
The opposite of what is expected happens
What is dramatic irony?
When the character speaking or doing the action is unaware of the irony, however, the readers are aware of the
irony
What is cosmic irony?
A supernatural force tricks a character and sets the character up for a fall
What is a verbal irony?
A difference between what is meant and said
What is anticipated irony? (Do not need to know for 10-1)
The character statement or action is not ironic now, but it will be in the future
What are the six main types of point of view?
- first person major.
- first person minor
- Third Person objective
- third person omniscient
- third person limited omniscient.
- third person centered omniscient
What is first person major?
Narrator is a main character
What is first person minor?
Narrator is a minor character
What is third person objective?
No thoughts are revealed, can only listen and watch characters (camera POV)
What is third person omniscient?
Knows the thoughts of all major and minor characters at some point in time
What is third person limited omniscient?
Knows the thoughts of some characters at some point in time
What is third person centred omniscient?
Knows the thoughts of all the main characters at some point in time
What is a symbol?
Something represents something else
What is a flashback ?
Focus on the present and periodically moves back to key moments In the past
What is a motif?
A reoccurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature
What is foreshadowing?
Clues in the story that hint of something positive or negative which will happen later
What is foreboding?
Clues in the story that hint of something negative which will happen later
What is satire?
Ridicules people and society to make a point
What is stream of consciousness?
An unbroken flow of thought from the character
What is allegory?
To tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols that have both literal and symbolic/metaphorical meaning
Allegory can be:
-Historical or political allegory
-can be an allegory of ideas
What is archetype?
A prototype
What does an archetype include?
-A basic universal theme
-common character or personality types
-creatures
What is science fiction?
Impact of imagined science and/or technology upon society or individuals
What is fantasy?
A result of magic, or some unexplained phenomena
What are dramatic/foil characters?
Similarities between two or more characters are established to emphasize their differences
What is poetic justice?
All literary outcome where characters receive their just reward or punishment for deeds done
What is a hero/antihero?
-Heroes are protagonists which are given typical heroic qualities
-antiheroes are protagonists which are given un heroic qualities
