Literary ElementsLiterary Elements

Plot:Plot:

tthe sequence of events in a story he sequence of events in a story

Exposition:Exposition:

the early part of a story where the the early part of a story where the following are established: tone, setting, following are established: tone, setting, characters, and important background characters, and important background information information

Complication / Rising Action:Complication / Rising Action:

• the part of a story where the conflicts begin, are added to, and expanded

Climax:Climax:

• the point of highest intensity in a story

Falling Action / Resolution:Falling Action / Resolution:

• occurs after the climax.

• this is the time when the conflicts in the story are resolved and loose ends are tied up

Setting:Setting:

• the time and place of a story

Conflict:Conflict:

• a struggle between two opposing forces

• the conflict can be either internal (in the character’s mind) or external (against a physical force)

• external conflict examples: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. technology

Situational Irony:Situational Irony:

• a contrast between what a reader or character expects to happen and what actually does happen

• it’s the unexpected twist

Theme:Theme:

• the main idea in a work of literature

• it is a perception about life or human nature that the writer shares

Foreshadowing:Foreshadowing:

• the use of hints or clues to indicate events and situations that will occur later in a plot

Characterization:Characterization:

We learn about characters through:

• description

• a character’s own thoughts or words

• a character’s actions

• the narrator’s direct comments

Protagonist:Protagonist:

• the central character or hero in a narrative or drama

Antagonist:Antagonist:

• the principle character in opposition to the protagonist

MoodMood: :

• the feeling or atmosphere the writer creates for the reader

DialogueDialogue: :

• written conversations between two or more characters in either fiction or nonfiction

Point of ViewPoint of View: :

• the method of narrating a short story, novel, narrative poem or work of nonfiction

First PersonFirst Person: :

• The narrator is a character in the story and uses I to refer to him/herself

Third PersonThird Person: :

• the story is told by a narrative voice outside the action, not by one of the characters

Third Person OmniscientThird Person Omniscient: :

• the narrator sees into the minds of more than one character

Narrator:Narrator:

• the character or voice from whose point of view events are told

Suspense:Suspense:

• the excitement or tension readers feel as they become involved in a story and are eager to know its outcome

Imagery:Imagery:

• language that appeals to one or more senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch)

SymbolismSymbolism

A person, place, thing, or event A person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and that stands for itself and something beyond itself as wellsomething beyond itself as well

FictionFiction

Any story that is imagined or invented