Vocab Flashcards
Plot
several basic events that form a whole narrative
Narrative
A story
Conflicts
Problems created by events or people
Exposition
Beginning of a narrative
Rising action
Conflict starts and becomes clear
Climax
Tension peaks; Turning point
Suspense
A feeling of anxiousness of what may happen
Comedy
A funny thing
Tragedy
Something bad or sad that happens
Falling action
The effects of what happened at the climax of the narrative
Denouement
Explains how conflict is resolved
Resolution
Conflict is resolved
In medias res
In the middle of the action
Flashbacks
Explains what happens prior to a story
Foreshadowing
Hints at events to come
Protagonist
The main character in a work; often a hero or heroine, but not always
Antagonist
Evil character or villain of the story
Coming of age story
A novel that explores the maturation of the protagonist, with the narrative usually moving the main character from childhood into adulthood. also called a coming-of-age-story
Epiphany
An intuitive grasp of reality through something usually simple and striking
Round character
A character who exhibits a range of emotions and who evolves over the course of the story
Flat character
A character embodying only one or two traits and who lacks character development
Foil
A contrasting character who allows the protagonist to stand out more distinctly
Stock characters
A character that immediately falls into a category or stereotype
Direct characterization
A narrator tells the reader who a character is by describing the background , motivation, temperament, or appearance of a character