“The Most Dangerous Game”

Literary Terms

mood

the feeling or atmosphere that an author creates in a literary workcan suggest a specific emotion

(excited, fearful)can suggest the quality of a

setting (somber, calm)

imagery

the “word pictures” that writers use to help evoke an emotional response in readerstypically displayed through the use of

sensory details or descriptions that appeal to one of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell

simile

a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”

foreshadowing

an author’s use of clues that hint at events that will occur later in the plotoften helps to build suspense as

well as to prepare readers for what is to come

suspense

the growing interest and excitement readers experience while awaiting a climax or resolution in a work of literature

hyperbole

a figure of speech in which great exaggeration is used for emphasis or humorous effect

metaphor

a comparison of two unlike things by saying one thing is another (without using “like” or “as”)

irony

a contrast between appearance and reality

situational irony: when the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected

verbal irony: when a person says one thing but means another

direct characterization

the direct statements the author or narrator makes about a character’s traits

indirect characterization

the revealing of a character’s personality through the character’s own words, thoughts, and actions and through the words, thoughts, and actions of other characters

infer

to conclude by reasoning, to guess based on clues given

Plotthe literary element that describes

the structure of a story shows the arrangement of events

and actions within a story

Common Plot Structures

ChronologicalFlashback In Medias Res (in the middle of things)

Plot Components

Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action

Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax

Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax

Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts

Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

Conflictthe dramatic struggle between two

forces in a story (Without conflict, there is no plot.)

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using like or as

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things by saying one thing is another

Examples

SimileLove is like

Shakespeare; it goes on forever and doesn’t make any sense.

MetaphorLove is

Shakespeare; it goes on forever and doesn’t make any sense.

Characterization

The methods an author uses to reveal a character’s personalityDirect Characterization – author directly

states the character’s traitsIndirect Characterization – author implies

traits through the character’s thoughts, actions, and words and through the thoughts, actions, and words of other characters

Characterization

Static characters – remain the same throughout the story

Dynamic characters – change as a result of the action in the story

Symbol

an object, a person, a place, or an experience that represents something else, usually something abstractEx: a fancy evening dress may be

a symbol of class and distinction

Theme

Turn the theme for “Meadow Mouse” into me before the end of the period.

ASSIGNMENT: Write a 5-8 sentence summary of “The Necklace” for homework – due tomorrow at start of class.

Situational Irony

When the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected

CTC Assignment

Write a CTC paragraph telling what destiny the princess chose for the young man. Did she send him to the door of the lady or that of the tiger?Consider the personality

traits of the princess and the evidence provided throughout the text.

Follow the same format as you used for the MDG CTC.

Claim (topic sentence)

Textual evidence CommentaryTextual evidenceCommentaryTextual evidenceCommentaryConcluding

Statement

Italics vs. Quotation Marks

Books and movies are italicized.Short stories, poems, and songs are

placed in quotes.